My Fair Lady film poster
impecunious widows once they no longer needed them. The last widespread display of General
Mourning took place in May 1910 following the death of King Edward VII. At the time, skirts were straight and slim, and hats were huge. Society ladies once again took the stores by storm, buying dresses and accessories. Large-brimmed hats, oversized toques and turbans of draped silk or velvet with feather mounts, taffeta bows and jet ornaments were all the rage, and collections of fashionable mourning hats were presented in all the major department stores. The period of Court Mourning lasted a year, during which time members of the Royal Family did not attend public events. However, the General Mourning period was shorter. By the time Royal Ascot took place, the official half-mourning period was about to begin, and although the Royal Box was empty, most of the smart racegoers in the more expensive enclosures attended in high-fashion black-and-white outfits, complete with cartwheel hats for the ladies. The event became known as ‘Black Ascot’ and was later referenced by Cecil Beaton in his costume design for the 1964 production
of My Fair Lady, starring Audrey Hepburn in the lead role (wearing a memorable huge white-and-black hat crafted to perfection by famous French milliner Mme Paulette).
Crape
Widows were literally toiling under the weight of their weeds
When discussing mourning wear from the 19th century, it is almost impossible to avoid mentioning crape. The quantities of black crape used in this particular field of dressmaking and millinery are astonishing. Widows were literally toiling under the weight of their weeds. Not only was clothing made of crape, but it was also covered in it, adding to the weight of dresses and underskirts. Handkerchiefs were hemmed with large bands of crape, hats were covered and trimmed with it, with crape veils attached. The weight of the veil alone was said to be unbearable. During the first year of her widowhood, a respectable woman would be shrouded in black crape from head to toe. When she emerged from her weeds to
enter the second stage of mourning, this would often be described as “coming out of crape”, and it may well have felt like coming out from under a blanket. For the final stage of mourning, black crape would be used for trimming.
Mourning mask worn by Empress Elisabeth of Austria, 1889
Marlene Dietrich and Joan Bennett attending the funeral of Humphrey Bogart, 1957
Milliners rivalled one another in inventiveness, proposing all kinds of decorations for hats, bonnets and indoor caps: crape flowers, buds, leaves or bows were paired with loops and accordion- pleated chiffon fans, intermixed with clusters of black silk flowers and ribbon, rosettes dotted with jet beads, frills, ruches and tucked flounces. So, what was crape? The word comes
from the Italian crespe (or crêpe, in French), itself derived from the Latin crispare, to curl. Mourning crape (not to be confused with the more glamorous crêpe de Chine) was a lightweight, semi-transparent, dull black silk fabric, crimped and embossed into a three- dimensional texture. The 19th-century version was heat-treated and finished
Jacky Kennedy at president John F. Kennedy's funeral, 1963
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
