REPORT
Contemporary mourning wear in black communities
US milliner Evetta Petty, proud owner of Harlem’s Heaven, has run her store for more than thirty-five years, making it the oldest surviving hat shop in Harlem, New York. There is a strong tradition within Harlem’s African American community of dressing up for funerals. “This includes not only the attendees, but also the deceased,” Evetta explains. “If the deceased loved hats in life and was known for wearing them, the tradition is to bury her in a hat.” The family will bring the outfit the deceased will wear, often bought specially for the occasion, so that Evetta can make a beautiful matching hat. It is considered very important that the deceased is dressed as elegantly and fashionably in death as she was in life. Funerals are usually held an average of two weeks after death, which leaves Evetta enough time for a special commission. One might imagine that designing a hat for someone lying down would impose certain limitations on the design, but that isn’t the case. To ensure the hat stays in place on the deceased’s
head when the body is laid out in the coffin, the funeral home staff will make slight alterations if necessary. “Funeral home staff are very experienced. They know how to cut a triangle out of the back of a big-brimmed hat and arrange it,” Evetta says. The funeral
attendees will dress equally stylishly. Dressing in high fashion is seen as a tribute to the deceased. Even those who don’t usually wear hats will do so for a funeral, and for many young women this may be their first introduction to millinery. Although clothing and headwear are traditionally black, funerals may be colour-themed, asking attendees to wear white or purple instead, or even red if this was the deceased’s favourite colour. Hat shapes range from the classic pillbox, unbeatable in its popularity, to more extravagant designs. Evetta currently receives many requests for
There is a strong tradition within Harlem’s African American
community of dressing up for funerals
headpieces made of draped crinoline, manipulated to frame the face, shroud the eyes like a veil, or explode in sunburst-like fashion. Proof that funeral hats are just as ‘on trend’ as other occasion headwear. Whereas in Europe, mourning wear always was, and in most cases still is, made of dull, dark materials, Evetta’s customers love a touch of sparkle in their hats. Rhinestone ornaments and crystal-embellished headbands and veils are in high demand. For mourners in need of privacy, Evetta proposes birdcage veils of heavy black lace that completely hide the face. “You can really call it funeral
fashion,” she says. “Mourning hats can be modern and minimalist, or elaborate and dramatic statement pieces. On your saddest day, knowing you look great can give you that much-needed boost!”
Evetta Petty
Evetta Petty is a graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Textiles and Fashion Marketing. For over thirty years, she has designed hats in her uptown New York studio, Harlem’s Heaven Hat Shop. In 2024, she was the first black milliner and the only American invited into the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective.
www.harlemsheaven.com
august 2026 | 55
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