Preparing to christen your baby is reflective of a history that goes back centuries. The baptism signifies adoption into the church and up to the Middle Ages, most of the baptisms were carried out with the participants not wearing any clothing.

Later, and possibly due to modesty, the custom of not wearing clothing began to change. Wearing clothing became the normal practice, with participants either wearing their underclothing during the service or as is practiced today, wearing white baptismal robes. The baptismal clothing is white to signify purity of character and morals, or to signify that the person being baptised, as suggested by Michael Pomoazansky in his book, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, is “fresh like the driven manna, an edible substance that according to the Bible and Quran, God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert.” 

In many Protestant religions, the baptism of babies is a normal practice, with the common baptismal clothing a long white gown. Up to the 17th Century this included the babies being tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes and carried to the front in a “bearing cloth trimmed with lace and braid” outlined Sarah McGallan in her article, The Christening Gown, a Quick History.

Designer Era

Since the making of the first christening dress, the objective has been to present the baby in the best light, and today, the dresses have evolved into spectacular demonstrations of elegance and beauty for the families. There are now designer models from almost any designer that one could ever imagine. In fact, one website in Britain has 281 designers listed. The act of being baptised has become a showcase for the baby and the parents, and the competition has reached new heights of elegance and beauty. It is all as much of a “show” as it is about the baptism.

The selling of christening dresses is big business. Do an Internet search and you will find more than 1.1 million hits. Pick just about anyone of the sites for the dresses and you will quickly agree, the elegance is overwhelmingly beautiful as it should be.

As the elegance is over the top, be prepared to have some room on the credit card. Just one beautiful dress from Sarah Louise will only cost about 120 pounds, with some christening dresses now costing more than 900 pounds.

Gone are the days that one goes to Woolworths and picks a gown off the rack. The whole process is somewhat akin to getting your “baby” ready for marriage, where everyone understand the process of selecting and purchasing a wedding dress is as important as the wedding itself.

The selection of a christening dress is also getting as important as the baptism itself. You can now take appointments with your baby, and go through all the process of finding that right and most beautiful dress for your baby. It is all part of the experience as it is about style, and gone are the days, it seems, when heirlooms were passed down.

Baptism is an important time for each family, and one thing has remained constant. The christening dress is adorned to ensure your child is presented in the best light, fresh like the driven manna.