1941 Wedding dress
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1941 A wedding dress in white rayon satin.
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The back of the dress mounted
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Detail of the bodice showing the embroidery
Description
The dress is unlined and the only opening is at the centre back neck; there is no seam there so the opening has a self binding ⅛" wide, and a hook and worked bar to fasten at the neck. The 2½" wide collar widens to 2¾" at the centre back opening and the ends have long points. The front is trimmed with four buttons down to the seam below the bust, where it is gathered into a bias cut band round the front waist. The back bodice is slightly gathered into the waist seam.
The front has separate panels each side from the shoulder seams curving round into side seams at the waist, giving the effect of a bolero; the front edges of these have a self facing. They each have a large stylised motif, possibly a flower or a butterfly, embroidered in silver filé and white silk floss thread wrapped round cord; the centre sections are padded and the motifs are 5½" long and 3½" wide.
The sleeve heads have seven pleats into the armhole seams and there is a small pleated piece of tarlatan inside. There are signs that the dress has been washed, and the tarlatan is now very soft. There is a 2" opening in the seam at the wrists, which is fastened with a hook and worked bar; the ends have a self binding, ⅛" wide, and are pointed over the back of the hand. The sleeves have extra length which forms folds over the lower arm.
The skirt panels are on the bias, and they have seams from the waist seam at the centre front and back going down diagonally and meeting 11½" below the waist at the sides. The ¼" hem is machine-sewn.
Each side of the waist there are satin belt loops, 1¼" long and ¼" wide, on the side seams. The belt or tie is missing, but looking at the wedding photograph there seems to be a horseshoe and some flowers hanging at the front.
History
The dress was worn by Violet Cope for her wedding to James Austin in June 1941, in Leyton, as seen in this wedding photograph.
Left to right in the photograph:
- Glady Mack, a friend of the family.
- Rosie Wharrier, school friend of Olive Farrow.
- Frederick Austin, elder brother of the bridegroom.
- James William Austin, bridegroom, 1906-1962, from Walthamstow.
- Violet Cope, bride, 1907-1985, from Leyton.
- Thomas Cope, father of the bride.
- Olive Farrow, niece of the bride.
Some of the following details are from the 1939 England and Wales Register which was taken on the 29th September 1939, at the start of the second World War, for information to produce identity cards and to issue ration books when rationing was introduced in January 1940:
- Violet Cope was a cotton winding machine operator.
- Thomas Cope was a council watchman (he was previously listed as a glass blower in the 1911 census).
- James Austin was a Relayer LPTB Permanent Way (laying railway tracks for the London Passenger Transport Board) until he was called up for military service.