Trousseau

The trousseau is the collection of clothes, linens, and other personal possessions that a bride brings to her marriage or to a new household. Traditionally, the trousseau includes a bridal wardrobe, undergarments, nightwear, and a range of household linens, bedding, cookware, and sometimes jewelry and scented items. The practice is associated with preparing a separate set of belongings to establish a new home.

The word comes from French, where trousseau refers to a bundle or load, and it entered English with the sense of a bride’s accumulated possessions. Historically, brides began collecting items in advance, often over many months or years; in aristocratic and rural settings the trousseau could reflect status through fine textiles, embroidery, and imported fabrics.

Today the term persists mainly in historical, literary, or cultural contexts. Some regions still observe variations of the tradition, while in many modern marriages the idea is replaced by a combined household inventory or adaptive wardrobes. In English usage, the phrase is most often seen in discussions of traditional weddings or bridal fashion rather than as a formal, nationwide practice.