For a Victorian widow, mourning was quite the endeavor. One year of deep mourning was to be observed following the death of her husband, outwardly denoted by a wardrobe of all black. This included any sort of jewelry, hat, or ornamentation a lady might have required (even her stationary was to be black). While this wardrobe might have suited a widow just fine on a melancholic, cold winter’s eve in London, on a hot day, or worse, when it rained, the black dye used to achieve the perfect hue of the mourning dress had a tendency to leak and stain the skin.
Mourning was never easy and Victorian mourning clothing seemed to enhance this discomfort.
Deep mourning (also known as full mourning) would be followed by a period of second mourning, which lasted about nine months. Black was still to be worn as the primary color but could be enhanced with small ornamentation of non-bright colors, usually in a dress’s trim or small accessory (1). Half-mourning was the last and final stage of mourning and lasted about half a year. The half-mourning wardrobe deviated from the strict raven attire of the first year and served to gradually acclimate a widow back into society – important if she was a young widow and wished to look for a new suitor. A palette of plummy grays, mauve, and whites stitched with black denoted this final period, though anything somber and a bit drab in hue would have done nicely.
For Queen Victoria, the average widow’s rituals were just not enough for her debilitating grief. After all, she was mourning a prince – her beloved Albert. Victoria earned herself the nickname “The Widow of Windsor,” because she eschewed traditional social custom and adhered to a wardrobe of black dresses for not two years, but forty.
Today, black is no longer a color reserved for widows and those in mourning. Whether you are devoted to a uniform of black, or one who appreciates a stunning raven dress or robe, you can channel the spirit of Queen Victoria’s monochromatic wardrobe by choosing from the beautiful selection of black dresses, capes, and shawls available at online boutique House of Widow:
Death Wish Lace Dress
This dress channels a different kind of widow – the lace is spun with the gothic splendor of a well-crafted cobweb. It also makes for an elegant way to lighten your black wardrobe for summer.
Black Spectre Love Velvet Hooded Long Jacket
Embodying the spirit of the reaper of souls, this lush velour hood will keep you cloaked in eternal darkness and makes for a great layering piece.
Propaganda Sleeveless Dress
This sleeveless and pinstripe-sheer dress will keep you cool – perhaps even cold. It would have been the scandalous envy of the Victorian widow, kept hostage in her layers of Widow’s Weeds underneath a hot sun in the stifling city; one drop of sweat on her skin and the dye would have begun to leak.
Shroud of Truth Maxi Dress
This layered shroud will do well for those of you who like to keep the rosy hue of life at bay, by keeping your skin protected as it drowns you in flowing raven fabric.
To view more macabre dresses, blouses, and caftans, visit House of Widow.
Sources:
- Rylands, Tracy. “Paint it Black: Mourning Fashions in the Victorian Age.” Adventures in Cemetery Hopping. N.p., 04 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
- Featured Image: Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1891). Crêpe Hat ; Mourning Bonnet ; Mourning Wrap ; Mourning Cap For Elderly Lady ; Coat-Basque For Costume, Back And Front.
