Silk dupion dress and coat

mother of the groom silk dupion natural thai coat and dress old gold and blue


I made a bespoke silk dupion dress and coat in old gold and blue silk. Irene had very firm ideas about what she wanted to wear to her daughter’s wedding. The dress and coat ensemble was designed to take her from a cold January daytime to the black-tie evening party. The dress was made from old gold silk dupion, lined with silk satin. The boned bodice has a v-neckline front and back with hand beaded detail over the ruching at the shoulder. The dress was cut princess-line with a slim shape fitted down to the hip and then the skirt was a slight a-line. Splits from the hem up the seams revealed shot silk chiffon panels to flick out as Irene walked. The splits were graduated in height, higher at the back than front with hand beaded detail highlighting the top of each one.

Coat design

The coat was made from thicker silk dupion woven in gold and blue and lined in silk satin. The coat was also cut princess-line and slim fitting with box pleats at the back to kick out as Irene walked and echo the dress below. A deep plunge v-neckline revealed a little of the dress beneath while the stand-up collar was elegant and kept out the cold. The long sleeves were gathered to the shoulder and finished with wide cuffs in old-gold silk with contrast buttons. The coat fastened with concealed hooks and eyes with ruched panels drawing the eye to the vintage brooch I sourced to complete the look.

mother of the bride custom made to measure dress gold silk
Mother of the bride dress and coat by felicity westmacott: blue and gold silk dupion with hand beaded highlights, design sketch


Original design sketch for the dress

Mother of the bride dress and coat by felicity westmacott: blue and gold silk dupion with hand beaded highlights, design sketch

Original design sketch for the coat

To begin with Irene wanted the front hem of the coat to curve up and reveal the dress beneath. During the fitting process she changed her mind and the coat was eventually made with a straight hem.

ruched detail on dress coat with cuffs and brooch fastening

Irene asked me to source her a brooch to complete the look of her dress. We found this vintage one on etsy.com for £60 which is faux pearl and lapis lazuli.

bespoke hand embroidery embellishment occasionwear seed bead

There was hand embellishment to the shoulders of the dress with ribbons of torn silk chiffon and tiny seed bead all nestled into the ruching to add texture and sparkle

delicate torn chiffon and hand beading embellishment by Felicity Westmacott


The hand beading at the top of each split was created to echo that on the shoulder. Each element became more ornate as the splits got longer around the sides and back of the dress.

thank you letter testimonial recommendation of Felicity Westmacott Bespoke dressmaker

Irene wrote a thank you not for her bespoke silk dupion dress and coat

Dear Felicity, Thank you so very much for making my dress perfect. I’m thrilled to bits. Also thank you for managing to fit me into your busy schedule, it’s very much appreciated. I hope we meet again in the future, and have fun with that adorable kitten.

father of the bride groom bow tie custom silk dressmaker sea colours

Irene also had accessories made in matching fabrics for her husband and various members of the bridal party. The silks chosen all came from one of my favourite suppliers, Bennett Silks.

If you would like to chat to me about ideas for your own silk dupion dress and coat or another design, 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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Here’s my handy guide to bridal veil lengths! When it comes to your wedding, a veil is such a lovely accessory to have – it can really elevate a bridal look. Some veil lengths have different names for the same thing, so let's clarify the different lengths can be called: 

Shoulder - 16" 
This one is two tiers, bubble style, in vintage tulle. Cute and fun, it has a retro vibe to it. 

Elbow length - 28" 
I chose a 3-tier style, giving this veil a bit more volume. Again, made in vintage tulle with a cut edge.

Fingertip length - 36" 
I’ve notice this length is one of the most popular for brides, so I’m showing a few versions. The first is a single tier with a corded edge, and the second has a lace edge instead. (dipdye, cut edge, with blusher ) 

Waltz (or calf) length – 58”
I made this wedding veil from vintage tulle with a diamante sparkle. This is a good choice is you want something long, but you’re a little clumsy. 

Floor (or puddle) length - 72" 
For this video I went with a floor length veil with a blusher (2-tier) and a cut edge. This one is extra wide as well, for extra drama.

Chapel length - 90" 
This one is in a cowl (or draped) style, meaning it’s placed on the head in a different way to a usual veil. I made this one from a super soft English tulle, which floats so beautifully.

Cathedral - 115" 
If you’re looking for maximum drama, then this is the length for you. This is the length used in the weddings of royalty. With a metallic corded edge, I also made this one extra wide, because if you’re going to go big, you might as well go all the way.

Which is your favourite length of wedding veil? Do you plan on having one for your wedding?

#2025bride #2026bride #bespokebridal #bridalboutique #weddingveil
Let’s appreciate some of the details of this dress together…

This bohemian wedding dress was made for a vintage Romani Gypsy inspired wedding shoot, and since then it has been used for a few Edwardian and Titanic inspired shoots as well.

For this look, I chose beautifully lightweight ivory silk georgette (or chiffon) and lace, trimmed with ribbons. I spent a lot of time embellishing with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads, to make the dress truly unique.

I always like to add versatility to my designs, and for this one I created a lace overskirt, decorated with red and black floral lace and a bold red sash around the waist. Then I made a ¾ length sleeve bolero in black velvet, lined with red satin for the chill nights.

This dress makes me want to dance around a fire, singing folk songs to the stars!

If this dress feels like the one for you, you can find it, ready to order, on my Etsy (link in the bio). Or, you can order it any size you like, completely bespoke to your body and taste. 

#weddingdress #vintageweddingdress #modernvintage #2025bride #2026bride #customweddingdress #bridalboutique #ukbride
Have you ever watched Strictly and thought "I would love to wear that"?

Alison wanted a wedding dress inspired by a gown she saw on Strictly Come Dancing. I love ballroom dancing - my grandmother was a famous dancer in her time, and as a result, I feel a real affinity with the culture of ballroom. So it was really exciting for me to work with Alison in creating her dream dress.

As with all my brides, before I started to cut into the beautiful guipure lace Alison had chosen, I made a toile. The toile is a rough draft of the dress, made in cheaper fabrics. It's a really useful way of checking the fit of the pattern is right, and it also gives the bride a chance to ask for any changes they might want. It's an invaluable part of my process!

The smile on her face during her final fitting says it all ☺️

I think this dress is perfect for Alison, who could easily dance the night away in this gorgeous, floaty frock 💃

#bespokeweddingdress #surreybride #sussexbride #kentbride #londonbride #ukweddingdress #maturebride #modestbride
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