“Going away outfits”

I got married in 1972.I had a navy dress and coat with bright yellow lapels and trim which I bought in central London.. My cousin got married exactly a month before us and when she returned from changing into her going away outfit she was wearing the same dress and coat except with lemon trim. She had bought hers in Suffolk. She then wore hers to our wedding a month later(she knew they were the same). It didn't bother me but my Mum was furious.

Married October 1967 and had a dark blue suit with fox fur collar as going away outfit, I had brown suede accessories. We were married at 11am and by mid afternoon we were on our way to the Lakes in the Ford Anglia. No photographs of me leaving but I notice when my sister married the following year she had loads of coloured photos of her lime green dress and coat.

Second time of trying! April 1972, I was 26. Navy blue trousers, matching check smock top, white polo neck sweater and bright red shoes. From Dorothy Perkins or some such similar shop. Hadn't booked anywhere for our honeymoon, just got into the car and drove west, finished up in Minehead for the first couple of nights.

Denim long waistcoat and trousers with a tunic top I made. It was purple with a design of swirly red flowers and very wide flared sleeves.

We got a sleeper train to London then joined our package tour to Austria. I was 18 & 3/4.

A cold Spring 1970
There are no pics, but a navy dress ( sleeveless) with matching coat, red heeled shoes and matching bag with navy leather ‘keyhole* gloves.?

We had a lovely, simple, relaxed wedding in a tiny church and my going-away outfit was fairly casual. I had a purple pleated mini-skirt and a purple jumper with dusky pink hearts knitted into the design. Over this I had a dusky pink corduroy jacket and my shoes were pink suede. I still think it was a lovely outfit and I have the jumper somewhere, I wore it on our anniversary a few years ago... admittedly a tad tight but still nice! It was autumn 1971 and beautiful weather, I can still remember the warmth of the sun on my face while our photographs were being taken.

Mine was a kingfisher blue trouser suit. Just as well as we only had a motorbike to go on.

Our golden wedding in a couple of days time. Registry office and going away outfit turquoise dress and matching coat. The day, like today, was really really hot. How I wished I could ditch that coat.
A week in the costa brava for our Honeymoon. Husband took a 3 piece suit with shirts and ties for the evenings. Feel hot thinking about it....not that sort of hot. Smile!

No photos as far as I know which is a shame. I had a very short, long sleeved back velvet shift dress with diamanté button trim. I’ve still got three of the buttons, goodness knows what happened to the dress. My coat was a sort of purple/red with a fur trimmed hood. I was certainly warmer than I had been in my wedding dress, it was a snowy day. I can’t recall what I had on my feet - maybe wellies .

I meant to say the going away dress cost more than my wedding dress as my mother made that with material from John Lewis.

My going away outfit was an ordinary summer dress - I can't remember what shop it came from, probably one of the many small boutiques there used to be back then - not all chains like now. I do have a picture of it from holidays when I wore it over the next couple of years. I was 19.

I had a green and beige Jaeger two piece and wore it with a very dark green velvet jacket. I "went away" from the evening reception at midnight on a coach to London to catch a flight to Italy. What a way to spend your wedding night.

A black trouser suit from Dorothy Perkins. It was 1976 and I was nineteen.

I was married in '68 but was a bit of a rebel and still am!

I wore a bright yellow pant suit - this is me and my sister laughing at the sight of the "going away car" covered in writing with tins trailing behind it.

A mid blue trouser suit with a semi sheer printed blouse in a shade darker ,nude platform sandals and a floppy hat .1975 44 years ago last Sunday

Just looking at a photo on TV of the Queen shaking hands with Boris Johnson. She is wearing a dress in the exact colours of my suit in my Kew Gardens photo.

We went to London for a couple of days the next morning. I wouldn’t have a clue what I wore except there is a photo of me at Kew. I’m wearing a suit that I remember as turquoise and blue very light loose-weave wool. It wasn’t new. That was September 1968.

My hair was much curlier then. I wonder why? A different cut, I suppose.

I wore a cream dress and jacket that I had bought the year before for a family wedding. This was in 1959 and the outfit lasted a good few years at friends' weddings. No hat.

I wore a sky blue boucle suit with slightly flared skirt. It came to a few inches above my knees, which my father described as 'a bit mini'. I wore my late grandmother's brooch on a lapel, and my shoes were pearlised leather sling backs with matching bag.
I have a photo in the loft but CBA to climb up to find it.

Congratulations*septima*.

It was a time of change when I got married in 1970! As a 21 year old I still did as I was told - home at 11pm for example! -but wore all the fashions of the time. My friends were the same and it wouldn't have occurred to any of us to not follow tradition.

Weird looking back.

Maw your outfit is lovely and you looked so happy. What a joy!

I got married in my going away outfit!! Red dress and coat and white maribou hat.

50years ago a pale pink silk tunic dress with a very large hat. Wore it again various times with modifications as many friends got married and it wasn't required to have anew outfit each time someone got married in the dark ages.

My mum and my aunt 'helped' me shop for my outfit, so it wasn't anything like what I would have chosen for myself. They chose a small, dogtooth (I think) checked pink and off-white dress, with a waist, full pleated skirt and short sleeves. It was OK and I did wear it quite a bit afterwards. At least I got to choose the crochet cardigan and high-heeled navy blue shoes to go with it. Wore it 44 years ago on Friday!

&Alima*, not posh just the custom and much cheaper than a night do as well as a wedding.

My going away outfit came in really handy for lots of other wedding around the same time. My friends all did the same!