Does anybody else remember the tradition of the bridal trousseau?
To be honest, I’m not sure why I’m so familiar with the concept – because it definitely wasn’t a “thing” when I tied the knot 27 years ago!
Maybe it was reading my mum’s old bridal magazines (she got married in 1964).
Or maybe it was just all the historical romances I’ve devoured over the years 😉 .
What is a Bridal Trousseau?
Like another almost forgotten tradition, the glory box, the intention was to help the bride prepare for married life.
The French word “trousseau” is roughly translated as “to truss, tuck, or bundle”, so while the glory box ensured that the new bride had all the goods needed to set up a new home, the trousseau involved clothes, more suited to her status as a newly married woman.
I guess this was back in the days when you could tell if a woman was married or not, simply by how she wore her hair, or the clothes she wore. Plus, clothes had to be made by hand, rather than purchased off the rack.
Over the years, it dwindled to being about packing some new and glamourous lingerie for the honeymoon, to celebrate the woman’s transformation from innocent maiden, to married woman. (Oh, and I guess it was to please the new husband, too!)
These days of course, many couples live together long before they are married, so I guess it is all a bit old hat.
The hubster and I were old school – we didn’t live together until we got married. Paying for our own wedding cost so much I didn’t really have the funds to splash out, so my lame half-hearted attempt at a bridal trousseau, was indulging in was some lacy knickers for under my wedding dress, and a new nightie for our honeymoon.
Looking at it now, it wasn’t terribly sexy or glamourous, but at least it was a step up from the tired old t-shirt nightie I wore before I got married!
I’m curious – did you buy any new lingerie before your wedding, or think about putting together a bridal trousseau?!
LOL Janet. Yes I did buy new jim jams for the wedding. Not exactly in the sexy lingerie category, but definitely a step up from my flannies. Though the lacy red knickers only lasted the first night. They’re still at the Park Royal in Brisbane 🙂 And I did have a glory box, which mainly consisted of things I got as 21st birthday gifts. The box is still at Mum and Dad’s, but I think I eventually did use most of the contents.
When you said your lacy red knickers only lasted on night, I thought you meant Tim tore them off you and they were ruined for good LOL!!!
LOL – Not that exciting. We just never saw them again so we assume they were mixed up in the sheets somewhere. But now you’ve got me blushing, I’d better not say anything more or I’ll dig a bigger hole for myself 🙂
Giggling 😉
Great question Janet. I think my knowledge was from those historical romances I read as a teen, specifically Georgette Heyer. I actually did by a sexy outfit for my wedding night (also spent at the Park Royal Hotel, Nola) – and my mum gave me two frilly numbers she’d got for her special night & one of my aunts sent me a long white nightie with dressing gown. We also waited – and it was a special night. Not so much the glory box though as I’d been living independently for a good decade before marriage and already had everything needed to set up house from whitegoods to pots, crockery and cutlery.
I didn’t have a glory box, was out on my own at 19 and as a student up til then never had the cash to spare. I literally started out with nothing but at least by the time I got married a few years later, I had the basics 🙂
My husband and I lived together for around 5 years before we tied the knot. From memory I think I had a trousseau that consisted of some nice underwear and a sexy nightie. I think most brides of today still invest in some nice lingerie for their wedding and wedding night. It’s a lovely tradition.
Miss 20 is already addicted to Honey Birdette style lingerie so I’m pretty sure she will want some special stuff should she get married!
Wow, love the idea. I’m not married so I’ll have to tuck this information away for the possible future.
A friend of mine said she had something special for each day (night?!) of her honeymoon and is going to recommend it to her 20 year old daughter when the time comes!
Haha, secrets! This is a discussion I have had with my daughter – about the glory box, that is! Like Nola, mine was mostly 21st birthday gifts, and a few other things I picked up along the way. I also had (and still have) my Grandmother’s literal Glory Box (at least I think it was), which is a large timber chest, beautifully padded and lined, made for her by my Grandfather. I now use it for keepsakes.
As to the lingerie, yes, I bought a little, but to be honest, I am much more about comfort than sexy – if only the two could be combined!
How lovely that you still have your grandmother’s glory box! These days I have some special lingerie, but with Mr 22 still living at home, I don’t get much of a chance to wear it LOL …
The tradition of a glory box has always confused me. Why put your life away in a box ‘for later’? I think it might have something to do with my army upbringing and the regular putting away of our things to move to a new posting. My hubby and I were both in our mid thirties when we married and so I was living my life, enjoying the tea sets and pretty sheets I was given for my 21st birthday before we set up house together. I did buy new slinky pjarmies for the occasion though.
I was a poor tertiary student right up til I left home so had no opportunity to put together a glory box. These days homeware trends change so quickly, if you collected items in a glory box they would likely look dated by the time you actually used them!