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Wedding Gown

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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This bodice and skirt comprises the wedding gown of Janette Austin Abell, who married Alfred Savage in 1896. The gown is at the height of fashion for that year, with its large leg o'mutton sleeves, high collar, and gored skirt (the flared skirt helps to balance out the extreme width caused by the enormous sleeves). The idea of wearing white for a wedding gown began with Queen Victoria, when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The practice does not appear to have caught on in the United States, however, until the late 19th century.

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