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Overview
This nylon negligee set was purchased from Marks & Spencer department store in London by Patricia Olliff for her honeymoon night in 1969.
Such revealing 'baby doll' nightdresses were popular from the late 1950s and through the 1960s. They were often made from sheer fabrics, made possible by the new semi-transparent nylons available from the late 1940s. The silhouette and style of baby doll nightdresses were influenced by bed jackets which flared out from the shoulders, and from short A-line dresses worn by young girls and baby dolls. Olliff's choice of this negligee was also influenced by the youth-driven fashions of 'Swinging Sixties' London.
Earlier that day, Olliff had worn a demure full-length cream silk wedding dress with lace overcoat and head veil. After the wedding, she wore a bright orange mini dress knitted by herself for 'going away'. That night, she wore this negligee, thereby completing the clothing rituals of a customary wedding day, while being as fashionable as possible.