Priscilla Kidder
Female Founder of Priscilla of Boston _TM
This page is for appreciation of the designer and educational purposes only- 

History of Priscilla of Boston_TM

The Luci Baines Johnson and Pat Nugent Wedding Party consisted of 10 bridesmaids, 12 ushers, matron of honor, flower girl and ring bearer. All created by Priscilla of Boston 1966

1974

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Priscilla Comins was born in Massachusetts in 1918, at the height of World War I. After finishing her education at the New England School of Design, she began her first a job at R.H. White's department store as a wedding dress model.  Eventually she was promoted to an assistant buyer in the R.H. White's Boston bridal department.  Bridal gowns became her passion.

During World War II, she met and married handsome James Norton Kidder, a decorated pilot in the Army Air Corps. James Kidder had received a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard in 1937, and encouraged his wife to open her first bridal shop in 1945.  Her solo venture, called "The Brides Shop," was located on Boston’s exclusive Newbury Street.  The timing of the end of World War II and the post war demand for wedding gowns enabled Priscilla Kidder to prosper.  But it was her taste and sophistication that allowed her to excel as an American designer.

From the early onset, Priscilla's designs were elegant and Worldly.  She began to design gowns that were European couture inspired, cut from untraditional ideas and out of the box thinking without losing the important component of All-American wasp upper crust formality so prevalent in the romance of old Boston.

 In 1956, Priscilla was chosen to custom design the bridesmaids' gowns for Grace Kelly's fairytale wedding to Prince Rainier.  She was also responsible for the A-line shift and Watteau court train of French Alencon and English net worn by Luci Baines Johnson for her wedding in 1966 (shown at left and below.)  She also custom designed Julie Nixon's bridal gown in 1968 and played a part in Tricia Nixon's gown in 1971.

Each Priscilla gown design heavily influenced prevailing wedding fashions.  When President Lyndon Baines Johnson's 19 year old daughter, Lucy, chose a Watteau for her 1966 wedding, the style quickly became a trend that lasted into the 1970's.

Priscilla was the first  of a few wedding gown designers (Maurer, Christos) to hand clip and place French and Belgian laces as a design element, often preferring them pieced apart rather than whole.  Over the years the usage of imported clipped lace over English net became her signature.  The work was time consuming and hands on, earning her a comparison to couture Dior by one journalist.

Above: Priscilla Kidder carries the Watteau Court train of Luci Baines Johnson up the steps of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C as Lucy walks arm in arm with her Father, American President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

photo courtesy: Life Magazine

Priscilla of Boston Gown 1966

this and other photos courtesy: Life Magazine

At Left: With LBJ standing by and Lady Bird helpfully extending a plate, Luci Baines Johnson cuts the 13-tier, 300 pound, swan adorned wedding cake at her White House wedding.  Her Bridesmaids wore pink gowns and veils!

Her wedding gown is sheer English net over white taffeta.  It was very likely lined in heavy muslin and the English net floated as a top layer.  The net was pieced with hand clipped French Alencon placed extensively in a repeating pattern, a specialty of Priscilla Kidder.  The extensive hand work is one of the reasons that her gowns still appear as beautiful today as the day they were created.