Tag Archives: mourning

Victorian Mourning

6th March 2017Themes Across Erasarticle, dress, edwardian, mourning, victorianLina

Wearing mourning clothes are an ‘outward token that they loved those they lost.’ (Ladies’ Magazine and Literary Gazette, 1831, p. 117)

In the Victorian and Edwardian era, wearing mourning was a social obligation but it also helped to protect the feelings of the mourners: Every stranger would instantly recognize the mourning dress, know of their loss and wouldn’t hurt their feelings with unnecessary jaunty remarks.

The colors of Victorian mourning are black, white, gray, purple, lavender and scarlet. Black is the color most associated with mourning wear. However, not all extant black dresses are mourning dresses: Continue reading Victorian Mourning →

Mourning In The 1900s And 1910s

29th July 20151900s - Edwardianarticle, dress, edwardian, mourningLina

In 1909, the ‘length of time for wearing mourning has greatly decreased during the past five years, as formerly there was such an exaggeration of this that sometimes the young people in a family were kept in constant black, owing to the death of successive relatives.’ (Household Companion: Book Of Etiquette, 1909) Continue reading Mourning In The 1900s And 1910s →

Mourning In The 1850s

15th March 20151840-60 - Victorianarticle, dress, mourning, victorianLina

In the 1850s, three stages of mourning were worn: Deep mourning, second mourning and half mourning – each stage had its own requirements. Women had to dress accordingly in order not to become a social outcast. Mourning was less strict for working men, whereas young men usually wore mourning as long as women.

Close or deep mourning was worn for the nearest relations: Continue reading Mourning In The 1850s →

Mourning In The 1860s

15th March 20151840-60 - Victorianarticle, dress, mourning, victorianLina

Three stages of mourning were worn in the 1860s: Close or deep mourning for the nearest relations. Second mourning for distant relatives or by those who have previously worn deep mourning. Slight or half-mourning was the third mourning stage before mourners returned to wear ordinary dress. Each stage had its own requirements. It was a social obligation to follow the mourning etiquette in order not to become a social outcast. Continue reading Mourning In The 1860s →

1840s Mourning Dress

8th March 20151840-60 - Victoriandress, finished historical costume, mourning, victorianLina

Here I’m in my 1840s mourning outfit. The dress is black wool fabric with separate bodice and skirt. The bodice is boned and lined with cotton fabric. Skirt and bodice are closed with hooks and eyes. The entire dress is hand sewn.

With the dress I’m wearing a black 1840s bonnet, black leather gloves (for deepest mourning the gloves would be too shiny), and a black veil. The veil should be dull black silk crape (1840s mourning clothing); but as I hadn’t any crape, I’ve used cotton fabric.

Under the dress, I’m wearing a chemise, corset, drawers, stockings, and 4 cotton petticoats.

Here you’ll see an 1860s photograph of a lady with veil over her face. Here’s an 1845 mourning dress, an 1850s mourning dress of dull fabric, and an early 1850s black silk mourning dress. Here’s a lady probably in second stage mourning with shiny gloves, fur muff, and the veil no longer over her face.

More about Mourning:

Victorian mourning
Mourning in the 1840s
Mourning in the 1850s
Mourning in the 1860s
Mourning in the 1900s and 1910s
How to remove stains from mourning clothes in the Victorian era

Mourning In The 1840s

8th March 20151840-60 - Victorianarticle, dress, mourning, victorianLina

‘It shows the best taste to make mourning as plain and as little fanciful as possible’. (The workwoman’s guide, 1840)

Mourning customs were very strict in the 1840s, especially in England. However, wearing mourning wasn’t a ‘punishment’, mourning clothes helped to protect the feelings of the person in mourning. Every stranger they met would recognize their mourning clothes and wouldn’t hurt the feelings of the mourner with unnecessary jaunty remarks.

1840s mourners knew four stages of mourning: They began with a dull black dress, gradually adding more luster and color, and finally wearing a lavender, purple or scarlet dress in the last mourning stage before they returned to wear colors.

Mourning clothes in the 1840s were still dyed with natural dyes. True black was difficult to dye with natural colors – wool and silk is easier to dye than cotton or linen – and it was prone to color bleeding. Mourning dresses could stain the skin and a shower of rain would ruin the mourning veil. Mourning dresses should also not be stored together with white or colored dresses, as they’d stain them. Mourning clothes could be stored separately in divans (The workwoman’s guide, 1840). Continue reading Mourning In The 1840s →