A Phila. Museum Shows Off an Innovative 1947 Wedding Gown

[Story]

http://www.kyw1060.com/-em-Positively-Philadelphia----em--An-Innovative-1/5351923

A handmade wedding dress from 1947 is now on display at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in center city Philadelphia. What makes this dress really special is what it's made from.

Jennifer Landry is associate director of special collections at the CHF:

"We have here a nylon wedding gown that was sewn by a woman in the 1940s out of parachute material."

It's Patricia Smith's wedding dress:

(Smith "I was nineteen, in love, planning a wedding, and one of my family saw an ad about surplus parachutes. And my mother said, 'Oh, you could get a dress out of that.' "

It was right after the war and times were tight, so getting yards of silk-like fabric for less than twenty dollars was a bargain not to be missed -- although some changes had to be made.

(Smith "I got the parachute, opened it up, and realized it had a gazillion seams. I had to redo my idea."

As for the groom, how did he feel about marrying a bride dressed in what used to be a parachute?

(Smith "Frankly, I don't even think he really thought a lot about it."

You can see the real thing at the museum of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, 315 Chestnut Street, in Old City.
http://www.chemheritage.org/exhibits/ex-nav9.html

 

[kampkatz]

That creative bride was probably an early environmentalist, if she used the same type of logic for reusing other materials.

 

[Paisley]

Previous thread on the subject of parachute wedding gowns:

http://thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=30765&highlight

 

[lexismonkey]

I just used those links for a paper for my Museums, Festivals and Cultural Events class. So helpful and wow, talk about resourceful!

Thanks!

 

[Story]

There ya have it, folks!

FEDORA LOUNGE - Come for the hats, stay for the free Research Assistance

 

[Miss Sis]

Alot of wedding dresses got made from paracute silk. They turn up quite often in England - probably because fabric was in such short supply here during and after the war!

People also used to make them into shirts, blouses and underwear. Useful stuff.

 

[Lillemor]

Alot of wedding dresses got made from paracute silk. They turn up quite often in England - probably because fabric was in such short supply here during and after the war!

People also used to make them into shirts, blouses and underwear. Useful stuff.

Yes, I think it's quite common here too. Thanks Paisley for providing that link.

 

[Laura Chase]

Yes, I think it's quite common here too. Thanks Paisley for providing that link.

Yes, we have a beautiful wedding dress from 1946 in the National Gallery in Copenhagen:

 

[terresawang]

Very nice post, I was expecting something like this from you. keep up the good work.