Wedding dress and lace veil
Britain, 1864-5
Ankle boots: France or Britain
Like many wealthy brides in the 1860s, Eliza Penelope Clay chose a white satin dress embellished with Honiton lace for her marriage to Joseph Bright at St James's Church, Piccadilly, in February 1865. The bride's veil has been skilfully designed so that the pattern is on the outside when the veil is folded over.
Dress: silk satin, trimmed with Honiton appliqué lace, the bodice lined with silk
Veil: Honiton appliqué lace
Ankle boots: leather, with elastic gussets, trimmed with silk
Bequeathed by Miss Helen G. Bright
V&A: T.43 to C-1947 [2011]