Antique of the Week: Vintage First Communion Dress with Veil

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community’s points of pride.  Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more.  This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

This week, we are featuring a first communion dress with veil circa 1920 at the Hope Chest. Kate Taylor-Fine, the proprietor at the , said that it is handmade, created from a grandmother’s wedding gown made of alençon lace.

As described by the Pays de la Loire’s visitor’s website alençon lace originated in Lower Normandy at Alençon, France.  In 1665, Louis XIV wanted to improve the quality of lace made in France to prevent members of the court from buying Italian and Flemish lace. He brought Venetian lace makers to teach the Alençon, who were already skilled in making lace, how to create their lace. Over the years, the Alençon originated the mesh-backing and intricate stitching that is now known as alençon lace.

The alençon lace communion dress with veil is available at The Hope Chest for $85.