Richard Redgrave, “Throwing off Her Weeds” (1846)
“[A widow] would wear deep mourning for at least one year, consisting of black clothes made from a non-reflective fabric such as bombazine ... Once a widow had completed her first year, she dressed in 'secondary mourning'. This had a less rigorous dress code, and white collars and cuffs ... were permitted. After nine months came 'ordinary mourning', a three month stretch during which women were permitted to wear shiny fabrics such as silk and velvet ... Finally a widow entered the six months of 'half-mourning', when muted colours such as grey, purple and lilac were permissible.”
— Catharine Arnold; “Necropolis: London and its dead” (2007)
“[…] many wedding dresses were grey or lavender coloured, not white, as a sign of half mourning.”
— Asa Briggs; “Victorian Things” (1988)
Lilacs on Ellen's costumes: concept art by Linda Muir © 2024 Focus Features
