Tags
'Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire', Anna Wintour Costume Centre, black as signature colour, exhibitions 2014 - 2015, fashion exhibitions 2014 - 2015, Mark your diary!, mourning attire for women, mourning dress for women, The Costume Institute - Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York
This autumn the Costume Institute
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC)
presents its Fall exhibition at the
Anna Wintour Costume Centre.
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The hauntingly titled
Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire
chronicles the fashion of Victorian Era bereavement wear.
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(image from the metropolitan museum of art):

in full mourning attire
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Curated by
Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute,
and Jessica Regan, Assistant Curator –
the exhibition highlights thirty mourning outfits
from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
It traces a century of bereavement garments
from 1815 – 1915
years encompassing the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
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During this historical period, mourning dress was women-centred;
as the very act of ‘mourning’, was a female role.
Attention focused on the clothing worn by the grieving women.
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(image from angelpig):
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As with all any fashion content, mourning attire
had its own quality of extravagance and ostentation.
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For the first year of bereavement,
societal dictates required that when in public
women were to be attired
in the customary colour of black,
as black was regarded as the absence of
light and therefore life.
A ‘weeping veil’ was worn, which covered the face.
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(image from tchevalier):
weeping veil (l)
mourning hat (r)
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This first year was known as the period of deep mourning.
The dress was fashionable, yet simple
and free of any embellishments.
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(image from tinkercottagemuseum):
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The next stage known as second mourning lasted for nine months.
During this period, lack lustre black wear was still worn,
but with a bit of black trim on the clothing
and jewelery was permissible.
The weeping veil, still part of the ensemble,
was worn pushed over the head and the face exposed.
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The third stage in the grieving process,
half-mourning lasted three to six months.
Colour was re-introduced, although mostly greys,
subdued purples and deep burgundy reds.
Dress with some ornamentation was acceptable.
Hats replaced the weeping veil
and jewelry could once more adorn the body.
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(image from norwichtextiles):
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As to be expected of the etiquette driven Victorian age,
women’s mourning costumes adhered
to an exacting dress code
imposed by societal notions of propriety.
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(image from livejournal):
a variety of mourning looks
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Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire
21 October 2014 – 1 February 2015
The Anna Wintour Costume Center
The Costume Institute,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
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For additional information visit:
www.metmuseum.org/deathbecomesher
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