Ivory silk mikado wedding coat

wedding coat silk mikado ivory


Catherine got married at Guildford Cathedral in December so her silk mikado wedding coat and dress ensemble worked perfectly for the weather and spectacular venue.

Official photography by taylormadeimagery

I design a simple and elegant long wedding coat in ivory silk Mikado with slight lip and plunge v-neckline and criss-cross ribbon waist detail. The long sleeves with bell cuffs had real button and loop detail. The train flared with three box pleats and a back belt and cover buttons to finish. Her dress beneath was just floor length all round and made in layered soft satin and georgette for the plain circle skirt. The boned bodice was duchess satin with a guipure lace over-lay. It had a square neckline and three quarter length sleeves with flared cuffs to finish. A pleated satin sash drew attention to Catherine’s shapely waistline and was ornamented with a real antique gold and pearl brooch and extra hand sewn pearls. The back closed with real buttons and loops. I also helped to restore her mother’s vintage veil and made dresses and bolero’s for her attendants.

modest wedding dress custom made

Catherine with her beautiful flowers all ready to go

windy wedding day on the steps
veils in the wind royal style wedding coat

It was a little windy on their arrival to the Cathedral but every effort was taken to get Catherine safely inside with her veil still attached

before the ceremony bridal long coat
walking up the cathedral aisle wedding coat
bridal veil in a church traditions

Nicola helping Catherine with the big ‘reveal’. Having a plan for who will raise the ‘blusher’ of your veil, and perhaps a practice is always a good idea!

long sleeve wedding dress
plus size bridesmaid dress navy blue silk

Nicola was a perfect bridesmaid, supporting Catherine through the service and always helpful at dress fittings! To see more pictures of her dress and the little bridesmaids click here.

Original design sketches

In the end the sash tails were left off the dress sash and the knot changed for the antique brooch detail.

wedding portrait in a cathedral flowergirls
square neck wedding dress with guipure lace

Later in the day Catherine removed the silk mikado wedding coat to reveal the pretty dress.

made to measure wedding gown silk and lace
cutting the cake plus size bride wedding dress
plus size wedding bride dress sash square neck

We used a beautiful antique pearl and gold brooch on the sash as a pretty detail and also Catherine’s ‘something old’. I added more pearls around it so it did not look too small on the wide sash.

couture detail brooch wedding dress sash
rouleau buttons and loops wedding dress

Back detail: the button and loop closure

Making Catherine’s Dress and Ivory silk mikado wedding coat

toile fitting picture bespoke dressmaker

A fitting picture in the ‘toile’ or practice run of the dress

wedding coat toile fitting picture

A fitting picture in the ‘toile’ or practice run of the coat

fitting picture bespoke dress and coat wedding

The partly made dress and coat.

fitting picture made to measure bridal gown

A final fitting picture in the finished dress.

pleated sash and sleeve detail pearl

Detail of the finished dress with pleated sash, antique brooch and lace applique detail on the sleeves

guipure lace flower bridal gown

Detail of the lace on Catherine’s dress with ‘daffodil’ motifs around the neckline.

vintage veil in a fitting lace flowers

Catherine wore her mother’s veil, the lace applique pieces are original but had been removed and so we replaced them and spaced them to show up beyond the ivory of the coat’s train.

wedding dress and bridesmaids ready to go

I also made three flowergirl boleros, an adult bridesmaid dress and a going away dress for Catherine. This is the whole ‘collection’ steamed and waiting for her to arrive and take them away! Click here to see more pictures of the bridesmaid and flowergirls.

wrist loop bustle something blue tradition

A hidden detail of the ‘something blue’ rose I sew to all the dresses I make next to the wrist loop on the train.

To talk to me more about having your coat wedding dress made to order just get in touch

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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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Now and again I'll take one of the wedding dresses I've made, and break down some of the elements. So, if there's something you love about a dress, but you don't know the 'proper words' to reference them, hopefully this will help you out.⁠
⁠
This beautiful 1950’s style wedding dress with delicate cream lace over golden-orange silk has lots of really scrummy details:⁠
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🧡 the opening at the back of the dress is called a keyhole (or you could call this a slit opening). This one is closed at the top with three covered buttons.⁠
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🧡 the base dress is made of a beautiful russet orange silk dupion, with dark ivory lace layered on top.⁠
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🧡 the base dress is essentially a halter neck, with a turn over collar at the front, with the ivory layer providing semi-sheer, full length sleeves.⁠
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🧡 the edges of the ivory layer are cut along the floral pattern of the lace, making a pretty scalloped edge.⁠
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🧡 this length of skirt is called 'ballet' or 'ballerina'.⁠
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🧡 the front of the dress has a line of false buttons (buttons that are just there for decoration), that match the buttons at the back.⁠
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Those are just some of the details of this dress. If you have any questions about anything else, just leave a comment. I could talk dress making all day!⁠
On my birthday, 43 years ago, I was gifted a beautiful name...does it suit me?

Felicity means "happiness", from the Latin word meaning "good luck" or "fortune". Shortening to Fliss is good, but never Flick!

What about your name? Does it have a meaning?
It’s the night before you’re wedding day. You have your dream bridal outfit ready to go for the morning. But there are a few things you should do before you go to sleep, to make sure your wedding dress is looking its best for the big day.

First up, make sure to hang your dress up high. A curtain rail or a wardrobe door are good choices. And make sure to hang it in a pet and fiancé secure room.

When unzipping the bag, put your finger behind the zip to stop it catching on any delicate fabric.

Your main priority is to get the train out, so it has time to flatten out overnight. Hang the dress in the bag so it’s facing inwards. Leave the shoulders of the bag on the dress to keep protecting the dress from dust.

You’ll want to lay a clean towel or sheet on the floor to protect the train when you pull it out.

Check to make sure the dress is hanging from its dress loops, not straps or sleeves. This prevents any delicate fabrics being stretched out by the weight of the dress. As you can see from the one I’ve chosen, that’s a lot of (heavy) dress!

On the wedding day, your dress can be taken completely out of the bag. To prep it for the photographer, turn it round so it’s facing the front, and pop any straps or sleeves, back onto the hanger so it looks its best..

And that’s about it. It isn’t very much, but it can make all the difference, and avoids any unwanted wrinkles, especially on your dress’ train.

Let me know if you have any other tips and tricks!

(Shout out to @engaged_bridal_studio for inspiring this post 🙌🏻)

#wedding dress #customwedding dress #weddingdressinspiration #bespokeweddingdress #bridalboutique #surreywedding #sussexwedding #londonwedding #weddingdaytips #weddingdresstips #bridaltips
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