In a video that has since gone viral, a woman from Pennsylvania opens a 1950s suitcase containing her grandmother’s vintage clothing.
A video by Maddy Bill, a TikTok user from Ambler, Pennsylvania, went viral after her third upload. A green suitcase full of her grandmother’s honeymoon clothes, dating back to 1952, piqued the interest of more than 6.6 million people.
The 27-year-old took it upon herself to model and display some of the pieces, and thus, a little series was born out of it.
More info: TikTok
Image credits: maddy_bill
Marie D’Alessandro Donato, her maternal grandmother, brought all of these items to New York City more than 70 years ago. Shortly after he returned from World War II, she and her late husband, Anthony James Donato, met. Marie told Insider that she had been playing hard to get for a year before she finally agreed to go on a date with Anthony after her older sister encouraged her to do so.
Image credits: maddy_bill
Marie was 22 and Anthony was 27 when they wed in 1952. They spent their honeymoon in New York City in May of that year. Marie, now 91 years old, told her granddaughter that it rained throughout their trip. That’s what Maddy described her pop-pop as saying to her: “I did not care since I was with my honey.” “That was what she called my pop pop.”
Image credits: maddy_bill
As she continued to describe Marie’s time with him, she said, “She had a wonderful time just being with him and really just taking it all in—that there was this time in their life where they could start a family and all these things she had always dreamed of.” Because their honeymoon was so important to her, she wanted to keep a physical record of it.
Image credits: maddy_bill
She washed and hung up all of her clothes and accessories, as well as a few photos of the two of them together, in a time capsule-like manner. Marie explained that her honeymoon was all about the anticipation of what was to come. My daughters and their daughters’ daughters will have a better understanding of how I felt because I put it in a suitcase.
Image credits: maddy_bill
As a result, Maddy received the suitcase from her mother, who hadn’t opened it. As a result, they decided to work together to open it. “When my mom and I opened it up, it was like all the photographs I saw of my grandma growing up came to life,” Maddy said.
Image credits: maddy_bill
When we were able to bring the past to life, it was remarkable. She was so moved by what it represented and the amount of beautiful history it contained that she decided to blast us all into the past in the series we’re exploring today.
This suitcase has been a part of my life since I was a child. When my mom was a little older, she found it, told me about it, and then saved it for my sister and me when we were old enough, “Maddy explained to GMA (GMA).
Image credits: maddy_bill
Since my grandfather passed away 21 years ago and I had no idea how long he had been alive, this brought back so many wonderful memories for me. “I opened it and I was just like, ‘This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen because it just brought back everything to me,” says the woman who received the gift.
Image credits: maddy_bill
Maddy developed a close relationship with her grandparents as they took care of her while her parents were at work. Trying on Marie’s clothes decades later was a special experience for her because she described Marie as “very nurturing, loving, and caring.”
During Maddy’s childhood, her grandmother always wore a cute outfit with stockings and red lipstick. She remarked, “She’d always be spotless.”
Image credits: maddy_bill
She went on to say that being fashionable was a value instilled in her grandmother by her older sister. “They didn’t have a lot of money, but they took a lot of pride in the things they wore,” Maddy said.
Maddy was overjoyed when she discovered that the honeymoon attire fit her “like a glove.” Despite being more than 70 years old, all of the items were in excellent condition and of high quality. It’s still springy because there’s elastic on some of the pieces, Maddy laughed.
Image credits: maddy_bill
A black button-up dress with a cinched waist and short sleeves was the first thing she tried on for TikTok. For some reason, that photograph of her from the New Yorker — wearing a black dress — has always fascinated Maddy, so she asked her mother about it.
When Maddy put this dress on for the first time, “I couldn’t even describe the sensation of it fitting perfectly,” she said.
When Marie saw her granddaughter in it, she said she felt like she was back on her honeymoon. She said, “I wish I could go back in time and do it all over again.” Like time-traveling, seeing the dress fit her so perfectly was like reliving the past.
Image credits: maddy_bill
Maddy then displayed an outfit worn by her grandmother on the train from Philadelphia to New York, which included a striped top and a gray jacket and skirt. Following suit were blouses, sweaters, dresses, and a slew of other accessories.
Marie, who doesn’t use social media, is well aware that she’s gaining notoriety due to her online persona. Maddy said that people around the world are watching her and admiring her fashion sense.
The virality of this video was my way of showcasing her style and beauty to the world. ” even better than losing the Conshohocken High School “Best Dressed” contest by a single vote.
Image credits: maddy_bill
In addition to the dresses, Maddy has a few blouses from her grandmother’s closet that she’s worn out to dinner with both her boyfriend and a close friend. “It’s cool that it’s just a part of her that I’m bringing into the present day, and it does make me feel closer to her,” Maddy said.
Image credits: maddy_bill
There will be no end to this tradition for Maddy. This is something I’m definitely going to keep for someone else. Possibly for my future child or a special person in my life who is younger than me, because, you know, I don’t want it to just be a current piece that is being worn, I want it to be savored for someone in the future, as my grandmother did for me.
Image credits: maddy_bill
It was something Maddy aspired to be like after seeing how proud her grandmother was of the way she carried herself. I’m glad I had the opportunity to share my grandmother’s fashion sense and shine a light on a truly deserving woman.
In the meantime, we’ll be keeping an eye out for Maddy and her upcoming endeavors.
Image credits: maddy_bill
You can watch the video that started it all here
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Do you have a collection of things that have been passed down to you? Is there anything that you own that reminds you of your grandparents? Have a wonderful day!
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