The Story of the Turkish Wedding Dress
October 10, 2009 by Christine Gooding
Filed under Wedding Gowns, Wedding Traditions and History
If someone mentions the words, “wedding dress” I’d automatically think of white, lace, taffeta, organza, beading, satin and chiffon. These are some of the few elements that usually compose the wedding dress of today. So when I saw this Turkish wedding dress, my imagination became alive with thoughts of foreign wedding traditions and other historical bits about one of the important events in our life.
Image: magnes.org
Technically, the dress itself is an amazing piece of costume. Deep purple velvet – one could call it aubergine – upon which was heavy real gold thread embroidery and spangles, couched over cardboard and padding. Entirely made by hand. Considering its age, it is in wonderful shape, and as a costumer and someone who has a special interest in embroidery, I was absolutely fascinated by the construction.
Originally owned by Sara Levi Willis who was reunited with her wedding dress after 23 years. Reading bits of the story of her documented visit, helped me somehow picture out a little about how it must have felt like back in the 19th century in Turkey. Not totally but there’s that feeling of “age” and history whenever I look at the Turkish wedding dress.
Though they didn’t mention how Sara parted with her wedding dress for such a long time, I’m still recommending that you check out the post. It narrates some of the poignant memories Sara had with the dress. Happy reading!
