Must be in the genes! Vintage dresses are PERFECT fit for girl, 16, after ‘treasure trove’ of clothes once worn by her father’s late aunt and dating back more than 70 years are found in an attic
- Isabelle Burch has a new wardrobe after her parents found the vintage dresses
- Teenager says wearing the clothes makes her feel connected to her great aunt
- The schoolgirl resembles her aunt, who tragically died in a car accident in 1986
- Some of the dresses, shorts and blouses date back to the 1940s and 1950s
A ‘treasure chest’ of vintage clothes which laid undiscovered for years has had new life breathed into them – as their owner’s great niece fits into the dresses perfectly.
Isabelle Burch, 16, has been wearing her late great aunt Margaret’s dresses, blouses and shorts, some of which date back more than 70 years, since her parents discovered them.
High school student Isabelle said: ‘It’s so special to me that I get the opportunity to feel like my great aunt Margaret is living through me in a way.
‘Although I never got to meet her, by seeing her clothing I am able to better understand her life and legacy.’
‘Living through me’: Isabelle Burch, 16, said it is special that she is able to wear her great aunt Margaret’s clothes
Isabelle’s parents, Angela Boyd Burch and Edward Burch, were clearing out a family property in their home town of Eastman, Georgia in the United States when they came across several boxes stored in a corner of the attic.
The items perfectly fit the couple’s daughter who bears a striking resemblance to her father’s aunt, Margaret Burch Harton, who died in a car accident in 1986 aged 73.
Retired teacher Angela said: ‘I knew I had stumbled on to something special. It’s a real treasure chest.
‘Like stepping back in time’: The retro clothes fit Isabelle beautifully and she gets lots of compliments when wearing them
‘I was completely in awe and so excited. I knew I was holding history in my hands.
‘When I started opening all of the boxes it was like stepping back in time.’
Mrs Burch, 52, then asked her daughter Isabelle to try them on.
‘I just had a feeling that if I could get her into these clothes she would see the potential that I saw,’ she said.
The high school student bears a striking resemblance to her late great aunt and fits into many of her clothes perfectly
‘When she put on the yellow and orange dress, I could see her eyes light up – she kept the dress.
‘After seeing her dad’s reaction to her in one of the vintage lace dresses I managed to restore, I knew seeing her in these items was special to him.
‘It was like bringing a part of his aunt back for him.’
Mr Burch, 61, a technician, described seeing his daughter in the vintage clothes as ‘truly a living heritage’ which extended beyond memories of his late relative.
He said: ‘Even though a majority of these clothes belonged to my aunt, I look at our daughter in them and feel like I get a glimpse of what my mother would have looked like when she was young.
‘I know that all three women – my mother, my aunt, and my sister – would be happy to see her modelling all of these clothes.’
Since the discovery, Mrs Burch has joined a vintage finds group on Facebook, posting photographs of Isabelle in the clothing which have gained more than 20,000 likes.
Isabelle said the items have attracted attention when she wore them outside the house: ‘Every time I wear them I always get tons of compliments because they are definitely unique pieces that not everyone has.
‘Living heritage’: The discovered pieces are in beautiful condition despite some dating back to the 40s and 50s
‘For me, the dresses really give me a glimpse into a completely different time in the world.
‘Just by seeing and wearing the articles of clothing from the 40s and 50s, I feel like I’ve been transported into that time which is very special to me.’
A vintage revival has hit both sides of the Atlantic, with the rising cost of living and retro clothing trends on social media potential factors encouraging consumers to turn to second-hand shops and dig out old clothes.
Last year, a 27-year-old American woman who discovered a suitcase of outfits worn by her grandmother in the 1950s went viral with videos of her trying on the neatly-fitting vintage looks on TikTok.
Two British mums took the internet by storm earlier this year as they traded in their high street clothes for 1940s and 1950s garments.
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