Supserstion of the Week - Mourning Attire

This isn’t per say a superstition, but we thought an interesting mourning custom from the Victorian era in the nineteenth century we learned from the Denver Four Mile Historic Park’s “In The Dead of Winter” Tour.

Mourning Apparel Guidelines

WIDOWS:

Widows were expected to grieve for two years.

Year 1 – Solid black clothing with no trim except crepe collars and cuffs. Bonnets were to have a long, thick, black crepe with a dull fabric with no sheen to reflect light. A long veil should be worn with no fancy hairdos.

Year 2 - Veils were allowed to be shortened and white or violet flowers could be added to the bonnet. Garments could also now be trimmed with grey, violet or white cloth. During the last 6 months of mourning, it was acceptable for widows to wear grey, violet and white fabrics.

CHILDREN:

Children in mourning wore white in the summer and grey in the winter, both with black trim.

WIDOWERS:

For a widower a black suit, scarf, gloves and hat trimming were mandatory. Men would also typically add a black armband to their attire.