Not on display

This object consists of 3 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Wedding Dress

1879-1880 (made), 19/02/1880 (worn)
Artist/Maker
Worth, Charles Frederick (designer)
Place of origin
Paris (made)
London (worn)

Wedding dress consisting of cream silk satin bodice and skirt and separate velvet train.

Object details

Categories
Fashion
Marriage
Clothing
Embroidery
Womenswear
Lace
Europeana Fashion Project
Object type
Wedding dress
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Wedding Bodice
  • Wedding Skirt
  • Wedding Train
Materials and techniques
Silk satin, lace and net, lined with silk, imitation of pearls embroidery, velvet
Silk Satin
Velvet
Lace
Net
Pearls (Imitation)
Brief description
Wedding dress consisting of bodice, train and skirt of embroidered satin and velvet, designed by Worth, made in Paris and worn in London, 1879-1880.
Physical description
Wedding dress consisting of cream silk satin bodice and skirt and separate velvet train.
DimensionsDimensions taken by Conservation for Wedding Dress mounting, 2009
Production typeHaute couture
Gallery label
(2011)
Pearl-trimmed dress and ankle boots
Charles Frederick Worth (1825-95)
Paris
1880

Charles Frederick Worth was Paris's leading dressmaker. He had an international clientele and his extremely costly designs were particularly admired by wealthy Americans like Clara Mathews, who chose this dress. Faux pearls were a newly fashionable trimming for wedding gowns. The dress was supplied with a separate train, which brides began to wear in the mid-1870s.

Dress: silk satin with machine-made lace, beading and embroidery
Ankle boots: silk satin and leather
Given by Mrs G.T. Morton
V&A: T.62&B to D-1976
Credit line
Given by Mrs G. T. Morton
Object history
Worn by Clara Mathews, the grandmother of the donor for her marriage at St George's Hanover Square on 19th February 1880 to Colonel Hugh Stafford. She was a natural daughter of Isaac Merritt Singer, the sewing machine pioneer.
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.62 to B-1976

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Record createdAugust 21, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O166232/wedding-dress-worth-charles-frederick/
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