TIMES COLONIST, VICTORIA, B.C.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010 C1

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Something old,
something new
1909 bridal dress
has forged family
bond spanning
generations

SARAH PETRESCU
Ready to Wear
spetrescu@tc.canwest.com

O
n Aug. 4, 1909, in
Collingwood, Ont.,
a young Mary
Constance Guil-
foyle beamed for the cam-
era with her groom, John
Patrick McLaughlin, and
their wedding party beside
them. The broad-brimmed,
flower-laden hats of the
bridesmaids and tailored
men’s suits made for a typi-
cal Edwardian vignette.
But it was the bride’s
dress, custom-made with
fine imported French lace,
that would create a bond
spanning generations of the HANDOUT
newlyweds’ descendants. Tessa Begley wears her great-grandmother’s 1909 bridal gown — reconstructed for her wedding last summer by Victoria dressmaker Alida Lloyd.
“It’s amazing that it has
lasted and fit so many of
us,” Kay Begley said. She is
the McLaughlins’ grand-
daughter and unofficial
keeper of the dress that has
since been worn nine times
by family members, includ-
ing herself. “I got it from
my mother and now it’s
become a passion to keep it
in the family.”
Incorporating a family
heirloom into wedding
dress attire is tradition, a
talisman of luck in love.
Something old, something COURTESY OF FAMILY
new, something borrowed, ABOVE: Mary Constance Guilfoyle was the first to wear
something blue. But pre- the bridal dress, made of fine French lace, in 1909.
serving a dress over a cen- RIGHT: Kay Begley’s aunt Dorothea wore the dress in1946.
tury is nearly impossible.
Which is why Begley wearing the dress on her with flounces and rosettes
brought her bride-to-be wedding day in 1946. The to give it a tiered look.
daughter Tessa and the simplified undergarment “She looked incredible,”
dress to Alida Lloyd last worn beneath the panelled said her mother, who gave
year to be restored. Tessa’s lace sheath made it look a speech about the dress at
wedding took place 100 entirely different from the the wedding. She said there
years almost to the day trailing lace gown of 1909. are several great-grand-
after her great-grand- Begley’s sister Anne daughters and four great-
mother wore the dress for Sirdevan wore the dress in great-granddaughters,
the first time. 1971, when she had to be including Tessa’s two-month- DEBRA BRASH, TIMES COLONIST
“It was not in the best sewn into it. Begley wore old baby, Magdalen, who Stephanie Shade wears a French lace bustier bridal dress
shape. There were yellow the dress for her own wed- might be interested in wear- by Alida Lloyd.
spots and the lace was ding in 1973. It was flown to ing it one day. “Taking care
frail,” said Lloyd, who Glasgow to be worn by her of the dress has become “Already fashionable very in right now,” Lloyd WEDDING SERIES
designs and makes custom- cousin Denise Jones in 1975, very important to me.” women will seek out some- said. Diagonal and plunging
wedding dresses and attire then to another cousin in Lloyd, a master seam- one like me to custom-make necklines are also a popular Today we kick off a series of
at Alida’s Gowns in Sidney. France in 1978. In 1989, stress, designs her gowns their dress,” she said, alternative to the popular stories on wedding prepara-
“It’s not uncommon for Begley’s younger brother made-to-measure, using pri- adding that women with strapless princess design. tions. Throughout May and June,
someone to want to wear a Joseph Sirdevan’s bride marily silk and fine fabrics hard-to-fit body types might “Women will always Times Colonist writers will
dress that has been passed Marie wore the dress at with hand-sewn embellish- also prefer a custom dress. love strapless and want explore trends in food, cakes,
down. Usually, the adjust- their wedding in Toronto. ments. Her dresses range She designs and makes dresses that are slightly gifts, decorations and every-
ments make it fit perfectly “When Alida saw the from $2,500 to $5,000. sample dresses for display, ivory, not white, but there thing else that goes into making
and less matronly than dress she said she’d have to “Every dress is guaran- ranging from the classic to are beautiful alternatives,” the day special.
some of the older styles. take it apart to save it,” said teed to fit perfectly. It is the fashion-forward. she said. We also want to hear from you.
But this dress was a chal- Begley, who divides her true haute couture,” she Lloyd says there are a The most important and Send us your favourite wedding
lenge and had a very inter- time between Pender Island said. Word has spread since few new trends dominating. unchanging rule of wedding anecdotes. Things that went
esting history.” and Vancouver, where she she started her business One is to embellish wildly. dress fashion is to find right and things that went
After 1909, the dress was works as an accountant. “I four years ago — it was a “Heavily rosed skirts something you love, that wrong. Keep them to about 150
not worn again until 1943, knew I might get flak from dream project she vowed are popular right now. flatters and that fits. words and e-mail them to
by Begley’s aunt Mary the family, but the alterna- to fulfil after her first The trend is to have a lot A dress that special could features@tc.canwest.com or
McLaughlin. Her own tive was that we’d never get husband died. She now of loose, unfinished, big be worn for generations. mail them to Features at the
mother did not wear the to see it worn again.” averages one dress per organza roses all over,” Times Colonist, 2621 Douglas
dress for her wedding — a Lloyd followed the tradi- week and has outfitted she said. Just stay away > Fashion show fundraiser, C3 St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 4M2
brown suit at Toronto city tion of using the lace dress entire wedding parties. from the heavy beading
hall during wartime seemed as an overlay, creating a “My favourite are the and jewels. timescolonist.com
more appropriate for the Scarlett O’Hara shape to wedding dresses. They are Bustiers and French lace >> For a soundslide about
times. flatter Tessa Begley’s fig- special.” are making a comeback, the 1909 dress reconstruction
There is a photo of her ure. The original panels of Lloyd follows the latest reflecting the current trend and a bridal gown photo gallery,
mother’s sister, Dorothea, the dress were combined trends in wedding dresses. in streetwear. “The corset is visit our website.