trous·seau, n.
[French, from Old French, diminutive of trousse, bundle. See
truss.] The possessions, such as clothing and linens, that a bride
assembles for her marriage.
Throughout history, single women the world over, have prepared for
the transition from single to married status by accumulating a
trousseau. The traditional trousseau -- stored in a Sandook --
includes bridal accessories, jewelry, lingerie, toiletries and
makeup, plus all other necessary items for the brides new marital
home.
From Victorian times up until
present day, the trousseau has also consisted of new outfits to the
bride through her wedding, honeymoon, and newlywed
days.
Historically the outfits in a
trousseau were hand-sewn by a a mother, aunt, grandmother, or the
girl herself, if skilled with a needle. In modern times these items
are gifts adorned by the family of the bride.
VICTORIAN
TROUSSEAUS
Elaborate trousseaus were a sign
of wealth and social standing during the Victorian
era:
"The society woman must have one
or two velvet dresses which cannot cost less than $500 each. She
must possess thousands of dollars worth of laces, in the shape of
flounces, to loop up over the skirts of dresses... Walking dresses
cost from $50 to $300; ball dresses are frequently imported from
Paris at a cost of from $500 to $1,000... There must be traveling
dresses in black silk, in pongee, in pique, that range in price
from $75 to $175... Evening robes in Swiss muslin, robes in linen
for the garden and croquet, dresses for horse races and yacht
races, dresses for breakfast and for dinner, dresses for receptions
and parties..." from "Lights and Shadows of New York" by James
McCabe, 1872.
"A visiting and reception dress
was of maroon velvet, trimmed with wide bands of cocks' feathers of
the same shade. A second rich costume was of black brocaded silk
and plain silk. ." -- from "Miss Vanderbilt's Trousseau," Harper's
Bazar, December 15, 1877
TROUSSEAU FOR THE ASIAN
BRIDE
Among Hindus, red is a color
indicative of marriage. Hindu brides attire in colors of red, pink
and maroon. The bridal outfit is not just a piece of clothing but
has lot of personal sentiments attached to it. In fact according to
Hindu rituals, the father of the girl calls upon the bridegroom and
hands over the responsibility of his daughter who is bedecked in
her bridal trousseau. This explains the reason of incorporating
traditional designs in bridal dress while giving it a contemporary
look.
Each ethnicity gives birth to a
unique style of wedding. In Maharashtra, brides attire a Paithani
sari whereas Jammu and Kashmir brides usually wear tight trousers
with heavy embroided kurta. Tamilian brides dress up in Kanjeevaram
silk sari. Punjabi brides go in for either heavy work sari or
bridal lehanga with phulkari embroidery. White is the chosen color
of bridal dress among Parsis and Catholics and is seen as a symbol
of purity. Bengali brides tend to chose Benarsi silk sari made up
of rich brocade.
Red Chunari plays an important part of bridal trousseau. Bandhani
style is the most popular form used in the making of bridal
chunari. It is used for a ritual ceremony known as "Gath Bandhan".
In Rajasthan, tie and dye Leharia Dupatta is used to make the
bedding of the bridegroom for his Tilak ceremony.
Bridal
trousseau definitely has a religious significance but today in the
present century it has become more of a fashion statement. Our
culture is so rich that virtually every region has something unique
to offer. Mirror work of Rajasthan, Phulkari embroidery of Punjab,
Leharia print of Gujarat and such iconic works like Kundan, Resham,
Zari and Zardosi are ruling the fashion industry.
