Why is a christening gown long

Bibliography Credits. Women's Wear. Men's Wear. Children's Wear. During early baptism around AD , babies were wrapped in plain swaddling bands. Swaddling bands were more restrictive than the muslins we swaddle newborns in today.

From the time of Jesus, swaddling bands were tied around the right hands of a couple getting married during their wedding ceremony. The same bands were then used to swaddle a baby born to that couple for their baptism. The swaddling bands used for marriages and baptisms had evolved to include elaborate, symbolic embroidery. In the 17th century, infants were required to be fully immersed in water for baptism. As such, a new style of christening gown emerged in order that a baby could be unclothed and redressed quickly in often very cold churches!

By the 18th century, full immersion had been stopped and swaddling was called into question for health reasons. At that time, gowns were usually silk or satin and babies would wear petticoats underneath. When the 20th century arrived, white linen or cotton gowns grew in popularity, often covered in broderie anglaise lace and floral embroidery.

The design and materials have longevity at the core, designed to last and be passed down through the generations, as family heirlooms.

Simple, romantic silhouettes with long skirts to drape gracefully over your arm as you carry your baby, and Intricate rose embroidery and smocking on the chest, create a classic contemporary ceremony gown. Choose from a range of designs including traditional heirloom length gowns, lace christening dresses and shorter layettes that are perfect for newborn christenings. Made with a selection of the finest silks, premium cottons and intricate laces.

Each design is hand made with the finest attention to detail and adorned with complementary laces, hand-crafted flowers, floral appliques and silk ribbons. Our Baby Girl Christening Dresses are true heirlooms that will be kept in your family for years to come. Boys Outfits Designs for your little man that are just as handsome as he is! Shop Now. There are a number of things to consider when choosing between a christening gown or dress and what material is used.

We want a content baby when we need them to be calm and quiet in church for an hour or more. The fact is that babies poo and wee a lot. The christening gown my children wore had a big split up the back which made nappy changes way easier as it was easier to pull the gown up. A good thing to double check beforehand. Our son was baptised in February which is the middle of Summer in Australia. The forecast for his christening day was HOT!

However, it was decided to keep the service at the church. As soon as the actual baptism part of the service was over we removed his christening gown so that he was cooler and happier. So, take into account the time of year that the baptism day is scheduled for — middle of Summer or not. And if the church has airconditioning or not.

If the baptism is scheduled for winter it is easier to rug them up with extra layers underneath their christening gown and wrap them in a white blanket.

For our next two children we dressed them in normal clothes for the car ride and took the christening gown with separately. We made sure we got to church early so we could put the christening gown on them when we arrived. In some families it may be expected by the grandparents or other family members that your child will wear a christening gown that will be handed down to them.

I want to support and encourage you to know that this is your child you are bringing for baptism. You are the ones that will be standing at the front of the church and stating your faith on behalf of your child and your intention to raise your child with faith in God. Your choices matter. You should have a say in what your child wears for baptism. A christening blanket is a beautiful addition to the christening gown especially if your child is being baptised in the cooler months and will need something extra to keep them warm.

Christening blankets are usually white in colour and are traditionally knitted or crocheted. They can be made from cotton, wool, cashmere and have satin ribbon or lace detail around the edge. However, any white blanket will be fine. Being a first time mum my head was still working out feeds and trying to get enough sleep to function properly. I think it really comes down to whether your baby needs somethings on their feet to keep them warm or not.

My son had bare feet for his baptism as it was a hot day. My 2 girls were baptised in Spring and they both wore white socks. You can get cute white socks with lace at the top to make it a bit more special. If your child is wearing a dress that is shorter and you can see their feet then some cute booties are a great idea.