Cream Tea - Caroline Parkes Couture

This is exactly the sort of vintage wedding dress I love finding. Beautiful fabric, proper construction, an interesting British designer – and a design which feels every bit as wearable now as it did in the 1990s.

Cream Tea is an original Caroline Parkes couture two-piece, made from the most beautiful ivory 100% silk slipper satin.

The skirt is wonderfully simple: a classic A-line cut which allows the silk to do all the work, falling smoothly from the waist and finishing in a neat short train. No fuss, no unnecessary embellishment – just that fabulous lustre you only get from real silk satin.

Then the corset.

Made in matching silk, the highly structured top has a wonderfully clean neckline and is almost completely covered with tiny flat square ivory paillette sequins. Look at them straight on and they're remarkably subtle; move them into the light and some catch with the softest flashes of pink, blue and green. It's much more sophisticated than conventional bridal sparkle and very, very upmarket 90s.

The corset zips up and then has covered buttons with loops - proper rolled ones, not elastic ones!

I particularly love the contrast between the extravagant amount of detail on the corset and the absolute simplicity of the skirt.

Caroline Parkes was a British couture bridal designer working in London, known for elegant bridalwear and beautiful fabrics. Her gowns don't appear very often now, which makes finding an original two-piece like this particularly special.

It's also in immaculate condition bar a couple of tiny marks at the end of the train – quite remarkable for a silk bridal outfit that's around 30 years old. Back in the 90s, Caroline Parkes Couture dresses sold for between £2,000 and £4,000.

Wear the two pieces together exactly as intended, or there's enormous potential to style that extraordinary corset separately.

Proper British vintage bridal. Proper silk. And absolutely no need to improve upon it.

Available to try on in the Aberdeen salon or buy online with worldwide shipping.