Bow pattern lace wedding dress

In the 1930s Kathleen Fuller ran her dressmaking business from the Levy Building on the corner of Manners and Taranaki Streets in Wellington. She regularly advertised for various positions to sew her 'High Class Frocks'. The front of this exquisite gown features a rectangular panel of delicate machine-made cotton net with a ‘hail spot’ pattern interspersed with embroidered bows. The full width and most of the length of this panel has been skilfully incorporated to form the front of the dress, curving around the sides, with the upper edge forming a peplum from the back waist. This peplum sits over a gathered full skirt that extends to form a magnificent fishtail train formed from six tiers of embroidered ‘hail spot’ net, each tier trimmed with a narrow row of cotton lace. The finishing details of this dress are equally lovely, such as the insertion of a narrow row of pleated, stiffened net to the inner shoulder seam that provides a little puff at the upper sleeve, and the 23 exquisite rouleau loops for the lace covered buttons down the centre back. The sleeve edges have been beautifully scalloped to echo the edge of the main lace panel while the synthetic lining fabric has been skilfully set in to form part of the dress, the upper edge also echoing the scalloping of the lace.

Details

Copyright: All Rights Reserved, Image © Rose Jackson
Designer: Kathleen Fuller
Manufacturing location: Levy Building, Manners Street, Wellington
Garment type: Wedding dress
Material: Cotton net, cotton lace, synthetic lining
Features: Cap sleeves, layered train
Colour: White
Label: Kathleen Fuller
Date: Early 1930s