Christening Dress for Baby W

Mini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott

I was honoured to be asked to create a ‘mini-me’ christening dress for Baby W, using fabrics and inspiration from her mother’s beautiful Ian Stuart wedding dress.

Bex’s wedding dress was made with a wedgewood blue bodice and train with a cloud of pale gold silk for the skirt. Beaded lace trimmed the bodice and train and buttons finished the back fastening. We used all these elements to design Baby’s dress using materials left over from work on the original wedding.

Mini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: finished dress

I often make christening dresses of this type quite on the large side, with the idea they will still fit when the baby is quite a bit older, perhaps up to the age of 18 or even 20 months. This gives a good chance of the dress getting another outing!

Mini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity WestmacottMini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity WestmacottMini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott

Mini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: Ian Stuart Cameo, the brides dress

Some images of Bex in her Ian Stuart Wedding Dress, and a tiara that I made too!

Mini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: Inspiration dressMini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: inspiration wedding dressMini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: fabrics

Fabrics left over from Bex’s wedding included blue silk ordered from Ian Stuart to make matching cravats and the lace from a stole that came with original dress. ?We ordered the pale gold silk in from my supplier and the match was really good!

Mini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: finished dressMini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: lace applique detailMini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: button back detailMini-me Christening Dress in pale gold and blue silk with lace by Felicity Westmacott: waistline detail

felicity westmacott wearing a hat

Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

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The heat from this season of Bridgerton is really bringing to the forefront the beauty and chemistry of an older romance. 

There's something extra special about finding someone later on in life, as Lady Violet is showing us all. Someone who has lived a whole life before meeting you, who has their own baggage and their own wisdom. Combining all that with all your own experiences to make something truly profound.

It's always a joy to hear from older brides who have found their own Lord (or Lady) Marcus. So of course I had to celebrate all the gorgeous mature brides who have chosen me to help them look exactly the way they want to when their love stories took centre stage.

Are you watching Lady Violet's storyline? 💜

Photography:
Adventurous - @t.frost.photography
Vibrant - @lucysugdensmith⁠
Dramatic - @georginapiperphoto_
Unique - @smilingtigerstudiosuk
Stylish - @greggbrownphotography
Elegant - @christellephoto
Colourful - n/a
Romantic - @duncanireland
Beautiful - @duck_photo
"Your talent, creativity and attention to detail made this piece so much more than just part of a dress – it became a beautiful expression of who I am. We were completely overwhelmed and deeply impressed."

For this dip dye overskirt, Marina and I went through a few different colour combinations before we landed on something she felt was perfect. I'm always happy to create as many samples as a bride needs to feel really sure about her choice. Originally Marina wanted the gradient to start at yellow, but after I sent her the first sample, and seeing it in real life, she decided the yellow was a little too yellow, and we went for a lime green instead. That way, she still got the brightness she wanted, but staying within a more restricted colour palette. 

Then I get to begin layering all the colours. From that chartreuse, finishing on a deep, forest green, and then adding a layer of fine silver glitter on top. I think the sparkle is a beautiful touch. After that, I packaged it up carefully and sent to Switzerland, where Marina lives. And finally, her dip dye overskirt got to do its job - adding colour, style and personality to her wedding dress.

If you're a bride who wants to bring dopamine dressing to your wedding day, drop me a DM! There are so many fabulous ways of adding colour to your day, and I would love to help.
When I made this wedding dress in 2017, I wasn't expecting it to be such a success. It's been featured in so many bridal photoshoots (I think four or five so far), and every time the styling has been completely different.

It's so interesting to me how versatile a dress like this can be. All you need is a little imagination. Even though the dress itself was originally designed as a period-inspired piece, it's been used for an Edwardian Downton Abbey inspired photoshoot, a Victorian gypsy photoshoot and a modern outdoor shoot.

Which version do you prefer?

I'm currently have a sample sale on my Etsy, where this beauty is less than £700. So if you love this dress, grab her whilst you can!

Photography:
1: @bristy_fairytales
2: @neliprahova
3: @charlymaephotography & @dam.ute
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in