Paris Costumes a Bride and Suggests a Trousseau – 1922

From The Ladies’ Home Journal, September 1922.

Paris Costumes a Bride and Suggests a Trousseau 

The bride who decides upon a formal wedding, no matter what the hour, must wear a wedding gown of white, with a veil and usually a train. But she is no longer limited in her choice of materials to the once inevitable white satin. The beautiful and quaintly dignified bridal gown sketched above is of ivory chiffon velvet with narrow straight velvet side panels over an underskirt of silver lace which shows as the train pulls back from the front opening. A suggestion of medieval inspiration in the long, tight sleeves and the sweeping, slightly bouffant overskirt is emphasized by the arrangement of the veil and by replacing the conventional shower bouquet with a sheaf of calla lilies. Satin, crepe de chine, or lace embroidered in silver or crystal beads may, of course, be used instead of the chiffon velvet. By removing the sleeves of this wedding dress and turning the overskirt into the effective cape, which you will see sketched, the ingenious bride will a charming evening costume to her trousseau.

Very young and very lovely in a shepherdess like overdress of georgette with a moiré underslip is the maid-of-honor, sketched at the left above. Loops and ends of moiré ribbon form the only trimming. The dress could be worked out to equally good effect in yellow and white or green and white.

Unusual in the feeling of dignity they convey, despite their youthfulness, are the Lanvin bridesmaids’ frocks. They are of crepe georgette over taffeta with a trimming that makes new and fascinating use of taffeta petals. Shades vary from  straw to rust would be gorgeous, particularly if matching chrysanthemums were carried. Straight out of a Kate Grecnaway picture stepped the two smallest members of the bridal party. White satin is always nicest for a page, while either satin or taffeta may be used for the flower-girl’s quaint little dress. At the informal wedding anything from one’s going-away suit to an afternoon frock of silk or satin may be worn. A simply made white georgette, with a white hat, is always bridelike and in good taste.

Reducing the trousseau of the fall bride to its essentials, it must include: Two one-piece cloth dresses—or one dress and a suit — for general wear, shopping and church; a topcoat; a good-looking dark velvet or satin frock for restaurant dining and dancing, theater wear, and the like; and two lighter, less formal silk crepe or satin dresses to be worn when dispensing hospitality over one’s own dinner table or, most important of all, dressing up for the entertainment of an audience of one.

From among these, the bride will choose her going-away costume—either a suit, or a frock of cloth or silk, and a topcoat. Such a coat as that designed by Jean Patou and sketched above, in velours de laine or duvetyn, trimmed with caracal, is smart enough for even a wedding trip, yet may be worn all through the fall and winter.

Worth makes the good-looking frock, sketched second from the left above, of a poplinlike material, but the effect would be  much the same in serge or tricotine, if the trimming of flat braid and interestingly applied white crepe de chine were kept. The Premet frock on the seated figure is of a new heavy silk crepe known as “autar,” trimmed with fringe and with pipings of darker silk. Either of these dresses would be appropriate for going-away wear and for many another occasion during the fall and winter.

That the young matron, when dancing or watching the play, should wear crepe satin heavily embroidered in gold, silver and black is the telling argument of the Worth frock sketched second from the right above.

This could be developed effectively in one’s most becoming color as well as in black. The bride who dares attempt the unusual—and surely that should be one of a bride’s prerogatives—will welcome the Jenny three-piece suit sketched at the extreme right. A new Rodier material, brocaded but not silk, which promises to be one of the season’s fabric features, is used for the coat and offset with sash and collar of white. The skirt is of natte trefine; the blouse, of which only a glimpse can be caught, of white crepe marocain banded with lace.

Of course, there may be additions to or eliminations from the trousseau foundation here suggested, which will depend upon the circumstances of each individual. Every bride knows for herself whether she will have more need of bungalow aprons or dancing frocks and should provide accordingly. The same thing is true of sports clothes; knickers, woolen skirts, sweaters, boots and scarfs maybe indispensable to one who plays golf, rides or tramps snowy country roads, but would be utterly useless in a small city apartment, while the warm top coat, so comfortable during a sea voyage, is replaced by a lighter wrap for the seashore. It is a simple question of suiting your new clothes to your new environment.

With lingerie, the fatness of one’s pocketbook and the scale of one’s future living must again be taken into consideration, but these things practically every bride will need: Six knitted silk or cotton vests, six camisoles and six pairs of drawers—or six envelope chemises—six nightgowns, one dark silk kimono and one light negligee, two pairs of corsets, one silk jersey petticoat in gray or tan to wear under afternoon dresses and one pair of dark silk jersey bloomers for under cloth dresses.

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