My Mother's Wedding Dress

In this absolutely unique treasure trove of fashion, family memoir and literature, Justine Picardie tells a sequence of stories that reveal the fabric of the past, and how a family has fashioned itself through the clothes that they have worn: from her mother's black wedding dress to her first party frock, a translucent winged fairy outfit that provided an early lesson in what we uncover, and what we cover up. She also tells of her encounters with fashion designers – Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace, among others; conversations with supermodels, and her search for Charlotte Bronte's ring.

'My Mother's Wedding Dress' unravels why we care so much about clothes – the white satin and feathers and little black dresses with which we armour ourselves; the material of our lives. Above all, it is Justine Picardie's inimitable voice and thought-provoking quest for answers to her own past that make this book so special.