Wedding Dress
1930
1930 and 1970
Silk
Worn by Helen Beatrice Rae Anderson
Gift of Helen Rae Ruscoe
Helen Beatrice Rae Anderson, raised in New Canaan, married Carl E. Ruscoe in 1930. The couple lived in town, where they owned and operated Carl Ruscoe Jewelers at 35 Elm Street for over 30 years (the site of what is now Elm Street Books). The dress and veil were then worn again by her daughter, Nancy Rae Ruscoe, at her wedding to Charles Glass forty years later.
This bias-cut, princess-style dress of ivory satin has a chapel-length train, Valencian lace trim on the bodice, and puffed sleeves. The floor length veil is fastened to a lace-trimmed cap. Bias-cut, figure-hugging gowns replaced the drop-waist dresses of the 1920s. The Art Deco influences of the 1930s can be seen where the neckline of the dress meets the lace at a triangular point, as geometrics of this style subtly made their way into fashion.
