The Dress

This dress was a one-off sample, combining elements of both the Bronte and Meteor gowns, both of which were designs out of the Neo Victorian Collection in 2016. It is literally the only dress of its kind! It was created as a sample and not used in the final collection. The neckline and waistline of this dress are like the Meteor, but the silhouette and fabric is closer to the Bronte.

Suzanne Harward's dresses, including the Bronte and Meteor dresses sell for $8495 - $9995. This was a sample and was $7000 from SH.

The dress features a modern white lace over a bone/ivory coloured silk underlay. The neckline at the front and back are both a plunging V, and sit securely with a sheer netting which is pretty much invisible in pictures.

The dress has a gorgeous train which trails about 1m. There is a loop of fabric so you can hook the train over a finger to lift it up, and there's also a hook sewn into the back of the dress which links to the base of the train (i.e. you can bustle it up without needing to hold onto it).

The dress is a size 8 and fairly true to size. I'm a size 10D bust, but I think it would fit a C-DD. There is no padding in the bust, but I think it could be added if you wanted and would then suit a B cup too. I am 162cm tall and wore a 9cm heel.

I dry cleaned the dress 3 days after my wedding at Syndal's Dry Cleaners (Suzanne Harward's recommended dry cleaner). I have a certificate showing the date and price ($400) of dry cleaning. There are no marks at all on the dress and it looks as good as new.

It is such a beautiful dress and while I'll be sad to see it go, it will be lovely for someone else get to wear this creation for their day.

One tiny tear on the inside of the silk lining, at ankle level. It has been sewn up and is not visible when you wear it.