Trousseau tradition

“Trousseau? What’s that?!” said my almost-30-year old daughter when we spoke about weddings the other day. Can’t blame her for not knowing – I myself did not even prepare a trousseau when I got married more than three decades ago. But when I came across a wonderful book on the topic recently, it struck me what an incredibly practical tradition it was. And I wondered whether – in these tough economic times - it was possible to revive it in one way or another.

Trousseau used to refer to all the items that a bride-to-be accumulated over a period of time – often many years - to take with her to her new home with hubby. The trousseau included her personal wardrobe of clothing and lingerie, as well as household items such as bed, bath and table linens and even flatware and crockery. In early centuries all of these items were stored in a chest, which could easily be moved from one place of residence to another.

Centuries ago, when an automatic washing machine was not yet dreamed of, laundry was done rather infrequently. In fact, only about once a year, weather and many other factors permitting! It stands to reason that vast quantities of linen were therefore required. From adolescence she, and often other family members, would painstakingly embroider pillowslips and sheets, table cloths and napkins and store them away for future use. This was predominantly a practical consideration – the bride was expected to contribute a dowry, but as household linens were extremely expensive, most families squirreled away items as and when they could afford, well ahead of the time the girl was old enough to be married off. Wealthy families usually outsourced the making and embroidering of their daughter’s wedding items to professional seamstresses. The chest, “hope chest” or “glory box" featured in the bridal aspirations of young girls well into the 20th century.

Now, I cannot picture any 21^st century girl pouring over a sewing machine to whip up sheets and table cloths. Much less spending months to hand monogram anything! That’s what retailers are for, right? But I do think it is a splendid idea (for girls and guys!) to accumulate linens for the day you plan to move into your own pad – be it all by yourself or to share with a special someone. Quality linens are still expensive, but totally worth the investment. Not only will they last so much longer, but the experience of sleeping on luxury sheets is just not be missed.

So – why not start setting up and filling your own “trousseau chest”. Allocate a drawer or a shelf in a cupboard to house your stash. Draw up a wish list of items and start shopping as you have funds available. Or drop (not too subtle) hints when birthdays and holidays come around. And when a wedding is imminent, add the remaining items on your wish list to your gift registry for your bridal shower or wedding!

Image Sources: Pic1:http://seniorfriendfinder/blogspot.com     Pic2:http://coeurenprovence/blogspot.com