From the Bridal Trousseau to a Contemporary Way of Living

For centuries, the bride’s dowry and trousseau have represented far more than a simple collection of material goods. They embodied a projection into the future, a way of preparing life ahead, of transmitting heritage, and of ensuring domestic and familial security.

As early as the beginning of the 20th century, in Italy and elsewhere, families of future spouses formalized written agreements known as marriage contracts, intended to guarantee “the security of the dowry, the gift, the wife, and the children to be born.” Rooted in ancient Lombard law, these agreements defined and quantified the dowry and the trousseau, which could consist of houses, land, properties, silverware, or money.

Within this tradition, linen held a central place. Sheets, tablecloths, napkins, shirts: linen was chosen for its strength, purity, and ability to endure through time and use. For every young girl, embroidery often began in childhood, regardless of social class. The trousseau was carefully counted, recorded, and stored in wooden chests, usually in sets of twelve or multiples thereof.

A trousseau traditionally comprised two parts: a domestic one and a personal one. In a bourgeois household, the domestic trousseau might include twenty-four hand-embroidered pure linen matrimonial sheets, twenty-four single sheets, thirty-six pairs of pillowcases, twelve linen napkins in Dutch cloth plus six for guests, twelve organza tablecloths plus six for daily use, and so on. The personal trousseau included silk nightwear, linen shirts, shawls, handkerchiefs, and similar items. Linen, and more linen.

Choosing Less, Choosing Better

Today, the family tradition of offering linen to newlyweds still survives. Sheets, napkins, and tablecloths—whether newly made or inherited from an ancestral trousseau passed down through generations—are often gifted to help furnish a new home.

Yet the meaning of this gesture has evolved. In the past, abundance was justified by necessity: laundry was difficult, storage spaces were large, and replacement pieces were essential. Today, lifestyles have changed. Homes are smaller, uses are more precise, and choices more intentional.

The founding idea, however, remains unchanged: to choose wisely, with a view toward time.

Offering household linen is no longer about accumulation, but about selecting pieces capable of accompanying a life, in harmony with contemporary interiors, furniture, and ways of living.

Linen as a Timeless Link

In this continuity, linen retains all of its relevance. A natural, durable, and timeless fiber, it now enters into dialogue with design, architecture, and contemporary furniture. As in the past, it does not seek effect, but rightness. It belongs to a way of living where quality prevails over quantity, where objects are chosen to be kept, repaired, and passed on.

The trousseau has not disappeared; it has simply changed form.It is no longer an inventory, but an intention.

A way of inhabiting the world with respect, awareness, and elegance.