Title / object name Wedding dress
| Maker | Role | Date |
| Gifford Family | dressmaker | 1946 |
Materials silk
| Dimensions |
| Width across shoulders | 310 (Width) mm |
| Centre back | 2120 (Length) mm |
| Waist circumference | 600 mm |
Classification wedding dresses
Technique sewing
Registration Number GH017153
Credit LineGift of the Thomas Family, 2011
This wedding dress was made from Second World War parachute silk and was worn by bride Carol Thomas (nee Gifford) when she married Owen Thomas after he was discharged from the New Zealand Army in 1946.At this time, fabric for new clothing (particularly silk) was still scarce. Parachute silk was highly sought after but rare, as nylon had replaced silk in 1942.
Using parachute silk was also a way for the bride to honour the war service of her husband-to-be, and may have been part of the tradition to wear 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'.