This is the Wedding Gown of Mary Jane Sykes who married Scott Oldfield on 14 January 1907. Also displayed is their marriage certificate and the Baptism certificate of their daughter who donated the garment to the museum. Please note that Mary Jane's Wedding Shoes are also displayed and are catalogue number 182/2012.
The Wedding Gown consists of a bodice, a skirt and a self-fabric belt.
The bodice fastens to the left front under the bodice front with hooks and eyes. There is a fine silk gathered trim around the bodice and the lower neckline. There is a lined lace modesty panel and a lace stand up collar which has lace embellishment from midway at the front all around the back of the collar. The bodice is reinforced at the back with a metal bar which supports hooks and eyes. The back bodice has pin tucks to shape the garment and a loop for the belt. There are 2 sets of boning at each side of the front and one at the back. The sleeves are puffed to the elbows and plain. There is then a double pin tuck gathered around the arm with lace embellishment. There is a fine lace fitted sleeve from the forearm to the wrist. The end of the sleeve is v-shaped over the front and back of each hand.
The skirt has a silk sewn in petticoat with a coarser weight of silk on the outside. It has tight (half inch) vertical pleats 6 inches deep as a trim. There are 2 tiers, each with 3 inch horizontal tucks lower down the skirt. The skirt is gathered onto a Petersham waist band which fastens with a double hook and eye.
The belt is horizontally ruched and boned. it is fastened with 3 hook and eyes. The belt sits on top of the bodice and skirt.
