During the Victoria era, mourning rivaled weddings in terms of pomp, etiquette and fashiona theme explored at the latest exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire focuses on the boom years of the mourning industry, from 1815 to 1915, when the rich and middle class alike paid through the nose to look properly anguished and fashion magazines devoted pages to the most coveted fashions for the grieving style plate.
“It’s an intersection of fashion with what can be a very personal projection of grief,” explains Jessica Regan, assistant curator of the exhibition.
Grieving, Victorian style
Throughout the West’s upper classes, mourning was not to be taken lightly. Whereas men were largely allowed to get on with their lives, for women, mourning was a job in itself. A widow could be expected to visually grieve for more than two years (although the loss of a child or parents only required one.)
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