Pantaloons, slip, hoop skirt, dress, gloves, curls, parasol, ribbons, bows, fan and sugar…a beautiful garden and a handsome gentleman = ingredients for an Antebellum Belle’s dream afternoon!
Lori Harris Photography
Cultural traditions have remained threaded through various events that feature Antebellum Belle “lifestyle” and “fashion.” In Wilmington, North Carolina, there are the Azalea Belles. (http://www.capefeargardenclub.org/azalea-garden-tour/azalea-belles-policies/) High School girls apply to be selected to represent and adorn Antebellum attire designed locally for the various annual events and activities surrounding the Cape Fear Garden Club’s Azalea Garden Tour and the North Carolina Azalea Festival. (http://www.ncazaleafestival.org/)
Lori Harris Photography
The tradition and history of a Garden Party goes back to the 1700’s. There is a relaxed and gentle feeling, more of an aura, to a garden party. Whether a small backyard garden or the impeccable gardens like Longwood Gardens (http://www.longwoodgardens.org/TheStoryofLongwood_1_3_2_1_1.html), Airlie Gardens (http://airliegardens.org/) or Greenfield Lake Park (Home of the Dr. Heber W. Johnson Rotary Garden – Home of the World’s Largest Rotary Wheel, https://www.facebook.com/RotaryWheel). The gardens are hostess to people longing to socialize and fellowship with others amongst the natural and engineered beauty and landscapes within.
In Wilmington, North Carolina, the Antebellum style threads through its rich and abundant historical architecture, culture and gardens.
Lori Harris Photography
These photos were all taken by Stuart Benson at the Dr. Heber W. Johnson Rotary Garden.
(Dress Designer: Alma Fennel, Drapery World, Wilmington, NC)
Lori Harris Photography 