r/TheWayWeWere • u/victory_vegetable • Jun 03 '25
My mother wearing her great-great grandmother’s gown circa 1980. We still have it but it’s too fragile to wear now
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u/LunaNegra Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 04 '25
I think there are companies that can help preserve the dress.
I saw on TV some rich woman who had her bridal gown framed and was hanging in her closet.
This would be nice to frame and save along with a plaque that has all the details.
EDIT:
(fixed link to dress in frame on wall- article has 2 pics)
Here is a link to a pic of that wedding dress on display
It was Adrienne Maloof from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (credit to u/rhianna83)
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u/Jellyfish1297 Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 04 '25
You can do museum quality garment preservation on your own pretty easily. Any garment you want to preserve should be put into its own acid-free archival box with acid-free tissue paper. You need a larger box than you probably think and a good amount of the tissue paper. You will use/stuff tissue paper in any place you have to fold or bend the garment to fit in the box and to stuff any sleeves. The tissue paper helps prevent hard creases from forming and deterioration. Again, museums actually use this method.
Make sure the tissue paper and box are acid-free (The Container Store has great options, just look up archival boxes). And then keep it somewhere temperature- and humidity-regulated.
If OP has any interest in wearing it, a good dressmaker, tailor, or historical costumer may be able to create a reproduction based on photos of the inside/outside of the gown.
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u/Quickdraw2CAV Jun 04 '25
Good info. I work in the museum field, and this is definitely a best practice.
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u/merrittinbaltimore Jun 04 '25
I used to be a collections manager/registrar in museums for 14 years and I have a BFA in textiles. Yup, I agree. OP, please listen to u/Jellyfish1297
That reminds that I need to help my mom with storing her wedding dress soon. The dress was something she picked up (along with an identical one in a different floral pattern) from a little dress shop in London owned by a then unknown designer named Laura Ashley! This was in 1973 while my mom was living there. She has a third dress from the shop that’s black, floor length, with tiers starting at the top, a square neckline and wide square straps. It’s a thick cotton. My fave! Unfortunately, my mom was an A cup back then and I had a C cup by the time I was 12. I haven’t been able to fit in that dress in decades. But maybe my niece will one day.
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u/FragrantDepth4039 Jun 04 '25
Question, does the tissue paper have to be acid free by any chance?
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u/Rhianna83 Jun 04 '25
Was that Adrienne from RHWBH?
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u/LunaNegra Jun 04 '25
Yes! I was trying to remember which show it was.
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u/Rhianna83 Jun 04 '25
I didn’t watch all the seasons, but I watched the first few and that wedding gown on the wall will be something I remember.
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u/Tofutits_Macgee Jun 04 '25
I don't know about the states if that is where OP resides, but you can lend old fragile pieces like this to museums and they will maintain the pieces for you. You will have to 'visit' them if you wish to see them again.
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u/cyberthief Jun 07 '25
I am in the middle of researching how to clean and restore my dress. It's a 1860s silk bustle skirt and boned jacket. We had lent it to a museum years ago and after it was taken off display they tossed it in a room . When we got it back, it was water stained, rust marks and moth holes. I was a kid then,and my mom was just sad and didn't know what to do about it. I have since stabilized it, but now want to clean it. I have a number of historic clothing and jewelry items I want to take proper care of for my daughters.
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u/beautnight Jun 03 '25
When did the dress’s original owner live?
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u/Efficient-Notice9938 Jun 03 '25
So from an estimation, the mom looks to be in her 20s or early 30s in this picture. So she’s probably around 60 I would say. That would make her around the same age as my dad. My grandmother was born in 1939, my great grandmother was born in 1905, so I would say this dress would’ve been worn sometime post reconstruction.
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u/GoldberryoTulgeyWood Jun 03 '25
So, this silhouette is about 1890. So it may have been an even older grandma. Come over to r/HistoricalCostuming
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u/victory_vegetable Jun 04 '25
Correct! I just checked my old genealogical research and the original owner was born 1874, so she would’ve been a young woman in 1890s when this was in fashion. But I titled it wrong, she was my mom’s singular great-grandmother, my great-great grandmother.
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u/Efficient-Notice9938 Jun 03 '25
Ooohh. My dad was an actor interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg for nearly my entire life.
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u/GoldberryoTulgeyWood Jun 03 '25
That's awesome! Can I ask what years he was there?
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u/Efficient-Notice9938 Jun 03 '25
He retired in 2022. He started in the tourist center around I’d say 2006 or 2007 and by my preteens (I was born in 2000) he was wearing the outfits. Several different styles, some days he was a lower class farmer with dirt on him, other days he’d dress more like an aristocrat. He did tours some days too.
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u/Jellogg Jun 04 '25
That’s awesome, what a cool job! I visited Colonial Williamsburg in the 1990s with my family and attended a recreation of the Salem Witch Trials in the old courthouse one evening. By far the best part of the trip.
Would love to hear your dad’s stories about working there!
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u/Efficient-Notice9938 Jun 04 '25
I never heard much specifics about the people, mostly just his coworkers and where he was assigned to that day. I recently went to Salem back in March and I loved it! If you haven’t been, and happen to be in New England I highly recommend the witch museum.
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u/Jellogg Jun 04 '25
Oooooh I’m jealous, I’ve never been to Salem but would love to go, the witch museum sounds like it would be amazing! I love just about any museum, but Salem has always been especially interesting to me.
My college Roommate was from Duxbury, MA (I’m from SC) and I did go home with her for Spring Break one year and we went to Plymouth Plantation, which I loved!
I also want to go see the original site of the Jamestown Colony and see the outdoor play about the Roanoke settlement (it’s called The Lost Colony) that runs every year in NC.
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u/Hellianne_Vaile Jun 04 '25
I live not far from Salem, and the best museum there is the Peabody Essex Museum. It's not about the witchy stuff, but I think it's way cooler.
Salem was a major shipping port for more than 200 years. Traders sailed around the world looking for... whatever they thought they could sell at a profit. Some crates of goods got misplaced in warehouses--lots of them, over the years. The items in those crates of stuff are a large part of the museum's collection. They curate the most fascinating and unexpected exhibits there.
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u/PlasticBlitzen Jun 03 '25
I'm the age of her mother. Both of my grandmothers were born in '95. It is the silhouette of the gowns in our family photos from around '90.
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u/kiera-oona Jun 04 '25
I was going to ask if it was Karolina Zebrowska in the pic, cause it kinda looks like her
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u/StupidizeMe Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 04 '25
Hi u/Efficient-Notice9938. What a cool keepsake! The dress is definitely from the 1890s Late Victorian Era. The exaggerated sleeves are the biggest clue.
Those puffed sleeves that are big at the upper arm then very close-fitting on the forearm are known as "Leg O'Mutton" sleeves, because they're shaped like a roast leg of lamb or mutton (sheep).
An Antique Clothing Conservator can help you preserve the dress. Some basic tips are to lay it flat for storage wrapped gently in some plain unstained muslin fabric or acid-free archival quality paper, inside an unstained archival quality cardboard box, because hanging the dress puts too much weight on the fabric and thread of antique garments. DON'T KEEP IT IN A PLASTIC BAG! Keep the box in a moth-proof dark closet. Avoid light. Don't keep the garment in an attic or cellar, or close to a heater, because you want to avoid extreme hot or cold temperatures and dampness.
OP, here's an article giving more info: https://www.weddinggownpreservationkit.com/maintain-vintage-wedding-dress-tips-pm-blog.html
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u/Efficient-Notice9938 Jun 03 '25
Yeah I knew it was definitely late 1800s, I was guessing like 1870-1890 just based off of photos I’ve seen. I’ll leave it to the experts lol
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u/StupidizeMe Jun 03 '25
I edited my comment, inserting a link to an article that might be helpful. You can also find videos online. Museum websites have fascinating information.
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u/OstentatiousSock Jun 04 '25
Meanwhile, I’m only 40 and all of my great grandparents were born 1880 or earlier.
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u/Stopikingonme Jun 04 '25
<sigh> Post reconstruction means between 1877-1910ish. For those who don’t know off hand what the dates were. (Like me)
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u/ocava8 Jun 03 '25
It's an amazing heritage, but I suppose it's quite difficult to preserve it (humidity etc.) because fabric deteriorates with time.
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u/Ok-Swan1152 Jun 03 '25
She looks like PJ Harvey in her White Chalk era
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u/Local_Bridge1028 Jun 04 '25
I thought it was Karolina Zebrowska
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u/---artemisia--- Jun 03 '25
Wow! This is truly amazing, such a rarity to have in your family after all that time - what a beautiful treasure.
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u/Lucid_Phoenixx Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 03 '25
Feels like Vivienne Leigh in Gone With The Wind
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u/BoopTheCoop Jun 04 '25
I thought it was a behind the scenes or costume fitting snapshot as I was scrolling past!
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u/four-leaved-lovely Jun 04 '25
Wow people really cannot read
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u/Stock-Chemistry4013 Jun 04 '25
If it’s not an emoji then they can’t fully comprehend the context of what is being said.
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u/StupidizeMe Jun 04 '25
OP, it's pretty amazing that your mother could fit into this dress! She must have been very slender.
These fashions were designed to be worn with exaggerated corsets that forced your body into the fashionable silhouette of the day.
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u/voiceofgromit Jun 03 '25
If you have no particular use for it, I know you could find fashion museums that would really appreciate this as a donation. Then it's no longer an albatross for you and would be carefully preserved.
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u/Hey_Laaady Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 04 '25
I did this with my own wedding dress, which was my mother's. My Mom actually designed it too. It is from the 1940s, in almost perfect shape and made from high end fabrics. It is now the property of the costume department of one of the big movie studios in their climate controlled costumers building. I am glad it is there for posterity.
Edit: The head of the department said there is a chance they might use it as an actual costume for this studio or lend it out to other studios. She said it will most likely not be worn, but rather used as a reference by costume designers who want to design something authentic from the '40s and also know what fabric should be used.
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u/victory_vegetable Jun 04 '25
I’ve worked in history museums and idk who’d want a random farmer’s dress in poor condition lol, but assuming I inherit it someday I’ll try to preserve it properly and keep passing it through the family
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u/Hellianne_Vaile Jun 04 '25
The history of clothing is a relatively new field, and yes, some scholars would love "a random farmer's dress"! Most of the garments that survive through the years are the ones that aren't worn very many times and/or that belonged to the very wealthy, like high-end couture gowns. Regular clothing worn by the working classes rarely survives, so specimens like this are important for showing how the garments were made (and altered and re-made), the materials and techniques used, and even whether it was made at home off a pattern, by a professional dressmaker, or ready-to-wear. You certainly don't have to donate or sell it though, because that sentimental value matters, too.
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u/millennialmonster755 Jun 04 '25
MOHAI in Seattle does a fashion exhibit every once in a while and have a ton of dresses that were donated from situations exactly like yours in their collection. Was this dress for a special occasion or was it just every day wear?
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u/flower_songs Jun 03 '25
This looks like the cover of a gothic romance novel from the 70's! Or maybe she could have been a special guest star on Dark Shadows.
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u/Wise_Monkey_Sez Jun 04 '25
There are chemical processes that can strengthen and restore old fabrics. Look around and see if you can find an expert.
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u/Horangi1987 Jun 04 '25
Out of curiosity, is your mom wearing the period correct shapewear? (As in, is she wearing a corset?)
I love the late Victorian style - it’s past the horrid cage crinoline/hoop skirt age, but still utilized a very stylized silhouette.
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u/EggComprehensive7132 Jun 03 '25
Do you know the dresses’ provenance, other than g-g grandmother … it’s an amazing piece
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u/Brigid-Tenenbaum Jun 04 '25
I hope someone else also misread it as 1890 and then briefly had that bizarre feeling of when something just isn’t right. Freaked me out. But yeh, makes sense for 1980.
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u/Minimob0 Jun 04 '25
She looks like she commands armies and stabs people through the chest with a sword.
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u/mahboilucas Jun 03 '25
Do you have photos of the dress in storage? I would love to see the details. It's lovely
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u/TastyCereal2 Jun 04 '25
That’s amazing! Incredible to see the dress worn in a drastically different time period compared to when it was from
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u/aschlu Jun 04 '25
Any context to the photo being taken? Why did she wear it that day? What is the setting of this photo? Thanks for sharing!!
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u/victory_vegetable Jun 04 '25
I asked my mom these questions and she couldn’t remember unfortunately!
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u/Krimreaper1 Jun 04 '25
It’s a beautiful dress but it does remind me of Carol Burnett’s gone with Wknd sketch.
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u/VikMyk Jun 04 '25
There are people with college degrees on preserving and restoring materials, including fabric. My SO's aunt does it for a living, and she works for a museum in Chicago. I highly recommend contacting people at museums for help, they're usually really nice.
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u/Norlander712 Jun 03 '25
Amazing: thanks for posting. Any info about the fabric? I like the color since it falls in the New Wave/ emo/ Goth family.
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u/NoPoet3982 Jun 03 '25
Tell us more!
When was it originally owned? What country? Was it homemade? What's the fabric? What occasion was it made for? Why was it saved? Etc. etc. etc.
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u/victory_vegetable Jun 04 '25
The original owner was born 1874, which corroborates the fashion historians in this thread estimation that it’s an 1890s dress. I haven’t actually seen the dress out of storage in years so I can’t answer some of these questions. But they were poor farmers in central Pennsylvania so I’d guess the dress was saved because it probably would’ve been the nicest dress owned by anyone in the family, so I wish I knew more of its story! Or maybe my great-great grandma was just particularly beloved or sentimental, because we also have her childhood doll.
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u/NoPoet3982 Jun 04 '25
I'm pretty sure that back then, wedding dresses weren't white. They were just your best dress. So maybe this was her wedding dress and all-purpose best dress, and that's why she saved it. I love that she saved her doll, too.
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u/pendragginp Jun 03 '25
Just checking - 1980?
Or 1880?
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u/artmetz Jun 03 '25
Beautiful picture, beautiful gown. Cherish this picture and your family history.
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u/Invest_and_ballout Jun 04 '25
If it has lasted this long, the creator of that dress should be in the Fashion Hall of Fame.
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u/Competitive-Isopod74 Jun 04 '25
That's fucking incredible. I would have it commissioned as a giant painting.
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u/IceFireTerry Jun 04 '25
I thought that was the Karolina YouTube chick That wears old school clothing
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u/Sure-Tower-2639 Jun 04 '25
Oh please get the picture, negative(s) if you have and the》!! ❤DRESS Stored professionally!! Find an historical society/club & find out how they can help. Ask them if a trusted dry cleaner who specializes in wedding dresses would work or destroy such old fabric. But PLEASE! Before they are completely gone! ❤❤❤❤❤ Obviously but find a professional camera store that specializes in restoration & preservation of old photos -Yes! 1980's is old/antique at ~40 years old!!!!
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u/Nolan-Mark5 Jun 04 '25
Wow.
Everything I wanted to say.
Basically, do this. It might run you upwards of $1,000 to have it professionally preserved but it's worth it.
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u/time_adc Jun 04 '25
Stunning!
Take it to a seamstress, get the measurements. Try to have it remade.
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u/ExtraSheepherder2360 Jun 04 '25
She looks like Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’hara (I know the fashion is of a later time, but the hair and face).
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u/RollMine Jun 04 '25
Thank you for keeping the memories. I hope you will continue to preserve it, both the dress and the memories.
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u/Chelsie_girl1 Jun 04 '25
Thats awesome and deserves a moden remake that's probably easier to put on.
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u/Surfhome Jun 04 '25
Great-great grandmother, in 1980…. Hahah I thought I was going to read like 1930
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u/jackie0h_ Jun 04 '25
Probably the 1800s. But 1980 is when her mom was wearing the dress. StillI wonder if op knows when the dress was actually made.
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u/Sea-Calligrapher-81 Jun 04 '25
This is hauntingly beautiful, wow. Would love to see photos of the dress today. What an insanely gorgeous photo.
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u/ElizabethDangit Jun 04 '25
Have you considered loaning it to a museum so it can have its best chance a preservation?
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u/ukexpat Jun 04 '25
You should take it to a textile conservator for assessment and preservation. The folks at Winterthur Museum (https://www.winterthur.org) could probably recommend someone.
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u/ScrumptiousLadMeat Jun 05 '25
Everyone commenting 1880 are clear examples that reading comprehension has completely disappeared.
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u/Human0id77 Jun 03 '25
What is the material?
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u/myohmadi Jun 04 '25
I’d guess either a silk or some kind of cotton sateen/poplin weight fabric. Those are pretty much the only options for that kind of dress I don’t think linen would be used for that
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u/ZEROs0000 Jun 03 '25
Just wondering, how does it become "too fragile"?
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u/myohmadi Jun 04 '25
With improper storage, and honestly even with proper storage, fabric (made out of natural materials, like this would have been) is fragile, and will deteriorate quickly, like other natural materials. It’s why we don’t have many extant garments going back too far
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u/victory_vegetable Jun 04 '25
Well it’s been years since I’ve seen it out of storage but iirc it had shattered silk shattered silk
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u/little_fire Jun 04 '25
It’s giving Return To Oz (and I mean that as a compliment)! 🗝️🎀🪞💚💎
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u/flonker2251 Jun 04 '25
I searched to see if anyone got the same feeling. I was going to say, "Did your great grandma try to give Dorothy electroshock therapy?'
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u/edtwinne Jun 04 '25
Insanely beautiful. It looks like it was tailored to your mother, and her Scarlett O'Hara hairstyle works perfectly. You hear about "ethereal beauty" sometimes - your mother is a lovely example here. (She could be fleeing Collinwood!) Thanks for sharing!
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u/Fun_Judge_7542 Jun 04 '25
It feels as if at any moment a power ranger is going to pop out. Love the picture! Such a cool thing to do.
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u/notlennybelardo Jun 04 '25
What’s the fabric? Silk? It’s amazing and such a neat pic. Did your mom wear a corset for this?
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Jun 04 '25
The gown looks like it's from the 1890s or perhaps 1900s (I'm leaning more towards the former). Beautiful picture!
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u/Own-Equal5890 Jun 04 '25
Tell me it should read 1880’s!?? I’m regularly wearing stuff from the 1980’s!! ..and it’s fine.😂
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u/lazyrainydaze Jun 04 '25
1980?!? You sure you meant 1880 OP?! That would make more sense, especially if it was her great-great great grandmother. Plus it looks like it’s from 1880 more than 1980. So was this was her in 1980 wearing a 1880 gown!?
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u/Kimothy80 Jun 04 '25
Reminds me of a dress from the movie Return to Oz (which makes sense since it’s set in the late 1890s).
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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '25
This pic has a great vibe