From the Archive: Bridal Bliss

by · WWD
Eleanor Randolph Wilson, "The Brides Gown," WWD, May 8, 1914.Fairchild Archive/WWD

Women’s Wear Daily has covered social weddings for decades, presenting each element of the special day presented as a pictorial arrangement of beauty. In 1914, the day after the wedding of Eleanor Randolph Wilson, the youngest daughter of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, WWD featured an illustration of Eleanor in her wedding dress on the cover of its pictorial and fashion section. Every elaborate detail of the dress, designed by Kurzman Fifth Avenue, was made available to readers, along with a note on the bride’s trousseau or “hope chest.” The trousseau, also designed by the wedding dress designer, was an elaborate package of sentimental keepsakes. It included specially made items ranging from lingerie to travel clothing that often reflected the bride’s social status.

Over time, the trousseau became a trendy option for most brides as a symbol of honeymoon bliss. Today, the concept has evolved into a curated honeymoon package, which continues to echo the familiar sentiment of “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” for the modern, fashion-conscious bride.

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