Azalea Trail Maids

Some families dedicate an entire room to storing the dress, which is composed of many parts, including pantaloons, a parasol, a hoop skirt and a sash.

The Dress Hasn't Changed, But The Girls Have

by Lindsey Feingold

Photographer Adair Rutledge returned to Alabama to learn how the Azalea Trail Maids are redefining what it means to be a symbol of the South — while they wear a 50-pound, custom-made antebellum dress.