Cream and Blue Brocade Silk Former Wedding Dress
Date1770s, 1880s
Object NameDress
Mediumsilk brocade, silk and manmade lace
ClassificationsFashion and Dress
AcquisitionPresented in 2000.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS030533
About MeThis dress was made during the 1770s from silk brocade in a style typical of the period. Fashionable features such as the point at the bottom of the bodice is an 1880s addition. Machine-made lace was added then too. It is likely that handmade lace was removed from the 1770 version of the dress and used on another garment. Fine dresses were often unpicked, and the fabric reworked into something more fashionable, or in this case, reworked into a Victorian fancy dress costume.High society weddings in the 1700s were most often about political alliances and the transfer of wealth. Bridal wear with elaborate weaves, rare colours and luxurious fibres like this one showed the high status of the bride and her family. As fashions changed, textiles were retained, and dresses remodelled to ensure their continuing value for money.
1870s, 1930s
1899
