Why is it that the French always have the most romantic of names, like this one for the collection of clothes and linen that a bride sets aside before her wedding?
A ‘trousseau’ comes from the old French word for ‘parcel’ or ‘bundle’ and is the time-honoured custom for items collected by a bride in preparation for her marriage. Although the custom of preparing a trousseau goes back centuries, many modern brides still enjoy the excitement of collecting beautiful clothing, special lingerie, jewellery, accessories, bedding and manchester and even household appliances ahead of their wedding day.
Hundreds of years ago when the custom first began, a bride (and her mother !) wouldn’t have even contemplated walking down the aisle without an overflowing trunk waiting on the other side, but today, it’s a choice not a necessity.
It is said that for the marriage of Catherine de Medici in 1547, the Pope had to commandeer money that was set aside for the fortification of Florence in order to pay for her vast collection of lace, silks, bed linen, sheets and jewellery. It was so important that some brides were even prepared to cancel the marriage celebrations if their trousseau wasn’t complete. In the olden days, it was also customary for the bride to carefully embroider all the bed linen, tablecloths, towels, napkins and sheetsets with her initials. It was also customary for wealthy families to invite friends to a ‘trousseau tea’ where they would proudly display the collection as a demonstration of their elevated status.
Another bride with a legendary trousseau was Wallis Simpson, who was famous for her extravagance, and who filled 66 trunks with designer clothing and accessories before her marriage to Prince Edward
Modern living sees many couples choosing to live together before getting married, which means there is no practical reason for a woman to prepare a trousseau. However, romance never goes out of fashion – and when the big day approaches, which girl will resist the opportunity to go shopping for beautiful bed linen, bedding, towels, sheets, clothes and accessories to prepare for the next exciting chapter in their lives? .
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