Mourning Matters: Grieving and Etiquette
in the Antebellum South and Further
The Gorgas House Museum
14 October – 5 November 2024
elegance in grief: mourning attire
How the Victorian Era Shaped the Rituals and Fashion of Grief
The 19th century, especially the Victorian era, transformed mourning into a deeply ritualistic and surprisingly fashionable practice. Queen Victoria earned the title “the Mourning Queen” due to her lifelong grief following the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. Devastated by his loss, she wore black mourning attire for the remaining 40 years of her life, setting a public example of deep and enduring sorrow. Her unrelenting devotion to mourning not only influenced fashion but also solidified strict social norms around bereavement in the Victorian era, making mourning attire a symbol of both personal grief and social respectability.
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“Black is always black in one sense of the word, but whether there is a bright or a dull finish to the cloth, a narrow or wide cord in the weave, completely changes the whole appearance and makes the material suitable for mourning, or most eminently unsuitable, so that, to critical women, a figured, bright-looking, all-black gown is quite as inappropriate as would be a colored gown for anyone in deep mourning.”
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“New York Fashions: Mourning Wear,” Harper’s Bazaar, January 30, 1897, 87, ProQuest (125056118).
For women, grieving was not just emotional but also sartorial, with widowhood demanding four years in black. Mourning attire was divided into two stages: full mourning and “half-mourning.” In full mourning, widows draped themselves in head-to-toe black, embodying somberness itself. But a year later, half-mourning brought a breath of change, allowing muted shades of purple and gray into their wardrobes—a small but powerful shift.
Originally, such customs were exclusive to the upper classes. However, the rise of the middle class during the Industrial Revolution spread these practices across society. The demand for mourning attire soared, prompting stores to create entire sections dedicated to this solemn but essential aspect of life.
American mourning customs echoed those of the UK, with black attire firmly taking hold by the late 1800s. Today, the tradition of wearing black to funerals still resonates in Western culture. However, globally, mourning is not a monochrome affair—many cultures and religions mark loss with vibrant or symbolic colors, showcasing the diversity in humanity’s expression of grief.