It is in England where the crape becomes more associated with mourning dress...
honors.astate.edu
Crape had already been associated with mourning 300 years before 1850 and only after that timedid it become solely associated with it
Bologna, Italy was the main centre for the production of crape in the medieval times. It then moved north to Antwerp, Belgium, and it is this time period that crape’s association with mourning can be traced
The hard type of crape, which originated in Bologna, becomes a specialty of manufacture in England
when the silk industry begins to thrive in the 1750s: production became easier with the power-driven machines, and it was also possible to refine the technique and imitate high quality imported fabrics, such as those from Bologna
when this hard crape is dyed black that it is associated mourning ,
for crape was favoured for its magnificent ability to reflect absolutely no light, to be drab and be completely dark
dyes: black dye came from sundry vegetables, as well as copperas, logwood and valonia
What makes crape stiff is that while dyeing, the natural gum of the silk is lost, softening and brightening the fabric in the process, so it is put through dressing with gums, starches, glue and even treacle to return the stiffness, originally produced by the natural gum
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So why crape and England?
Quote:
The Victorian age was named for England’s Queen Victoria. She took the throne in 1837 and died on January 22, 1901. Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, died of typhoid in 1861. During this period of forty years, the Queen was in mourning. She remained in full mourning for three years and dressed the entire court that way. The Victorian era reflected the Queen’s prudish ethics as well as, most visibly, her personal taste in mourning.
Victorian mourning fashion was aimed mainly at women, widows in particular. The fashion had a way of isolating a widow in her time of need just as the Queen had done.
would have been worn during the later stages of mourning when some color was permitted to "slight your morning". Lavender was considered an appropriate color to wear, which would explain the lavender cloth flowers decorating a rather sombre bonnet. It most likely would have been worn by an older lady as it's near identical in style to the matron's bonnet above.
This style of bonnet would not have been thought fashionable by younger ladies. The ties are purely decorative and would not have been tied. The crinkled crepe is of good quality, and is not the cheap widow's weeds which had a tendancy to turn brown.
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