Heirloom Christening Gowns

What makes a christening gown a heirloom christening gown? Perhaps defining the word "heirloom" can help our understanding.

The word "heir" is defined as "a person who is legally entitled to property upon another person's death" or "a person inheriting and continuing the legacy of a predecessor."

In the distant past the word "loom" meant a "tool." "Loom" also is defined as "a hand-operated or power-driven apparatus for weaving fabrics."

These two words combined form the word "heirloom," which is defined as "a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations."

Besides christening gowns, some other examples of what families may consider a "heirloom" or of "heirloom quality" would have been Uncle Bob's handcrafted fly rod that he always used to catch the biggest fish with; or that old photo in an oak frame of grandma looking just as full of life at age three as she did at 83; or the oak bed that is so small it's hard to believe grandma and grandpa could actual fit on it together.

Unfortunately, many of the products that are manufactured today are almost purposely made to become disposable and end up being thrown out because of their lack of quality. For example, Ikea furniture looks nice when we buy it, but with time it begins to fall apart and it's not something that will be passed on to your grandkids. In other words it's not viewed as "heirloom quality." It will most likely end up being taken to the dumps in the back of a pick-up truck.

So what makes a christening gown a heirloom christening gown? There seems to be two things that makes a christening gown a heirloom. The two things are:

The sentimental value family members place on the gown.
The actual physical qualities of the gown, such as the fabric that was used to make the gown and how it was made.

The example of uncle's Bob's handcrafted fly rod that always caught big fish has both of these qualities, the sentimental memory of Uncle Bob catching big fish and that it was handcrafted.

Christening gowns are no different. The sentiment of knowing your great grandmother, grandma, and mother were christened in the gown your daughter will be christened in adds a lot of value to a gown. That value that is placed on a family christening gown may even be greater if the gown has embroidery or the lace was all handmade and hand sewn by a professional seamstress.

If you are looking to purchase a heirloom christening gown, start by looking for something that was made with quality fabric (such as silk dupioni). Often times a gown that is "handmade" is a gown that was not just made in a day, but time was taken to carefully sew it. If you'll look for these characteristics in a christening gown you are more likely to purchase a gown that will last a long time. Then with time, as your children and your grandchildren are christened in this gown it will grow in sentimental value and then really become a heirloom christening gown for your family and posterity.

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Heirloom Christening Gowns