VINTAGE/WILLIAM CAHILL OF CALIFORNIA wedding dress 1960's excellent condition

Cahill LTD was a Beverly Hills-based specialty bridal label created by William S. Cahill and his brother John T. Cahill. The company was launched in 1946 with William acting as designer and John filling the role of general manager. Prior to a stint in the Air Force during World War Two, William Cahill studied architecture at the University of California. However, his career goals took a sharp turn when a chance incident caused him to shift his gift for design towards textiles. In 1945 William’s sister tapped his talents in order to manifest her own ideal wedding dress. By some accounts she was unable to obtain a desirable bridal ensemble due to war-era restrictions and shortages. Other period sources stated that she couldn’t find a dress she liked, and still others suggested that she wanted a gown fashioned from family heirloom lace. Regardless of her motivations, she made a wise decision in enlisting the help of her brother. William sketched her dream dress and worked with a seamstress to engineer a gown that was remarkable enough to catch the eye of a wedding guest who happened to be a buyer for Bullocks Wilshire department store. Local shops began to stock William’s frocks and within a few years Cahill LTD became the foremost American bridal label of the mid-20th century. In the 1950s and 1960s most Cahill gowns typically ranged in price from $70 to $1000. These are substantial sums when adjusted for inflation. #williamcahill