A widow's cap (or mourning cap), a sign of

mourning Mourning is the emotional expression in response to a major life event causing grief, especially loss. It typically occurs as a result of someone's death, especially a loved one. The word is used to describe a complex of behaviors in which t ...

worn by many women after the death of their husbands, was a sign of religious and social significance
Wheeler, H. (2012). Widow's cap from New South Wales. Australian Museum. Retrieved from: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Widows-cap-from-New-South-Wales. and was worn through the first mourning period during the 19th century (

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

History

After

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

's husband,

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...

, died of

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...

on 14 December 1861, she wore mourning dress for more than forty years until her own death in 1901. She fully mourned for three years and dressed her whole court the same way. The queen's conduct strengthened traditions of public mourning during the

. Victorian mourning fashion was aimed particularly at women, widows to be precise. The fashion had the function of signalling the

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...

's social distance just as Queen Victoria had done. Mourning attire was the main way to show how wealthy and respectable a woman was.
Pennington, J. (2012). Victorian Hair Art : A Curious Way To Mourn. The Curious Collections of Barnabas Dire. Retrieved from: http://curiousmatters.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/victorian-hair-art-a-curious-way-to-mourn/ .

Material

A Victorian mourning cap was identified by its black colour or tone (depending on the level of mourning). The more recent the loss the simpler the design. The shape of the cap depended on the age of the widow but the most common was peaked at the front.
Cranford, K. (2012). The Honorable Mrs. Jamieson’s Mourning Cap. Gaskell Blog. Retrieved from: http://gaskellblog.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/elizabeth-gaskells-cranford-the-honorable-mrs-jamieson%E2%80%99s-mourning-cap/ . Widows' caps were either lisse, Tulle netting, tulle or

tarlatan The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest of human technologies. To make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving, with color an ...

, shape depending mainly on the age. Young widows wore mainly the Mary Stuart shape, but all widows' caps had long streamers. Their prices were various. Tarlatan could be home-made, but widows did not like home-made widows' caps because even though economical, they were ruined quicker than bought caps. It was smart to buy extra streamers and bows for them as they could be used at home to trim mourning caps.

Mary Stuart cap

A Mary Stuart cap or attifet is a type of hat which was made well known in the 16th century, thanks to it regularly appearing in portraits of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

. This specially styled cap became quite fashionable for a small period of time, and even became part of formal mourning dress until the 19th century. A classic Mary Stuart cap is discerned by being very tight, with a solid piece of triangular material which hangs over the forehead, creating a heart shape when it is viewed from the front. The design was intended to hold a

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the human head, head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has be ...

, which would usually be worn over the cap, and the material might be rolled into shape in the back or formed with

wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...

s which held it tightly in place. The cap also flickered slightly at the sides to accommodate rolls of hair.
McMahon, M. (2013). What is a Mary Stuart Cap?. wiseGEEK. Retrieved from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mary-stuart-cap.htm .

References

{{reflist Caps Victorian fashion Widowhood

History

Material

Mary Stuart cap

See also

References