I know I promised a small guide and then a long post but fuck it, this is the long (very long!) post about 18th century nuns attire.
A lot of the images I used are from the New Spain, I don’t know why but finding nuns portraits from other places was quite difficult, so there are only a few. Now, let’s start with the nun-pallooza:
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, siglo XVIII, Museo Nacional del Virreinato.
In a broad way, the religious habit for nuns was formed by:
Coif. The white headpiece made of cotton or linen to cover the cheeks, ears and neck.
Veil. This is the dark piece of cloth that is worn over the coif to cover the head.
“Portrait of Young Nun”, Circle of Maurice Quentin de la Tour.
Tunic. The main piece of the habit, the tunic was made of wool and the colour varies according to the religious order.
Cincture. A belt made of woven wool for the waist.
Scapular. This is a symbolic apron, and it’s the long garment that hangs from both front and back. Worn over the tunic, and over or under the belt.
Apron. A common and useful garment worn over the habit to protect it during work activities.
Cape. Worn above the other garments, was of different colour according to the order.
Other garments: the usual undergarments any woman would wear (shift, petticoats, stockings, stays…)
Other accessories: rosary, cross, ring.
According to an 18th document from the Regina Coeli Convent in Mexico City, the novices would have to bring with them:
A piece of wool fabric for two habits
Crée to use as lining for the habits.
Light fabric for handkerchiefs and coifs.
Four shifts (three made of crée and one of Brittany fabric).
One sewing box with everything needed for sewing.
Four aprons of wide Brittany fabric.
One Sultepec rebozo in blue and white.
And this is only a part of that list! But it gives a good idea of what a girl soon to be a nun would need, and except for the rebozo, everything is quite normal. I didn’t find the full list, it seems I’d have to go to Regina Coeli to read such a document (insert eye roll here).
Now, let’s take a look at the differences in attire between the different orders:
Conceptionist Nuns, from the Order of the Immaculate Conception. Separated in 1511 from the Poor Clares, a contemplative order. They wore a white tunic with white scapular and blue mantle. The also wore two shields with religious images (usually the Holy Trinity and/or the Immaculate Conception): one worn over the chest and a smaller one hanging from the mantle. The shields could be painted by prestigious artists or even be embroidered. The delicate images from the shields were contrasted with the simple cincture cord. The outfit was completed with a white coif, black veil and a rosary.
“Cinco religiosas concepcionistas franciscanas”, Juan Carreño de Miranda.
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
“Portrait of Sor María Antonia del Corazón de Jesús”, 1814, José María Vázquez.
Clarisses, or Poor Clares, from the Order of Saint Clare. Founded in 1212 (the second Franciscan order to be established), a contemplative order. Clarisses wore grey tunic, white coif, black veil, the cincture was a linen cord with four knots (representing their four vows). One of my sources states that they wore blue tunic and mantle in the New Spain, I found paintings documenting both attires, but I don’t know if this was worn in other places.
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
“Portrait of Sor María Juana del Señor San Rafael y Martínez”.
Hieronymite nuns, from the Order of Saint Jerome. Founded in Spain in the 14th century, an enclosed order. They wore white tunic, white coif, black veil, black scapular and black mantle, they also wore a shield. Even though she’s from the late 17th century, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz is the easiest example to see this order’s habit. I also found a red variation in some profession portraits.
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
“Portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz”, ca. 1750, Miguel Cabrera.
“Profession portrait of sor Francisca Josefa de San Felipe Neri”, 1769.
Dominican nuns, from the Dominican Order or the Order of Preachers. Founded in 1215, a contemplative and mendicant order. Their attire is the one people usually think of when they think of nuns: white tunic, coif and scapular, and black veil and mantle.
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
"Retrato de monja”, 1750, Antonio González Ruiz.
“Portrait of a young nun”, 18th century, Circle of Maurice Quentin de la Tour.
Augustinian nuns, from the Order of Saint Augustine. Founded in the 5th century, an enclosed monastic order. They wore black tunics, scapular, mantle and veil with white coif. Found a white variation with black mantle and veil on three portraits from the English Augustinian Convent of Notre-Dame-de-Sion in Paris.
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
“Portrait of sor María del Señor San José Palacios Solórzano y Berruecos“, 18th century, Anonymous.
“Portrait of Anne, daughter of Sir Francis Throckmorton”, 1729, Nicolas de Largillière.
Carmelite Nuns, from the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. Founded in the 12th century, a cloistered order. They wore brown tunic and scapular, black veil, white coif and a white/beige short mantle.
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
Capuchin nuns, or Capuchin Poor Clares, from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Founded in the 16th century, a cloistered and contemplative order. They wore brown habit, scapular and mantle, black veil and white coif. Their tunic has patches on the elbows (a quite striking detail).
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
“Portrait de sor Martina María de Arizávalo y Veráztegui”, 1727, Anonymous.
“Portrait of sor María Rita Josefa de los Dolores Tinajero y Rivas”, ca. 1806, Anonymous.
Bridgettine nuns, from the Order of the Most Holy Savior, an order of Augustinian nuns. Founded in 1344, an enclosed order. They wore brown tunic and scapular, with a white cincture, white coif, black veil. Over the veil they wore a crown/headpiece made of white ribbons with red circles/discs.
“Indumentaria de las monjas novohispanas”, detail.
“Portrait of Sor María del Espíritu Santo”, 18th century.
Now some funny/weird stuff some nuns wore and are not universal but might be useful information. Or totally useless but interesting information. And some extra images:
The nuns from the Convent of Jesús María in Mexico City (Hieronymite nuns), were quite fashion forward: one started using jet bracelets, another pleating her coif and scapular, another one wore lots of rings… This went on and on until a reform was made and them all went back to austerity. The pleated scapular fashion went right into other orders (take a look at the portrait of the nice Conceptionist nun, beneath this text), and fabric pleating fabric is still nowadays a work done by nuns (at least in some places in Mexico).
In the Convent of Saint Rosa (Puebla), the Dominican nuns made a very delicate and refined work of embroidery, and a famous Mexican dish was created there: mole.
In the New Spain there’s a kind of portrait very special: the Crowned Nuns (monjas coronadas). These very ornate portraits were made by the order of the affluent families of the nuns as a celebration of their profession and/or a reminder when they died. The nuns were portrayed wearing a crown of flowers, an image of baby Jesus or a saint, a candle with flowers and other ornaments and jewellery (of course, depending on the affluence of her family).
“Solemn Profession portrait of Sister Maria Antonia Purisima de la Concepción”, 18th Century. - Look at her pleated scapular! And all of her 18th century fashion decoration!
“Retrato de sor Ana María de San Francisco y Neve”, 18th century, Anonymous. - I love how this portrait shows her without veil and mantle, so this is practically the base of all nun attires.
“Portrait of Mother Lugarda María de la Luz de Palacios”, 18th century, Anonymous. - Another one with red scapular and mantle, also a Hieronymite nun.
And finally, I also made a pinboard with some painting for further reference.
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