A new exhibit at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art explores how high fashion influenced bereavement rituals during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In this episode, Jessica Regan, co-curator of the exhibit Death Becomes Her, discusses how the silhouettes of women’s clothing changed during this time period and how elaborate mourning rituals created a booming business for dress makers, as well as a costly investment for women who needed to wear black for an entire year. As you can see here, the ghostly white mannequins dressed in somber black create a positively spooky effect.
Jessica also shares some of her fashion and textile must-sees at the Met.
Outro: Fauré’s Requiem in D Minor, Op. 48: Introit, The Choire of King’s College Cambridge, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment & Stephen Cleobury
Photos courtesy of the Met’s Costume Institute.
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Fantastic podcast. So fascinating.
Glad you liked! Thanks for listening!
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Please make more Threadcults! I love your podcast and check every week just in case. Either way, thank you for the ones you’ve created already.
Are you planning to continue your podcasts? They’re really great. I especially liked the podcasts about fabric dyeing.