Trousseau - nightgown and bed jacket

This nightgown and jacket was made by Winnifred Hall (1894-1972, nee Jones) as part of her wedding trousseau. It is part of a collection of needlework from two sisters, which relate to the history of women's textile culture and rituals surrounding marriage and childbirth. Winnifred Hall and her sisters were well known in their family for their needlework, the skills of which they honned during service while living in Australia until 1915. In 1915 they relocated to New Zealand with their father. Winnifred ‘Winnie’ Jones made the items for her wedding to Harold John Hall, a grocer. They married on 25 December 1920 in Wellington following his return from France in April 1919, where he had served in the First World War.

During this period, it was traditional for young women to keep a trousseau or glory box, for which they made or collected items such as clothing and household linen in anticipation of their eventual marriage. Lingerie was an especially crucial component of a trousseau. Although by the twentieth century, trousseau could include purchased items, many women continued to make the items themselves, showcasing their plain and fancy needlework skills, which were essential to maintaining an economical and moral home.