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Wedding Shirt

1848 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
England (made)

Mr. Eeles wore this shirt for his wedding in 1848. The fine white cambric front of the shirt is hand-embroidered with a regularly repeating motif of trefoils. It was worn with a cream silk satin waistcoat embroidered with a design of lilies of the valley and forget-me-nots. These flowers were popular for weddings, as forget-me-nots symbolise true love and lily of the valley represents purity of heart and happiness.

Object details

Categories
Marriage
Fashion
Clothing
Men's Clothes
Embroidery
Europeana Fashion Project
Object type
Wedding shirt
Materials and techniques
cotton and hand-embroidered cambic
Cotton
Cambric
Hand Embroidery
Brief description
M, 1848, British; Cambric front. Wedding
Physical description
Man's shirt, white cotton with embroidered cotton cambric front, buttons up the back. The front of the shirt is embroidered with a fine regular repeating design of trefoils.
Dimensions
  • Waist circumference: 64cm
  • Chest circumference: 120cm
  • Overall length, back length: 99cm
  • Overall length, front length: 93cm
  • Back width: 60cm
  • Sleeve, under length: 64cm
  • Sleeve, over length: 66cm
  • Wristband circumference: 18.5cm
  • To waist length: 39cm
Dimensions taken by Conservation for Wedding Dress mounting, 2009
Gallery label
(2011)
Embroidered shirt and waistcoat
Britain
1848

Some bridegrooms chose wedding garments decorated with motifs associated with love. This white satin waistcoat, worn by a Mr Eeles for his wedding in 1848, was embroidered in silk with lilies of the valley and forget-me-nots. In the language of flowers, the former signify purity of heart and the latter true love.

Waistcoat: silk, backed and lined with glazed cotton
Shirt: cotton with cotton embroidery
Given by Francis C. Eeles
V&A: T.561, 562-1919
Credit line
Given by Francis C. Eeles
Object history
This shirt and the associated waistcoat (T.562-1919) are associated with the marriage of a Mr Eeles in 1848.

At least three Mr Eeles married in 1848, so it is unclear which of them might be associated with this shirt. It was originally thought that this might have been worn by Edwin Eeles, who married Harriet Elizabeth Murray at the India Office for Ecclesiastical Returns, Bengal, on 7 May 1848, but this is now in some doubt.
Summary
Mr. Eeles wore this shirt for his wedding in 1848. The fine white cambric front of the shirt is hand-embroidered with a regularly repeating motif of trefoils. It was worn with a cream silk satin waistcoat embroidered with a design of lilies of the valley and forget-me-nots. These flowers were popular for weddings, as forget-me-nots symbolise true love and lily of the valley represents purity of heart and happiness.
Associated object
T.562-1919 (Ensemble)
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.561-1919

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O364859/wedding-shirt-unknown/
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