Except for church, crepe veils and clothes heavily trimmed with crepe are
not appropriate in the country--ever! Mourning clothes for the summer
consist of plain black serge or tweed, silk or cotton material, all black
with white organdy collar and cuffs, and a veil-less hat with a brim. Or
one may dress entirely in dull materials of white.
=A WIDOW'S MOURNING=
A widow used never to wear any but woolen materials, made as plain as
possible, with deep-hemmed turn-back cuffs and collar of white organdy. On
the street she wore a small crepe bonnet with a little cap-border of white
crepe or organdy and a long veil of crepe or nun's veiling to the bottom
edge of her skirt, over her face as well as down her back. At the end of
three months the front veil was put back from over her face, but the long
veil was worn two years at least, and frequently for life. These details
are identical with those prescribed to-day excepting that she may wear
lustreless silks as well as wool, the duration of mourning may be shorter,
and she need never wear her veil over her face except at the funeral
unless she chooses.
A widow of mature years who follows old-fashioned conventions wears deep
mourning with crepe veil two years, black the third year and second
mourning the fourth. But shorter periods of mourning are becoming more and
more the custom and many consider three or even two years conventional.
=THE VERY YOUNG WIDOW=
The young widow should wear deep crepe for a year and then lighter
mourning for six months and second mourning for six months longer. There
is nothing more utterly captivating than a sweet young face under a
widow's veil, and it is not to be wondered at that her own loneliness and
need of sympathy, combined with all that is appealing to sympathy in a
man, results in the healing of her heart. She should, however, never
remain in mourning for her first husband after she has decided she can be
consoled by a second.
There is no reason why a woman (or a man) should not find such
consolation, but she should keep the intruding attraction away from her
thoughts until the year of respect is up, after which she is free to put
on colors and make happier plans.
=MOURNING WORN BY A MOTHER=
A mother who has lost a grown child wears the same mourning as that
prescribed for a widow excepting the white cap ruche. Some mothers wear
mourning for their children always, others do not believe in being long in
black for a spirit that was young, and, for babies or very young children,
wear colorless clothes of white or gray or mauve.
=A DAUGHTER OR SISTER=
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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