1940s White Satin Wedding Dress with Train

This enchanting 1940s satin wedding gown was retailed by “Bourne & Hollingsworth” and refers to the luxury department store that used to sit on Oxford Street in central London. The opulent silvery white satin fabric is unlined and expertly tailored to a bias-cut to create a flattering fairy-tale silhouette. Delicate piped seams create an unusual, pretty zig-zag detailing across the waist and bust. The attention-grabbing back is secured with delicate fabric-covered buttons which fasten onto individual fabric loops. The long sleeves taper at the wrist to form a point over the top of each hand. The gown is bias cut to allow for greater freedom of movement in the hip and falls elegantly to the floor at the front. The train at the reverse of the gown is tapered gently and there is a discrete satin loop that can be worn over the finger, or held by the bridal procession to elevate the fabric. This dress presents very well with an overall fresh appearance. A best fit for a UK 6 or US 2, we consider this dress to be in very good vintage condition overall with the following notes.

There are one or two very minor pulls in the fabric of the skirt together with a small area of scuffing to the rear half way down the dress. Faint markings are on the train area towards the floor and there is a faint orange coloured line toward the bottom hem on the front. None of these are noticeable when worn. A rare survivor from this period and a particularly nice example of a dress made during the 'CC41' period of clothing rationing in the UK.

Our model (5ft 4in / 163 cm) is a UK 6-8, this dress fit her well with a little room in the bust. 

MEASUREMENTS:

BUST - 29 in. (74 cm)

WAIST - 24 in. (61.5 cm)

HIP - 40 in. (102 cm)

LENGTH (FRONT) - 57 in. (145 cm)

LENGTH (BACK) - 76 in. (193 cm)