There were strict rules for how long you had to go into mourning in the victorian times, depending on the degree of relationship and standing of the deceased and which could extend up to a whole year.
That is why a woman in a mourning dress was not a rare sight these days.

This outfit is a tailbodice and a lace-apron over a plain skirt.
Even the underwear, consisting of a petticoat and bloomers, is mourning-black.

The matching accessoiries are the Mourning Hat and the Bag for the Mourning Robe.

Photos: Eric Aisling (2015)

* back *

The petticoat is made with the Truly Victorian pattern (TV170, Victorian Petticoats). The entire hemline is embroidered black-in-black.

The pattern for the plain skirt is once more based on the Burda pattern (7880).

The bloomers are made with a pattern from McCalls (6770), also without any changes. The ruffled hemline is embroidered like the one on the petticoat.

The lace-apron is closed with a knot on the back, so that the ends hang loosely. The sides are slightly gathered and the hemline is trimmed with a lace-ribbon. The pattern is roughly based upon the other apron patterns I used so far.

The bodice is made after the Truly Victorian pattern (TV462, 1883 Tail Bodice). Even if it was ment to be a mourning robe up from the start, I did not want to keep it all in jet black. The compromise is now a combination out of pure black and the brocade fabric with the dark violet roses, enough colour, but little enough that it can still be called a mourning robe :-)
You can see in the picture the interior view with the tunneled boning just before the lining was added. It was really a challange to turn the piece after I added the lining because of the boning and the very thickly brocade fabric ;-)
I especially like the little black rose buttons, which just perfectly match the dress.

Petticoat, skirt and bloomers completed: 2013
Lace-apron and bodice completed: 2014

The complete outfit was first presented at the fashion show of the Aethercircus 2014 by Clara McCrimmon.

Status: in my Klamottenkiste and I wore it for example at the Anno 1900 Steampunk Convention 2022

Photos: NeedMoreCoffeeMan (2014)