Unveiled – 200 years of Wedding Fashion

Like most “girls” I love a good wedding, and love looking at beautiful gowns, veils, and everything else that goes with the most romantic day of any girl’s life.   I spent a happy couple of hours at Te Papa Museum, Wellington, wandering around the wonderful collection of wedding gowns, the travelling exhibition  from the V & A Museum in London.  The entry fee was $15.00 with a concession charge of $13.50 for seniors, (just love those senior prices). 

Te Papa Museum

Two gowns were displayed outside of the exhibition and this gown was worn by Lucy Cacroft when she wed James Ferguson in 1914.  Made of crepe-de-chine with a flowing lace veil, this gown reflected the trend of wedding dresses inspired by evening wear.

Crepe-de-chine dress from 1914

When Margaret Broadbent married William Arlington in 1955, she wanted a dress with simple lines.  This dress was made by the bridal department of Thompson’s Silk Shop in Wellington.  How many Wellingtonians  used to shop at this fabric shop before it closed  down, I wonder?

1955 wedding dress

Photography was not allowed inside the exhibition, as I expected.  Such a shame, as the exhibition was full of so many beautiful gowns.  So the best I could do was take a quick snap before I handed my entry ticket over.

This way to the wedding gowns

The exhibition was split into ten areas in different time frames from 1800 right through till the early 2000s.  “Creating Traditions” told how lace veils were expensive in these times, and bridal caps and bonnets were often an alternative until plain tulle veils became fashionable in the 1830s.  Roses and myrtle signified love, and orange blossom was for fertility and virtue, and were used as head dresses and trimmings.  A display case showed pretty garters,  leather gloves and a lovely silk purse.  Silky underwear for the trousseau was in another case, and the fashionable bride made sure that these dainty items had her initials embroidered on them. 

The exhibition showed wedding styles from Victorian times, artistic styles from 1900 till 1930s, and gowns from society weddings of the 20s and 30s.  Although I was a young woman in the 60s, I’m afraid I wasn’t at all taken with the mini wedding gowns displayed.  (What does that say about me, I wonder, perhaps just that I am a romantic at heart).  One bride in the war years found a way to beat the ration book.  Upholstery fabric was not rationed, so her dress was made of pretty patterned lightweight upholstery fabric, found in the “From Austerity to the New Look”section.  Romantic gowns re-appeared in the “Nostalgia, Romance and the Modern Age section of 1970s to 2000s.  The last two cases contained gowns from “Celebrity Weddings” and “New Zealand Style”.  Check out Te Papa’s blog for photos of the wedding dresses.

News reel footage of royal and society weddings ran continuously in the “Film Area”.  All the ladies (and a sprinkling of men) enjoyed watching Charles and Diana, William and Kate, Elizabeth and Phillip, and the Queen Mum and  George VI as they posed for the cameras.  The exhibition was delightful, and I enjoyed it immensely.  Strangely enough, my pick of the gowns was not made for a wedding at all.  Known as the “Television Wedding Dress”, it was designed by Barbara Milne and used in TV adverts for Renault's Clio car.  It was a beautiful form fitting embroidered lace gown worn with a fine veil.  My second choice was a Hartnel designed gown, encrusted with pearls and a huge train, worn by Margaret, Duchess of Argyll at her wedding to Charles Sweeny in 1933.  This gown was a bit “over the top” for ordinary mortals, but obviously just the thing for a Duchess to wear, and quite beautiful never the less.   Floating home with my head full of all the lovely dresses, I wondered perhaps that I will need a return visit, as there was so much to see and take in.  For those who live nearby, or can make the trip to Wellington, do go and see the exhibition, you won’t be disappointed. 

New Zealand in Vogue

New Zealand in Vogue exhibition is a long term exhibition currently showing at Te Papa Museum, Wellington.  In 1957 British Vogue magazine established Vogue New Zealand,  the first Vogue magazine published outside of America and Europe, but sadly was only printed from 1957 to 1968.  The exhibition is inspired from its pages spanning this period.  Sheila Scotter was appointed editor and her role was “to lead, inform and guide a relatively unsophisticated fashion industry”.  These garments are from 1965.  The silk sari evening dress was made for opera singer Kiri Te Kawana.

  Fashions from  1965

Vogue writes “there is simply no stopping the black dress for evenings in or evenings out this winter”.

Little black dresses

Black mini dress with diamante trim

Vogue offered a range of paper patterns in three categories, Vogue Paris Original, Vogue Couture Design, and Vogue Young Fashionables.  These were marketed to “those of you blessed with dressmaking talents, or the possessors of a little woman around the corner”.  Home sewers could even request a Vogue label to sew into their clothes.  While I certainly did enjoy the exhibition, I have to admit that neither the Vogue magazine or patterns were ever part of my life.  Sadly my sewing talents were no match for those tricky Vogue patterns, I used the much simpler Simplicity patterns.  And by the mid 1960s I was a young Mum, with no time to sew for myself.  With two babies born 12 months apart, I can remember sewing little dresses, shirts and shorts, and winter pyjamas.  Not to mention all the baby and toddler knitting I did back then.    As the blurb says: “This exhibition draws its inspiration directly from the pages of Vogue New Zealand. It showcases garments from top New Zealand designers, and those made here under licence from the world's leading fashion houses, such as Christian Dior.”  This exhibition has another 12 months to run, so do pop in to see it next time you visit Te Papa Museum.

Fashion with a Flair

There is a wonderful exhibition for those with an interest in glitzy fashion currently showing at Te Papa Museum, Wellington.  Entitled “Enriching Fashion”,  it showcases all sorts of fashion details, from sequins, beads, and embroidery, from the 1800s up to the present time.  These items are arranged in  “Eyelights”, a series of large display cases on the 4th floor, looking remarkably like vintage shop front windows.  The first display featured  “Printed Cotton”, and amongst these modern items was a man’s quilted waistcoat made by Malcolm Harrison in 1993.  He had used a bright and colourful screen printed cotton featuring Sergeant Dan of porridge fame.  Other items were screen printed cotton dresses, a black tee shirt and bag.

Sergeant Dan waistcoat

The next selection was “Embroidery”.  I often wonder if I had a former life in Victorian times, as I have a real love of vintage embroidery.  There were lots of beautiful items in this display, but none so lovely as this cotton embroidered christening gown, stitched in the 1800s.  Sadly listed as “maker unknown”, we can appreciate the amount of time and love which the mother, or perhaps grand-mother, spent in making this gown for her new baby.

Embroidered christening gown

Things were really jazzed up in the next display case, aptly titled “Shimmer and Shine”.  This gold fringed dress would certainly  have caught the light on the dance floor.  Although looking rather like a flapper dress, it is a New Zealand creation and was made by Kathleen King in 1956.

Gold fringed dress made in 1956

And how about tottering around the dance floor in these black high heeled shoes set with sparkles?  Made in England in 1980, they were no doubt seen as the height of fashion in some posh London shop.

Fashionable black high heels

I just couldn’t pass this pink beauty by, which was originally part of a 1920s beaded dress, then converted to a cape. It is made of silk chiffon, and encrusted with sequins, glass beads, and plastic spangles.  You would certainly shimmer and shine when you stepped out of the limousine with this draped around your shoulders.

1920s pink cape

The next selection was “Ruffles and Lace”.  Lots of lovely items to admire here, including lace collars and cuffs, and a rather dashing black ruffled evening dress. I loved this pretty red print cotton dress with lace bodice and sleeves.  It was made by James  Shadbred and Co, of Scotland, in 1900s.

Cotton dress with lace details

This beautiful sprigged muslin bonnet trimmed with lace from 1850 is a real work of art.

Muslin and lace bonnet

“Feathers and Fur” featured in the last case, including a Mary Quant style shift dress made from tan and white calf skin, I certainly didn’t like the look of that.  This pretty wool cape edged in swan feathers was so much nicer, and was made in the late 1800s.  I could image feeling very glamorous indeed if I went out in the horse drawn carriage wearing this beautiful cape.

Wool cape trimmed with swan feathers

Another glamour item is this ostrich fan, which certainly has a story to tell.  It was carried by the wife of New Zealand Premier Richard Seddon, when the couple attended the coronation of King Edward VII in London, 1902.

There were so many beautiful items on display that I could only show a small selection, and it is well worth a visit.
Our trip to Te Papa also took in the Brian Brake photography exhibition.  Read about this on our other blog:  www.romanyrambler.blogspot.com

Samoan Tapa Wedding Dress

It was quite unexpected – coming across a wedding gown amongst the tapa collection at Te Papa museum. This was made from creamy-white tapa cloth and came complete with a train and headdress. Made in New Zealand in 1997 by Paula Chan-Cheuk for Jackie Leota-Eti it combines both Samoan and New Zealand influences. The pale tapa cloth is highlighted with gold coloured braided cording and shells.

Samoan wedding dress

Also on display was a tapa chasuble, an outer vestment worn by Catholic priests when they are celebrating mass. The vestment was made in Tonga for Father John Faisandier and given to him on his ordination as priest in Heretaunga, Hutt Valley, New Zealand in 1978. It is hand painted with a combination of Christian and Tongan imagery. The Tongan pattern is known as Tokelau feletoa and a motif possibly representing olive branches decorates the border of the chasuble. The other images on the vestment are taken from Catholic iconography. The Virgin Mary is depicted on the front, and an image of Christ appears on the back.

Tapa Chasuble

Tapa cloth is very special to the people of the South Pacific and is often given as gifts. These two wonderful garments are very special indeed and show a modern twist to the traditional tapa cloth decoration.