Fashion History - Mourning Dress - Black Clothing Worn During Bereavement
The Social Significance of Black Clothing
For over 500 years, wearing black signified bereavement. In Europe and America, black was the color of mourning, worn at funerals and for some time after the death of a loved one. Originally a custom for royalty and aristocracy who were experiencing grief, mourning dress eventually became a fashion statement worn by people who wished to imitate the elite.
Wearing black clothing has often taken on a social significance. During the Middle Ages, wealthy Spanish gentlemen wore black velvet to display status as black dyes were expensive.
In the mid 20th century, beatniks in the United States wore black to separate themselves from the herd, as a sort of counterculture trademark. More recently, certain groups of young people wore black to distinguish themselves as Goths.
Black clothing has long been associated with the clergy and asceticism.
And Johnny Cash called himself The Man in Black in a song in which he claims to wear black for political and social reasons, for the poor, and people living troubled lives.
Mourning Dress in the Middle Ages
Sumptuary Laws
Sumptuary laws were mandated in the Middle Ages as a way to keep people in their place. As the economy grew, and the merchant class became wealthy, they were better able to mimic the clothing styles and expensive fabrics used by the elite. When the aristocracy felt threatened by these new upstarts who felt enabled to wear sumptuous garments, sumptuary laws forbade the wearing of certain luxurious designs and fabrics by the lower classes.
Mourning Dress for the Elite in the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, royalty and the aristocracy wore mourning dress during periods of bereavement. Mourning dress was regulated by sumptuary law and strict protocol was observed in the kind of clothing worn at funerals and following the death of people in high social position.
During the Middle Ages, funeral processions followed guidelines based on social hierarchy. While all wore black, the procession that followed the hearse included; first the bereaved family, then royalty and the aristocracy, followed by clergy, military, then the merchant class.
Black coded clothing made it clear to observers who was who in a funeral procession. High ranking mourners wore long trains and hoods made of expensive, dull shaded black wool with black or white crepe or linen trim.
Widows, in particular, wore mourning dress, called widow's weeds, complete with a veil when out in public for a long period of time.
In times of national mourning following the death of a sovereign, important figures wore black for specific time periods to formal events, in public, and in the company of royalty.
Mourning dress was limited to people of the highest social strata. Sumptuary laws established rules for dress, and the practice of wearing black during bereavement was not followed by the lower classes until much later. Constraints against the wearing of black mourning attire was thought to prevent people from aping their betters. In any event, the expense of black dye prevented the common people from wearing black mourning dress.
18th Century - Mourning Dress Becomes Popular
As the Western European economy created new wealth for the merchant class, the ability to afford expensive fabrics and fashions was no longer limited to the aristocracy.
The wealthy European merchant class hoped to copy the aristocracy in matters of dress and fashion, including the custom of mourning dress. The new moneyed class began to defy sumptuary laws as they attempted to incorporate aristocratic etiquette into their own lives. The desire to follow the fashions of the elite encouraged them to pay fines for breaking sumptuary laws and dress like the elite.
Mourning dress for the rich was fashionable for men and women alike with finely made fabrics and handsome clothing styles.
Queen Victoria and Children in Mourning Dress
Mourning Dress in the Victorian Age
The Industrial Revolution affected the practice of wearing mourning dress, creating new rules of fashion that extended beyond the aristocracy. Technological advances created a new, growing middle class. Improved manufacturing techniques enabled mass production of dull black fabrics, crepe, and mourning jewelry.
By the mid 19th century, the wearing of appropriate mourning dress was a sign of respectability.
Queen Victoria had a huge influence on the fashions of the mid to late 1800's. After the death of her husband, Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria wore black clothing until her own death in 1901.
During Victorian times, the type of mourning dress and the length of time one wore it was circumscribed by etiquette instead of sumtuary laws. A widow wore mourning dress for 2 1/2 years.
Full mourning lasted a full year and consisted of clothing made of dull black fabrics without embellishment or jewelry. A women in full mourning wore a veil to cover her face when she left the house. She avoided balls and frivolous events during that time.
After a year had passed, the widow added small trimmings and simple jewelry. Later, that second year, the widow, now in 1/2 mourning, added some color. Gray, mauve, and duller shades of purple and violet were suitable at that time.
Mouring Jewelry - A Jet Brooch
Mourning Jewelry
The jewelry worn by Victorian widow came in black, with jet being the most popular stone. Jet stones set in brooches, ear-rings, and rings could be quite beautiful. Gutta percha, a natural latex similar to plastic, made out of the sap of an East Asian tree, provided an inexpensive substitute for jet.
Jewelry made form the hair of the deceased loved one was a popular ornamentation. A hank of hair was woven into a handsome knot and made into a brooch or other piece of jewelry. While such jewelry may seem morbid today, the fashion was seen in the Victorian era as romantic and sentimental - a way to keep 'in touch' with a dead loved one.
As hair does not decompose like the rest of the body, these unusual ornaments made of human hair are long lasting and highly collectible today. (See the video below)
Victorian Ad for Mourning Clothes
Victorian Mourning Dress and the Commercialization of Grief
The increased manufacturing technology of the Victorian age created a vast market for mourning dress. Dresses made of crepe came in many styles for the different mourning periods. Advertisements hawked mourning bodices, skirts, capes, veils, black bonnets, black indoor caps, gloves, fans, and black edged handkerchiefs.
Women's magazines offered advise on mourning etiquette for all types of bereavement. In 1881, Sylvia's Home Journal suggested that mothers wear black crepe for 6 weeks following the death of the mother-in-law or father-in-law of her married children.
Special trimmings and time periods were suggested for cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.
Royalty traveled with complete sets of mournign dress, just in case.
The practice of mourning dress bled down to the lower middle class who could afford second had or simple, inexpensive black clothing. People without a lot of money often had regular clothing dyed black in order to save money.
By 1900, the growth of the ready-to-war garment industry led to the wearing of mourning dress by better off members of the working class.
Victorian Mourning Dress
The Death of Mouring Dress
By the 1920's, the practice of wearing mourning dress began to subside. However, heavily Catholic countries still adhered to the practice as did folks of the older generation.
Well into the 20th century, men often wore black arm bands; and black clothing was often worn at funerals.
The custom of mourning dress impacted the garment industry in several ways. One could not wait for mourning dress but needed a quick delivery. (One could hardly wear out of date mourning clothes!) The need for rapid delivery created a new system of efficiency and speed in the clothing trade, helped establish department stores, and increased demand on the wholesale manufacture of women's clothing.
Today, few people in Western developed urban areas wear black clothing during bereavement. But wearing mourning dress did offer a kind of protection for the bereaved. Other people understood at a glance that a widow was in grief. Expectations and demands were lowered, a quiet kind of sympathy offered, and even strangers could see that a person what not at their best, having suffered a terrible loss.
Books consulted:
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, edited by Valerie Steele; Scribner Library
Daily Life in Victorian England by Sally Mitchell; Greenwood Press
Encyclopedia of the Renaissance; Scribners
More on Victorian Fashion (Women's)
- Women and Fashions of the Victorian Era 1837 - 1900
Despite the prim and proper feminine ideal of the day, fashions of the Victorian period created an often exaggerated, ostentatious look. Tight corsets, gigantic hoop-skirts, and outrageous bustles make today's...
More on Clothing of the Middle Ages
- Fashion History of the High and Late Middle Ages - Clothing of the 11th - 15th Century
The evolution of fashion in the high and late Middle ages due to the cultural influences of Asia and improved technology in the making of European medieval clothing. Attractive styles became more avialable to new middle class, and clothing styles cha
Victorian Mouring Dress, Includes a Segment on Jewelry Made of Human Hair
Comments
This is a fascinating history of mourning dress, Dolores. Thanks for your extensive research and interesting details.
'get her victorian freak on!' Ha ha, I love that image imatellmuva!
This is a super hub, lovely and informative, and giving me lots to visualise and think on. Thanks to you Dolores :)
Linda.
imatellmuva - Hi, Sharon - of course the Victorian men only wore mourning attire for about 3 months. Says a lot, huh? Thank you!
drbj - thank you! I've gotten into the whole fashion history thing and it seems like I could just go on and on. One topic leads into another.
Lady Wordsmith - Hi, Linda. Times have sure changed. But I started to think about mourning dress after the loss of a good friend. If I went around wearing black for a while, people might understand that I was not myself for a good reason, not just stupid, unfocused, and a bit weird.
Dolores - I read quite a bit of Victorian literature and so I'm familiar with the tradition but it's nice to put pictures together with the ones in my mind!
akirchner - Hi, Audrey! I love Vic-lit too and have enjoyed researching my Victorian clothing hubs because of that. A fascinating time for sure!
Fascinating stuff, Dolores! A couple of months ago I attended a funeral but had one helluva time picking out appropriate clothes. After trying on black skirts, suits, and dresses, I went for a grey pant-suit. I will be able to wear it again-which was one of my goals.
Thanks!
I found a few things really interesting" A widow wore mourning dress for 2 1/2 years".....that sounds very depressing, and two "Jewelry made form the hair of the deceased loved one was a popular ornamentation" double wow...I guess that is a way to keep your lost one close to you....as always I enjoyed reading your hub and learned quite a bit in the process
Yeah "D", that's a double standard...at best! I do however think there should be some sort of standard (today) for attire by attendees at a funeral service. I've seen everything from dresses that stop just below the derriere, to sporting outfits. Now...it may be considered that, at least they're present, but it's a distraction, and I think disrespectful to the family in mourning. When I was younger, black was what people wore and the styles worn to a funeral were modest (I still do this). While mourning attire has evolved, I think people still need advice for mourning etiquette, for today's times.
Just fascinating; well written and researched. Thank you for this interesting read, Dolores. I learned things I never knew before.
I loved this article. Very interesting
I love the extensiveness of your hub here. It's both informative and well thought out. It allows me to really reflect on the development and now obvious decline of the mourning clothes. I well remember a time when the mourning family wore their black clothes for a long time after the death of loved one.
lorlie - I have a dress that I wore to my father's funeral and could never bring myself to wear it again. So I wear it for funerals and have established my own personal mourning attire. Dressing appropriately is a sign of respect. Thank you.
Cogerson - I saw a piece of that hair jewelry years ago at an antique shop. It was quite beautiful, and I could see the tender reminder posed by wearing such a thing even though it may seem morbid to us today.
imatellmuva - Hi, Sharon - I agree, it's all about respect. I remember when Pres. Reagan died. We were watching the people on TV lined up to view his casket. Some of them were in sweat shirts with writing on them. I was shocked that people paying their last respects to a President of the United States were dressed like that! It's all about respect. Thank you.
Genna and Mrs. B - thank you!
Chspublish - though the practice of wearing all black for a long time may be a bit much, wearing sporty stuff or immodest clothing seems disrespectful, as Sharon said. Though I don't wear all black, I do tend to wear dull colors, dark blue, black, or gray. Thank you.
I love black and more than half of my wardrobe is black. However, times have changes and now people even wear bright colors to celebrate one's life. Great hub.
Delores, very interesting. I love black but I wouldn't want to be required to wear it for an extended period of time. However, as we have discussed before, it could alert people that you are still in mourning and could explain some of the strange behavior.
Great job, Dolores. I found some of these details really fascinating, especially the fact that some people wore jewelry made from the hair of their deceased loved ones. Voted useful! :)
sussanah - sure, times have changed. We don't have the 'dress codes' they had in the past. Back in the day, the rules were a bit much, but sometimes folks today just can't get their act together. I've seen some pretty inappropriate dress - some people are just total slobs. Thank you!
Hi, KoffeeKlatch - yes. 2 1/2 years in black would get pretty boring. And what with the higher death rate, you'd be wearing the black all the time! Thanks!
Om - thank you! When my mother died, my sister, best friend, and I all wore her (my mother's clothes) to her funeral. A certain family member thought we were morbid, but it was nice, a sweet reminder of her.
Very interesting hub. Wow. I have seen the hair thing on a program on TV. Thanks for the interesting info
TIna
gr82 - wonder if you saw it on an Antiques Roadshow. I love that show, but rarely watch it - you can see so many interesting items!
Love the pictures and very interesting information. I find it almost barbaric that women had to wear mourning clothes for so long. I think I would have been like Scarlet O'Hara and breaking out the fancy hat that Rhett gave me!
DIY - well maybe not barbaric, but there sure was a difference between mourning periods for men and women. Men only wore mourning for 3 months - I guess they had to rush out to get a new wife to take care of the house and kids! However, women did marry within a year of being widowed.
very interesting, i've actually seen one of those on tv.
Dolores Monet, Wonderful, interesting, informative and educational hub! There is much to learn here of various customs, etiquette & tradition origins as well as significant historical values! Thank You for sharing. Well done! Peace & Blessings!
Dolores, this idea is really cool. Thanks for sharing it. keep it up!
DeBorrah - thank you!
dutchman - thank you!
Love the post. Have reposted it to twitter. Very interesting subject and wonderfully written. I have a lapel pin that was mothers. She bought it as an antique when I was very little. It had a tintype of a person under glass. The tintype rested on a background of the person's woven hair. It was a mourning pin. My mother lost the tintype, but put a lock of my hair in it cut when I was 2. Precious piece.
Hi, Mindie - thanks for checking out my article. It seems both beautiful and sad to find something like that in an antique shop. What was once a precious item for someone else, a reminder of a loved one, but now special to you. Lovely!
what a great hub...I have a brooch with braided hair woven into a lovely pattern, there are two hair colors, not likely the same person's hair. Also My ex- boyfriend explained to me that in Italy, wedding dresses were traditonally black, but his grandmother insisted that she have a white wedding dress, as it was the "American" tradition.
Taylor - whoah, you gotta wonder what that is all about. I think those memento mori pieces are so beautiful. Sad, sweet, and poignant. Thanks.
This was very interesting. Loved the video too. For me, black is the only color to wear at funerals since this is the way I was taught. I usually keep what I call the funeral dress for about five years, then replace with a new one. I have it cleaned after wearing, then it hangs, covered in plastic until I need it again. I also have specific jet black jewelry set aside to wear during that time. In wearing this, I feel I'm showing proper respect to the deceased. I wear this dress and jewelry for no other occasion.
Thank you for an awesome Hub.
Becky - thank you for your input. I too have a funeral dress. It is a dark blue and gray print. I wore it when my father died and thought that I could never wear it again due to the association with the loss of my father. So, it has become the funeral dress. My own personal sign of mourning.
This is a terrific Hub! I could not have enjoyed it more. I learned much from you today, and it was fun to do. Thanks for the good read. :)
Hi, James - thank you. Glad you stopped by and enjoyed!
I would think that some ladies wore black almost all the time. When I think of the death rate in the old days, they must have worn a lot of black. Interesting article though I'd like to see more pictures.
Laura - yes, I should add more pix to this one. Looking through photographs of the Civil War period, not long ago, I noticed that most of the women wore black. So many women lost husbands, fathers, brothers, etc. during that conflict. Thank you.
Very interesting article. I had a long black coat when I was younger, it had no particular significance but I did find when I wore it I felt more quiet and more cut off from other people's vibrations. I felt sort of separated when I wore it. The dry cleaner ruined the coat and I missed it very much as I sat in my classes at university. I gave a lot of thought to the phenomenon at the time and wrote a paper about black clothing being used by nuns, priests and judges to create a quiet, separate place for themselves in a noisy world.
AnnCee - I have a long, black coat now, but the lining is shot. I've had it for over 20 years and it still looks great. I have to reline it but have been putting it off as I've never tried that before. I love the idea of the separate place created by the wearing of black clothing. Thank you for your interesting comment.
I like the way your hubs link from one terrific article to another. This is very informative and interesting to me. Thanks.
Journey - thank you. Thought that I over did it but they all seem to go together. I left out several important fashion periods, but am just not interested in them.
imatellmuva 14 months ago
While I do love black attire, I would hate to be the woman who had to wear a mourning dress for 2 1/2 years, and could only change the look at pre-determined intervals. I mean, what if she reeeeaaally wasn't mourning. Now she's still tied to this dude, and all she wants to do is get her victorian freak on!
I love your historical fashion hubs "D"!