A 27-year-old woman named Maddy Bill is wowing the internet by modelling her grandmother’s vintage honeymoon outfits that she discovered inside a suitcase that has not been opened since 1952.
Footage of Maddy modelling the stylish 1950s outfits alongside pictures of her grandmother wearing the same outfits 70 years ago went viral on social media platform TikTok, with one video clip amassing more than six million views.
Maddy’s 91-year-old grandmother Marie D’Allesandro Donato married her husband Anthony in the early 1950s, with the newlyweds choosing to honeymoon in New York.
After the honeymoon, Marie washed all of her vacation outfits and placed them back into the suitcase to preserve the clothes and hand them down to her daughter – who is Maddy’s mother.
However, Maddy’s mother decided not to open the suitcase and chose to save that special moment for a time when she could open it alongside her own daughter, Maddy.
“It was remarkable because I felt like we were bringing the past to life. Everything is honestly in pretty amazing condition.”
The first outfit that Maddy decided to try on was a back, button-down dress that her grandmother wore 70 years ago while out at dinner on her honeymoon.
“I always remember seeing the photograph of my grandmother in the dress growing up, but I never saw the physical dress,” revealed Maddy.
“I can’t even describe the feeling of putting it on for the first time and having it fit perfectly.”
According to Maddy, her grandmother “did not grow up with a lot of money”, but she and her siblings did take a lot of pride in their appearance.
Some of the other items of clothing that were found in the suitcase included a light-pink sundress, a silky button-down shirt, and a striped turtleneck.
Maddy also modelled some of her grandmother’s jewellery and accessories, which included earrings, a watch, bracelets, and a polka dot bandanna.
Upon seeing Maddy modelling her honeymoon outfits, feelings of nostalgia came flooding back to 91-year-old Marie.
“I wish I was young again and could do it all over,” said Marie.
“Seeing the dress fit her as perfectly as it fit me was like jumping back in time.”
After modelling the outfits and sharing her amazing experience with the world, Maddy decided to pack the clothes up and put them back into the suitcase, so that she can one day share the same experience with her own daughter.
