Up until the seventeenth century, young babies were tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes and carried to the font in a "bearing cloth". This was a large square piece of silk, edged with trimmings of gold lace and braid.
As we now know it as the "Christening Robe"; it evolved when babies were freed of swaddling at a younger age in the mid-eighteenth century. The earliest example to survive were made of white silk and consisted of a front opening which could be fastened with ribbon ties or left open to reveal a petticoat underneath. Like the women's gowns of the period, the robe had similar decorative curving lines of braid.
The early Christening robes were made in the same style as worn by every day eighteenth century boys and girls. Both boy and girl babies wore "slip" dresses combined with a long flowing skirt that fell from a short tucked bodice with a low neck and short sleeves. Additional items of clothing were added to go with the robe, items such as bonnets and bootees. A small number of delicate Christening sets from the seventeenth and eighteenth century managed to survive, amongst the sets included mittens, bibs, head bands, pincushion covers or handkerchiefs in embroidered linen.
Victorian babies were dressed in gowns which were beautifully decorated with Ayrshire work. Ayrshire is an exquisite form of white-on-white embroidery that originated in the Scottish Lowlands.
Pinning a piece of shortbread to the Christening robe was an old Scottish custom and was to be worn throughout the ceremony. If an unmarried girl was to eat the shortbread afterwards, she was thought to dream of her future husband that very night. It was also vital that the baby was to sleep in its Christening robe for the night of the baptism; this was to bring luck and good health into the baby's future.
A timeless tradition
The same fashion for Christenings has remained popular ever since. This is partly due to the tradition of handing down Christening robes from one generation to the other, thus over many years, dozens of babies may use the same Christening robe.
If there's no antique gown in your family, you can create an heirloom for future generations with a gown from our range which has been made in the traditional method in fine natural pure silk, embellished with delicate embroidery and tucking. - 15634
As we now know it as the "Christening Robe"; it evolved when babies were freed of swaddling at a younger age in the mid-eighteenth century. The earliest example to survive were made of white silk and consisted of a front opening which could be fastened with ribbon ties or left open to reveal a petticoat underneath. Like the women's gowns of the period, the robe had similar decorative curving lines of braid.
The early Christening robes were made in the same style as worn by every day eighteenth century boys and girls. Both boy and girl babies wore "slip" dresses combined with a long flowing skirt that fell from a short tucked bodice with a low neck and short sleeves. Additional items of clothing were added to go with the robe, items such as bonnets and bootees. A small number of delicate Christening sets from the seventeenth and eighteenth century managed to survive, amongst the sets included mittens, bibs, head bands, pincushion covers or handkerchiefs in embroidered linen.
Victorian babies were dressed in gowns which were beautifully decorated with Ayrshire work. Ayrshire is an exquisite form of white-on-white embroidery that originated in the Scottish Lowlands.
Pinning a piece of shortbread to the Christening robe was an old Scottish custom and was to be worn throughout the ceremony. If an unmarried girl was to eat the shortbread afterwards, she was thought to dream of her future husband that very night. It was also vital that the baby was to sleep in its Christening robe for the night of the baptism; this was to bring luck and good health into the baby's future.
A timeless tradition
The same fashion for Christenings has remained popular ever since. This is partly due to the tradition of handing down Christening robes from one generation to the other, thus over many years, dozens of babies may use the same Christening robe.
If there's no antique gown in your family, you can create an heirloom for future generations with a gown from our range which has been made in the traditional method in fine natural pure silk, embellished with delicate embroidery and tucking. - 15634
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Interested in buying or learning more about Christening Gowns? Visit the Poppet Baby Wear website for more.
