Wedding dress

A wedding dress by a Dunedin 'costumier'

This tiered, silk georgette dress was worn by Tui McKinnon (1894-1988) for her wedding to Harold Mein Preston (1895-1962) on 9 June 1920. 

Tui acquired her wedding gown from the Drapery Supply Association (D.S.A), a department store in George Street, Dunedin.  The D.S.A was founded by James Dick and Hunter McKechnie in 1890, and remained in business until 1966. The D.S.A sold textiles for the home, such as sheets and towels, dressmaking fabrics, haberdashery and ready-to-wear clothing. It also offered a made-to-measure clothing service. This gown features a label at the waist that reads 'Drapery Supply Association / Costumiers / Dunedin'.

Trimmed with ostrich feathers and metallic thread

The dress features a high Empire waist from which falls seven tiers of ruffled georgette. The waist is decorated with a 9 mm wide band of net that has been embroidered with leaves and large round flowerheads using silver metallic thread. The lower edge of this embroidered net, as well as the neckline, are decorated with metallic ribbon and white ostrich plumes. The sleeve cuffs are similarly decorated with white ostrich plumes.

The net lining around the neck is decorated with pink silk fabric flowers. These are only just visible beneath the ostrich feathers and silk georgette. The costumier who made the gown, also paid close attention to the appearance of the inside of the garment - the waist seam is covered by a lace-edged silk lining. Around the armseye seams, narrow bands of lace join the net bodice lining to the silk georgette.

The dress fastens at the centre back. The opening extends approximately 520 mm from neckline to hip and fastens with metal hooks and eyes. At reverse, two rectangular pieces of georgette are sewn to the waistband to create the effect of a sash. The ends of the 'sash' are decorated with metallic ribbon appliques and chainstitch embroidery. The appliques have buttonhole stitching around the edges of each motif, worked in pink floss.