When Women’s Wear Daily illustrated Eleanor Randolph Wilson’s wedding dress in 1914, the coverage extended beyond the gown. The publication detailed her trousseau, a collection of intimate apparel and travel clothing designed by Kurzman Fifth Avenue. This practice, once a marker of social standing, transformed into a widespread bridal ritual centered on the honeymoon. The trousseau’s evolution from a prestige symbol to a curated wardrobe for newlyweds reveals a persistent thread in intimate apparel: lingerie as a narrative of personal transition.
Historically, brands like Kurzman, which operated during the early 20th century, catered to an elite clientele for whom custom lingerie was a standard of refinement. Their involvement in creating a bride’s entire wardrobe, from foundation garments outward, underscored lingerie’s role as the unseen architecture of fashion and occasion. Today’s curated honeymoon packages, while modern in presentation, directly inherit the trousseau’s original function. They continue to answer a timeless desire for garments that commemorate a private journey, blending the sentimental with the sartorial. The ‘something new’ has always, quite literally, been worn next to the skin.
Originally reported by WWD