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Clothing and Accessories
Clothing Accessories
Women's Clothing
Headwear ➔ Bonnet
Identifier:
149473Description:
This horsehair wicker and chiffon bonnet features silk flowers, lace, and beads. Because of its style and time period, it was likely worn during mourning.In Victorian society, it was customary to follow a strict etiquette for mourning royalty, political leaders and of course for relatives. This bonnet is a characteristic example of a key accessory that was required as part of the ritual. The production of mourning clothing was a lucrative business and items like this bonnet were commonly purchased.
The fashion industry had perfected the art of black synthetic dying and so almost any item of clothing or accessories from dresses to headwear or footwear could be purchased in black for mourning. For poorer families, this could be quite a financial burden as it could involve having to purchase a whole new wardrobe. The later stage of the custom, called "half-mourning", would require integrating the colors grey, white and purple into one's wardrobe, indicating the ending phase.
