Wedding Suit
1939-1942 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During the Second World War an increasing number of brides decided to be married in elegant tailored suits. Unlike formal white wedding dresses, these could be worn again after the ceremony. As clothes rationing took hold, it proved sensible for many brides to buy practical outfits that represented value for money. This suit, in soft blue-grey wool crêpe, was worn for a wedding at St Giles' Church, Rowley Regis. The bridegroom wore his Army uniform.
The sharply tailored, wide-shouldered jacket of this suit is typical of the wartime silhouette. The dress underneath has short puffed sleeves, and could be worn without the jacket on warm days. This suit was made before 1942, the year in which strict fabric regulations were implemented. The decorative self-fabric pocket details and number of buttons would not have met with these new restrictions, which controlled fabric usage and fastenings. Fur was not rationed, so the grey astrakhan yoke of the jacket represents a wartime luxury.
The sharply tailored, wide-shouldered jacket of this suit is typical of the wartime silhouette. The dress underneath has short puffed sleeves, and could be worn without the jacket on warm days. This suit was made before 1942, the year in which strict fabric regulations were implemented. The decorative self-fabric pocket details and number of buttons would not have met with these new restrictions, which controlled fabric usage and fastenings. Fur was not rationed, so the grey astrakhan yoke of the jacket represents a wartime luxury.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Wool crêpe and grey astrakhan fur |
| Brief description | Wedding suit, wool crêpe and grey astrakhan fur, British, made 1939-1942 |
| Physical description | Knee-length dress with fitted bodice and puffed sleeves in slate-blue wool crepe, pairs of decorative patch pockets at yoke with a single flap over each pair. Skirt knife-pleated at front, smooth at sides. Single-breasted jacket also in slate-blue wool crepe with grey astrakhan or Persian lamb yoke, pocket detail on dress repeated on jacket. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given anonymously |
| Object history | Sent anonymously to the Museum with no identification or information in 2007. Photograph of the original owner wearing this at her wedding was included, which had the following details on the back: Oliver Frank Spinney 20/7/1918 - 9/7/2004 and Margaret Harper b. 26/3/1918 married at St Giles' Church, Rowley Regis (outfit probably purchased at Marshall & Snelgrove in Birmingham) |
| Summary | During the Second World War an increasing number of brides decided to be married in elegant tailored suits. Unlike formal white wedding dresses, these could be worn again after the ceremony. As clothes rationing took hold, it proved sensible for many brides to buy practical outfits that represented value for money. This suit, in soft blue-grey wool crêpe, was worn for a wedding at St Giles' Church, Rowley Regis. The bridegroom wore his Army uniform. The sharply tailored, wide-shouldered jacket of this suit is typical of the wartime silhouette. The dress underneath has short puffed sleeves, and could be worn without the jacket on warm days. This suit was made before 1942, the year in which strict fabric regulations were implemented. The decorative self-fabric pocket details and number of buttons would not have met with these new restrictions, which controlled fabric usage and fastenings. Fur was not rationed, so the grey astrakhan yoke of the jacket represents a wartime luxury. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.50:1, 2-2008 |
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| Record created | July 9, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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