Jamie Dress: A Timeless Tribute to Love, Craftsmanship, and Dot's Legacy

Jamie Dress: Dot’s Story

I didn’t really know my grandmothers on either side of my family, so it was always lovely to speak to the older couple two doors down. When I first moved into the street, Jim and his wife Dot were some of the first to welcome me and my two young sons to the neighborhood. It was quiet, calm, and peaceful, with conversations about gardening and tips for growing beautiful roses and hydrangeas, which seemed to appear in every garden—well, those that hadn’t been turned into driveways.

They were there when I started Wilderness Bride, though I didn’t talk much about it at first. I just wanted to pursue my dream and see how far I could take it. One day, while having tea with Dot in their impeccably maintained garden, she asked me what I did for work. When I told her I design wedding dresses, her eyes lit up. She explained that she had worked in retail at a swanky department store, which made sense because she was always immaculate. Her clothes, her makeup—she loved makeup—and her porcelain skin were flawless.

Dot hurried inside and returned with a large, vintage-looking box. She carefully unpacked it and revealed her wedding dress—a stunning light floral brocade with lace sleeves and delicate details. I had never seen anything like it before; the lace was unlike anything you can buy today.

She explained that she had made the dress herself with her mother. They had sat together, sewing the dress by hand, something that was very common in those days. “Everyone sewed,” Dot said. You would go to a shop, select a pattern and fabric, and make everything yourself. Sewing was taught in schools, and skills were passed down through generations. I loved the idea of this. Although I am largely self-taught, with a few couture sewing classes here and there to learn technical skills and jargon, sitting with Dot and inspecting her dress felt like sitting with a grandmother, learning her craft. We admired how they layered the lace, cut the fabric on the bias, and finished each detail with care.

Dot and Jim didn’t have children of their own, but they were married for over 50 years and had lived full, exciting lives. Dot had lived in that house since she was born; her parents had owned it, and Jim purchased it from his father-in-law once he was able. My sons loved visiting them. My younger son, Oliver, would water their garden plants with his beloved watering can, while my eldest, Jay, would talk to Jim about World War II and Jim’s military experience. Jim and Dot called him ‘Jamie,’ even though his name is just Jay. Despite correcting them, the nickname stuck.

Jim was a devoted husband, always working hard to give Dot the life she was accustomed to. I had never seen a man more in love with his wife. Sadly, Jim became gravely ill, suffering a heart attack and dealing with diabetes. During his recovery, Dot was diagnosed with cancer, and not long after, she passed away peacefully at home, with Jim by her side.

Some months after Dot’s funeral, Jim came to me with the box Dot had shown me that day in the garden. Inside was her wedding dress, the underslip, and a lovely pale blue tulle party dress. “This is for you,” he said. “She wanted you to have it.”

The dress remains with me, something I care for and admire deeply. The inspiration it provides is endless. The dress is about a UK size 6, and at the time, only one of my interns could fit into it—it was a perfect fit, which brought tears to our eyes. Because of its small size, I decided to recreate the dress in larger sizes using more modern fabrics, focusing on showcasing the incredible silhouette and how it shapes the body.

The original dress has long lace sleeves bound at the ends for a neat finish, a square neckline with a lace yoke insert, and a raised waistline that dips low at the back toward the tailbone, where folded fabric cascades into a sweeping train. This feature still amazes me—it’s stunning. The handmade buttons run the full length of the back, giving it a sensual quality even though the body is fully covered. The dress is classic and elegant, just like Dot.

A couple of years later, I showed the new dress I had created to Jim. We sat down and looked through old photos of him and Dot, and he shed a little tear. I told him I had named the dress ‘Jamie’ because that’s what they had called Jay. He laughed and thought it was a good choice. When I recently told Jim that my son Jay had joined the military, just as Jim had, he was incredibly proud. I hope my sons grow up to be the dedicated, doting husbands that Jim was.

This story is not only about a beautiful dress with exceptional craftsmanship but also about dedication, love, and marriage.