Object in focus: Georgian Wedding Dress

Explore why this magnificent Georgian wedding dress is one of York Castle Museum's star objects

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

Object in focus: Georgian Wedding Dress

This exhibition showcases a treasure from York Castle Museum's costume and textiles collection - a wedding dress from 1775. 

Georgian Wedding Dress Georgian Wedding Dress (1775)York Castle Museum

The Georgian era

The Georgian era of British history is a period which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain who were all named George: George I, George II, George III and George IV.

The era covers the period from 1714 to 1830, with the sub-period of the Regency defined by the Regency of George IV as Prince of Wales during the illness of his father George III. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the short reign of William IV, which ended with his death in 1837.

The last Hanoverian monarch of the Great Britain was William's niece Queen Victoria, who is the namesake of the following historical era, the Victorian, which is usually defined as occurring from the start of her reign, when William died, and continuing until her death.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

Petticoat

The gown has a matching petticoat and is made of silk taffeta and lace. The wide shape is achieved by using hoops made of a wicker or willow which are then covered with petticoats.

The skirt is very wide...

... and the petticoat is decorated with lace only at the front where it shows.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

The style

The style is called a sack back gown (also sacque back) or 'robe à la Française'.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

The back

The gown fans out from the back of the neck in large pleats...

... which form a train.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

The dress is symmetrical at the back, showing a careful use of the fabric. This was a way wealthy people would show their status.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

Lace

Lace was made completely by hand in the eighteenth century, just like every other part of this gown.

Silk flowers

The lace is decorated with silk flowers, matching the colours of the flowers woven into the silk of the dress.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

Pockets

In the eighteenth century pockets were separate bags worn under a dress. Pockets are accessed through slits at the tops of the hips.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

The front

The front of this dress has been altered, probably in the nineteenth century to use as fancy dress.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

Stomacher

Originally the dress would not have fastened at the centre front. It would have been open at the front, and pinned to a stomacher, a triangle of fabric which covered the stays.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

Restrictions

Fashions like this were deliberately restrictive. Impractical fashions showed that their wearers did not need to do physical work.

Georgian Wedding DressYork Castle Museum

Credits: Story

Georgian Wedding Dress
York Castle Museum

Object from York Castle Museums Costume & Textile Collection

Collections photography
Robert Wake, M Faye Prior, Martin Fell

Text
M Faye Prior, Alison Bodley

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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