Jacqueline Bouvier's Wedding Dress
Artifact IDMO 2009.3.84
Object Type
Dress, Wedding
Date
1953
Date Worn9/12/53
Designer
Ann Lowe
(Designer, American, 1899-1981)
Medium
taffeta silk, wax
DimensionsOverall L 59 1/2 in x W 52 in x Diam 123 in (132.1 cm x 312.4 cm x 151.1 cm )
Physical DescriptionA wedding dress of ivory colored silk with off-the-shoulder cap sleeves, a back zipper closure, and a portrait neckline. The bouffant skirt is decorated with interwoven bands of tucking to create rosettes with tiny wax flowers applied to center. The bottom hem of the gown is scalloped. A blue bow is sewn to the bottom ruffle of the underskirt. Ann Lowe label is sewn inside the front waistline of the dress.
Historical NoteJacqueline Bouvier's ivory silk wedding gown required 50 yards of ivory silk taffeta and took more than two months to make. It was the creation of Ann Lowe, an African-American dress-maker born in the 1890s in Clayton, Alabama, who had designed gowns for the matrons of high society families including the du Pont, Lodge, and Auchincloss families. Ms. Lowe was 54 when she designed the Bouvier wedding dress which featured a portrait neckline and bouffant skirt decorated with interwoven bands of tucking and tiny wax flowers. She also designed the pink faille silk gowns and matching Tudor caps worn by the bridal attendants.
Lowe learned to sew at an early age under the tutelage of her mother Janie Cole Lowe, and her formerly enslaved grandmother, Georgia Thompkins. Both women created dresses for wealthy white family in Alabama. Early in her career Lowe enrolled in the S.T. Taylor School of Design in New York but was segregated in a separate classroom because of her race. In spite of the discrimination she encountered, Lowe successfully completed the program.
Afterward Lowe opened a dress making shop in Florida before becoming the first African-American woman to open a shop on New York's Madison Avenue. Despite having built a decades-long career creating elaborate dresses for elite white women, Lowe did not begin to gain public recognition until the 1960s. By then Lowe was plagued by health and financial problems (the latter the result of her lack of business acumen and the fact that she was paid far less by her clients than white designers). She retired in 1972.
Historian Elaine Nichols has described Lowe as having broken ground for future Black designers and got at the root of Lowe's struggle to be recognized:
"While she was regarded as elite society’s 'best kept secret,' Lowe was well-known to those for whom it mattered—her clients and peers in the world of fashion. On the surface, being noted as society’s best kept secret seemed to be a compliment to Lowe’s skill level, breadth of success, and clientele. On the other hand, wearing Dior and Chanel were badges of honor. Given that Lowe’s designs rivaled the best of the best, why was there a different standard for her? Ultimately it speaks to the manner in which she was undermined by the world of fashion—and race, and perhaps gender, were contributing factors."
Additional DetailsLowe learned to sew at an early age under the tutelage of her mother Janie Cole Lowe, and her formerly enslaved grandmother, Georgia Thompkins. Both women created dresses for wealthy white family in Alabama. Early in her career Lowe enrolled in the S.T. Taylor School of Design in New York but was segregated in a separate classroom because of her race. In spite of the discrimination she encountered, Lowe successfully completed the program.
Afterward Lowe opened a dress making shop in Florida before becoming the first African-American woman to open a shop on New York's Madison Avenue. Despite having built a decades-long career creating elaborate dresses for elite white women, Lowe did not begin to gain public recognition until the 1960s. By then Lowe was plagued by health and financial problems (the latter the result of her lack of business acumen and the fact that she was paid far less by her clients than white designers). She retired in 1972.
Historian Elaine Nichols has described Lowe as having broken ground for future Black designers and got at the root of Lowe's struggle to be recognized:
"While she was regarded as elite society’s 'best kept secret,' Lowe was well-known to those for whom it mattered—her clients and peers in the world of fashion. On the surface, being noted as society’s best kept secret seemed to be a compliment to Lowe’s skill level, breadth of success, and clientele. On the other hand, wearing Dior and Chanel were badges of honor. Given that Lowe’s designs rivaled the best of the best, why was there a different standard for her? Ultimately it speaks to the manner in which she was undermined by the world of fashion—and race, and perhaps gender, were contributing factors."
Custodial History NoteThis wedding dress was owned by Jacqueline Kennedy who purchased it from the designer. It was donated to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation by the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1995. The John F. Kennendy Foundation Inc. donated it to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in 2009.
Credit LineJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA; Gift of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesFirst Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Collection (National Archives Identifier 76055728)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - PossiblyUse Restriction NoteCopyright and other proprietary rights may be held by individuals or entities other than the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum does not warrant that the use of these materials will not infringe on the rights of third parties holding the rights to these works, or make any representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement, treaty, or protections that may apply. It is the user’s responsibility to determine and satisfy any copyright or other use restrictions.
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