Monica, I've seen later versions of the habit, and you are right that the headgear did look like a bonnet, which you pointed out wasn't around until after Mother Seton's death in 1821. And the dress itself is more in the style of the 1840s or 50s. So I think that habit evolved from whatever Mother Seton chose, which one assumes would have been more in the style of 1810-20. (Here choice COULD, of course, been a style earlier than that, but it couldn't have been later!)
As Marjorie points out, this headgear looks like a cap, but I just haven't seen references to black caps, even for mourning. That is why I'm asking if it was an Italian thing. Ann Wass -----Original Message----- From: Marjorie Wilser <the3t...@gmail.com> To: Historical Costume <h-cost...@indra.com> Sent: Thu, Feb 28, 2013 2:11 am Subject: Re: [h-cost] Italian Widow's Dress? To me, Seton's headgear appears to be a somewhat wilted version of the mob cap, not stiffened like a bonnet, or really much shaped like one. Not a poke bonnet because it doesn't hide her face. == Marjorie On Feb 27, 2013, at 4:45 PM, Monica Spence wrote: > I went to school at Seton Hill College (now Seton Hill University). > It is > run by Mother's Seton's Sisters of Charity, so I've seen the bonnet up > close. It reminds me of the poke bonnet that became popular in the > Romantic > and Crinoline periods. A bit early, I know, but just a thought that > it may > be an early version of the style. > > Monica Spence _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume