11.25.08
Hatches, matches and dispatches
Adventures in wedding dress shopping.
Yesterday I went West Norwood in south London to pick up what I hope will be my wedding dress. I bought the dress at auction and decided to go in person to pick it up rather than pay for a courier. I bid for it online but had some trouble with the system – fortunately when I called, it turned out the lot hadn’t sold, so I got to have it.
Getting there was a bit of a mission – I had to catch the train from Victoria to West Norwood. Then I made my way to Martell Road following my printed map of the area. I thought I’d be clever and cut through the cemetery instead of going around by road. This was a grave mistake because it turned out the cemetery only had one entrance. I didn’t find this out until I was on the opposite side of the cemetery.
I got a bit lost and found myself in the baby section. Like a scene from a B-grade horror flick, the place was utterly deserted, probably because of the cold. To top it all off, it started sleeting sideways so it was stinging my eyes and I could barely see through my glasses. In order to get back to where I started I had to walk past grave after grave for babies, many of whom had died a few days after birth, and some of whom didn’t even seem to have names. Some of the graves were shaped like teddy bears.
On a more positive note, I’m delighted with the dress purchase. I was the only bidder so I got it very cheaply and it came with a white lacy dress that might be suitable for my bridesmaid, a blue jacket, a skirt suit and a doll’s corset. I imagine I can sell anything I don’t want on eBay.
I really like vintage styles and fabrics. I was originally looking at 1930s and 1940s dresses but this one is actually from 1912. It’s made of a very delicate silk with lace and embroidery and the detailing is gorgeous. It’s also tiny and I’m not so I need to take it to a tailor to see if I can have it altered or remade. I’d like to lose a little weight before the wedding but I’m still not going to have a 20-inch waist. It does seem to have generous seams so hopefully it can be let out, as trying to colour match panels could be difficult.
Apart from style and price, the other advantage with vintage is that a second-hand dress sits well with my environmental principles.
And no, I’m not going to post a picture online – sorry! You’ll just have to wait.
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Meanwhile, over at Roaming Tales I’ve written about my latest travel article – a guide to Damascus on Guardian.co.uk.
