then, women’s clothing was handmade. Based on the quality of the fabric, the designs, and the notes she made, it seems that Amelia’s family was quite well-to-do. Women in that social strata had their favorite dressmakers, many of whom we recognize as early couturiers. In the 1800s, Englishman Charles Frederick Worth establish the House of Worth in Paris, and just after the turn of the century, others followed him.”
“Could these be House of Worth designs?”
“Possibly, but I saw a notation, and my guess is that some might be from Callot Soeurs. The four Callot sisters opened their atelier in 1895 in Paris. They exhibited at the World’s Fair in 1900 and developed an international clientele. Besides France, they also had showrooms in London and Buenos Aires. Shortly thereafter in the early 1900s came Madeleine Vionnet, who had been the head of the workroom for the Callot sisters, along with Jeanne Lanvin, Paul Poiret, and Coco Chanel with their ateliers.”
A flutter of recognition filled Ivy. “As Shelly was trying on the dress today, my mother saw a label in the wedding gown. I’ll have to check again, but I believe she said it read Callot Soeurs. We didn’t recognize that name.”
“That’s interesting.” Megan flipped a couple of pages. “The wedding gown has a notation of Callot. Another dress is marked Vionnet. Other notes are descriptions of the style and where she wore the garment. It’s quite interesting. Many fashionable women in Europe shopped in Paris, so it’s possible that her family did, too.”
“Then Shelly will be wearing an authentic couture gown,” Ivy said. Her sister would like that.
“If you saw a label, then it’s probably the real deal. On other pages, those couturiers might have been referenced because the garments were copies of those designs. Without the clothing, we just don’t know. I’ll consult a fashion historian to see what I can learn. And if I were you, I’d poke around more. Maybe you can find other clothing.”
“We sure will.” Ivy was glad she hadn’t altered the gown. “Shelly is going to wear it for her ceremony.”
“That will be very special.” Megan turned to the last page. “Sadly, the black dress was part of a mourning outfit for her husband. Presumably Josef.”
“Oh, that poor woman,” Ivy said. “Twice widowed.” And then, her gaze fell on a translated line from the last page of Amelia’s book. Life is a risk worth taking.
Megan closed the folder. “You can read the rest of this at your leisure.”
“Thank you for doing this,” Ivy said. Amelia’s last line stayed in her mind. She walked Megan to the front door and wished her a wonderful trip. They promised each other they would meet for lunch again when Megan returned.
Ivy could hardly wait to share the history of the dress and the swatch book with Shelly. But first, she had to visit Darla. As she started across the connecting lawn to her neighbor’s home, she hoped she would find her in good spirits. With Darla, she never knew.
21
Ivy knocked on Darla’s door and called out. “Darla, are you in? I have good news.” She needed to deliver this invitation in person.
The door swung open, and Darla flung her arms around Ivy. “Have you heard the news? Well, of course you have. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? My baby’s getting married.”
Ivy had to laugh. She wondered if Mitch knew Darla called him that.
The other woman’s cheeks colored. “He’s not my actual baby, of course, but I like to think of him that way. This is so exciting,” she said, clasping her hands. “It feels like my son is getting married.”
“I’m glad he called,” Ivy said. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t forgotten. We’ll seat you at the front as family.”
A look of awe and appreciation filled Darla’s face, and her eyes glazed with happy tears. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course,” Ivy said, putting a hand over Darla’s. In the unlikeliest of pairings, Mitch and Darla were the family member the other one lacked.
“Would you help me pick out a dress?” Darla’s bright eyes glanced toward the hallway to the bedrooms. “I know I’ve never told you, but you always look nice, even if you are a bit pudgy around the middle. So if you can manage to look good, then maybe you can help me, too.”
That was the strangest compliment—if it was one, that is—Ivy had ever heard. But today was Shelly’s wedding day, and Ivy couldn’t be bothered to take issue with an awkward comment.