The Victorian Era

What Was a Victorian Christening Gown?

Article · Fashion & Dress · The Victorian Era, 1837–1901

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A Victorian christening gown was a long, white, elaborate dress worn by a baby at the ceremony of baptism, or christening, in the Christian tradition. The long white christening gown became fashionable after Queen Victoria used one for the Princess Victoria in 1840 and the Prince of Wales in 1841, and the convention was gradually adopted by the upper and middle classes through the second half of the century. The christening gown was the most important item of clothing a Victorian baby would ever wear, and it was a major family heirloom, passed down through the generations. The history of the christening gown is examined in Victorian Children’s Clothing, and the broader context of childhood in the period is set out in What was life like for a Victorian child?.

The Origins of the Christening Gown

The christening gown had its origins in the early Christian tradition. In the early Christian centuries, the baptism of an infant was performed by total immersion, and the infant was wrapped in a long white garment after the baptism. In the medieval period, the baptism of an infant was performed by partial immersion or by affusion, and the infant was wrapped in a long white garment, often a chrisom, after the baptism. The chrisom was a long, white, elaborate garment, often made of fine linen, fine cotton, or fine silk, and it was often elaborately decorated, and given to the church as a thanksgiving offering after the baptism.

The christening gown of the Victorian period was a development of the medieval chrisom, reshaped by the fashions, materials, and techniques of the nineteenth century. Cut very long and almost always white, it was sewn from fine cotton, lawn, silk, or satin, lavishly worked with lace, embroidery, insertion, and pin-tucks. The gown was often made by the mother, the grandmother, the aunt, or a professional dressmaker, and it was passed down through the family as an heirloom.

The most famous christening robe in British history is the Honiton lace robe made in 1841 by Janet Sutherland for the children of Queen Victoria. The robe has been used for every royal christening since, including those of Queen Elizabeth II’s children and grandchildren, and is a continuous thread of British royal history from 1841 to the present.

The Materials of the Christening Gown

The materials of the Victorian christening gown were many and varied, but the most common were fine cotton, lawn, silk, satin, and lace. The cotton was often a fine long-staple variety, such as sea-island or Egyptian cotton, woven into delicate muslins and lawns, and the silks and satins used for grander gowns were of dress quality.

The lace might be handmade or, increasingly as the century progressed, machine-made, and it was worked in the patterns of the great lace traditions: Valenciennes, Brussels, Honiton, and others. Honiton lace in particular enjoyed royal favour after Queen Victoria chose it for her own wedding and for the christening robes of her children. The history of lace is examined in The Victorian Economy and Industrialization.

The Decoration of the Christening Gown

The decoration of the Victorian christening gown was elaborate, and it was the subject of considerable attention. The most common ornaments were lace edgings and insertions, silk or satin ribbon, rows of fine pin-tucks, and panels of whitework embroidery, often combined on a single gown.

The embroidery was almost always white on white, worked by hand in satin stitch, feather stitch, and French knots, or in broderie anglaise, with its characteristic patterns of pierced and overstitched eyelets; drawn-thread work gave the bodice and the hem an openwork delicacy. Smocking, in honeycomb, cable, or diamond patterns, gathered the fullness of the gown at the chest and sleeves while providing further ornament. The sleeves were often “angel sleeves” — long, full, and gathered at the wrist with a band of lace or a ribbon.

The Use of the Christening Gown

The christening gown was worn at the ceremony of baptism, or christening, in the Christian tradition. The ceremony was generally held in the parish church and conducted by the parish clergyman, and it was attended by the parents, the godparents, and the wider circle of family and friends. The baby, dressed in the gown, was customarily carried to the font by the godmother or by the nurse.

At the font the clergyman blessed the water, poured it three times over the head of the baby, made the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead, and pronounced the baptismal name, and the ceremony concluded with prayers and a blessing. The christening was followed by a family gathering, with the gown displayed as the centrepiece of the occasion. The history of the church is examined in Victorian Daily Life and Society.

The Christening Gown as an Heirloom

The christening gown of the Victorian period was a major family heirloom, and it was passed down from one generation to the next. Carefully washed, wrapped, and stored between christenings, a single gown might serve all the children of a family and then their children in turn, and many Victorian gowns remained in use for the baptisms of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some survive in families to this day, and the royal christening gown made in 1841 by Janet Sutherland was used by the royal family for over a century and a half.