On 1/18/2012 6:22 PM, R Lloyd Mitchell wrote:
penny,? as you know, I am away from home and my referrences, but Cunnington has
severel citations about underwear in general and?I think at least one I have
seen re mourning.? Since (fashionable) women were just beginning to wear
drawers and with the layers of chemise, corset and corset cover, etc, the color
white was the only acceptable color for a Lady; other colors and trims that
adorned the female form were only worn by the demi-monde or women who did not
know better. Ehite stood for purity and respectability.
It is only in the last quarter of the 19th c that hints of color began to be
used. I too have never seen a black corset before...well, almost the
1950's...except in films or on the stage (and we all know what kind of woman
would stoop to such seductive measures).
Underwear was not to be seen...so for a woman in mourning to appear in anything
that might be seen...off color...would be strange. There are referrences I
believe that describe even Victoria wore White!
kathleen?
I own an original 1884 corset that is made of black satin coutil, with
the remains of a red organza ruffle on the top edge. I have also seen
and handled corset covers, drawers and combinations made of black silk
from the 1880's, and petticoats of every color of the rainbow, including
red, black and bright pink. None of these, however, had any indication
that they were for mourning--quite the contrary, they were more
embellished and of fabrics that would indicate them being for very fancy
wear.
Melusine
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