Thelma Madine starred in the hit British TV series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker is her personal account of her interactions with the gypsy and traveller communities as their preferred designer for the distinctive dresses they commission for their weddings, christenings and first communions.
I’m liking
Madine understands that most people who buy her book will do so because they are interested in her involvement with the gypsy and traveller communities rather than her life story per se. Therefore, she keeps the autobiographical nature of her book to a minimum. We learn about her time in jail, and the events that lead up to her becoming the gypsy dressmaker, but she doesn’t bore us with more mundane details of her life.
Many of the chapters are accounts of the unusual dress requests of particular clients. Over time the dresses requested by traveller brides have become increasingly outlandish as each bride attempts to outdo the last. New Zealand wedding fashion has been dominated by the classic (and arguably quite boring) white strapless wedding gown for years now so it’s hard not to be fascinated by the bride who wanted to be a palm tree, and her sister, the bridesmaid, who wanted to be a pineapple. Even more still by the bride who commissioned a “swan pumpkin” dress.
Madine’s book is easy to read and the prose flows pretty well for a non-writer. It’s hard not to admire her. She clearly works extremely hard, producing dresses that are not only visually spectacular but also feats of engineering. Her clients and their families pose unique challenges too, including their hard bargaining style and secretiveness about important information like wedding dates.
Things that made me go hmmmm
Tales of a Gyspy Dressmaker gives settled people a window into a completely different culture and community that is rarely on show to outsiders. However, some people (including Romany Gypsies in particular) have expressed concern that the book (and the TV series before it) have painted gypsies and travellers in a bad light and have only served to reinforce stereotypes against them.
I’m not sure that that criticism is fair. Certainly, aspects of Madine’s account aren’t flattering to gypsies and travellers, but her affection for them is clear. And while she doesn’t claim to be a spokesperson for them, she makes efforts to explain various aspects of their culture that settled people might find controversial and emphasises their strengths, including their strong sense of community.
The conclusion
Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker will be of interest to anyone who was fascinated by Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.
