Woman trying on her grandmother's timeless honeymoon wardrobe from 1952 is winning hearts online

Pennsylvania native Marie D'Allessandro packed a green suitcase for her honeymoon in New York City in 1952 and her granddaughter recently got hold of that green suitcase and grandma's honeymoon clothes. Maddy Bill, D'Allessandro's granddaughter, is now going viral on TikTok for wearing the grandma's dresses and they are just as fine 70 years later. Marie D'Allessandro's dress and fashion style has stood the test of time. "I put the clothes on and I was just so taken aback," said Bill, reported Insider. "And our personalities are very similar. She has been like my best friend since I was a little girl." Marie D'Allessandro put away her green suitcase along with her clothes as she wanted to preserve them as her honeymoon was one of her favorite memories. The "fashion capsule" wasn't opened for 70 years until Maddy Bill did earlier this year. She was surprised to find them in fine condition and even more surprised that they fit her like a glove. "I wanted to share it with people. I didn't expect it to go to this extent, but the fact that it did is really cool because I get to share her with everyone," she said. Bill shared videos of her opening the suitcase and also of her wearing the dresses. 

Marie D'Allesandro Donato is 91 but her love story dates back to World War II. She met Anthony James Donato after he returned from World War II. She played hard to get before finally agreeing to go on a date with him. It was her older sister who urged her to give him a chance. The pair got married in the Saint Cosmos Church in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, in 1952 when she was 22 years old and he was 27. The newlywed couple took a train from Philadelphia to New York City to celebrate their honeymoon. D'Allesandro Donato chose some of her favorite dresses to wear for her honeymoon. D'Allessandro had the most amazing honeymoon and wanted to bottle up that feeling. So, she had all her dresses cleaned before tucking them away in the green suitcase where they remained for more than 70 years. "The excitement of the future ahead was what my honeymoon meant to me," she said. "I guess, in a way, I wanted to save that feeling in the suitcase for my daughters and their daughters."

When Maddy Bill was handed the suitcase, she was told that she could wear the clothes during special moments in her life. Inside the suitcase weren't just her grandmother's dresses but also carefully preserved photographs of her during her honeymoon. Bill said it felt like she was transported back in time after seeing the photographs. "It was remarkable because I felt like we were bringing the past to life. Everything is honestly in pretty amazing condition," said Bill, noting that her grandmother always took great care of her dresses and was a fashionista herself. "She would always look pristine," said Bill of her grandmother. "When she was young she took so much pride in the pieces she wore and it’s something I hope I can emulate."

She tried the black dress and it fit her to the tee. It was the dress her grandmother wore out to dinner during the honeymoon. She had seen the pictures of her grandmother but wearing it felt surreal. "I can't even describe the feeling of putting it on for the first time and having it fit perfectly," she said, adding that it was her favorite of the lot. D'Allesandro Donato saw her granddaughter wearing the dress and said it brought back memories of her honeymoon.

"I wish I was young again and could do it all over," she said. "I was so happy to be where I was in my life and for the future that was ahead with my honey," she said. Bill also tried on the other dresses and shared them on TikTok where they went viral. TikTok users lavished praise on D'Allesandro Donato and hailed her as a fashion icon. While Bill wore the dresses for her TikTok, she maintains that she'll only don them for special occasions.