First published in 1983, Mourning Dress chronicles the development of European and American mourning dress and etiquette from the middle ages to the present day, highlighting similarities and differences in practices between the different social strata. The result is a book which is not only of major importance to students of the history of dress but also to anyone who enjoys social history.
'What mourning garb has been, and not only for widows but for widowers too, and for children and grandchildren and siblings and servants and subjects, is set out in engrossing historical detail in Lou Taylor's suvery of Mourning Dress, a book at once scholarly and delightful.' - Country Life
'The time is ripe for Lou Taylor's fascinating and discerning study of a subject now in the realm of history.' - Daily Telegraph
'A most valuable addition to the available literature on the history of costume and textiles. It provides the fullest account of its subject, and benefits greatly from the author's treatment of costume as a facet of social history and her wide choice of comparisons from different cultures.' - Journal of Textile History
1. The Function and Ritual of European Funerals 2. The Social Status of Widows 3. The Origins of Fashionable Mourning Dress up to 1600 4. Mourning Dress, 1600-1700 5. Mourning Dress, 1700-1800 6. Mourning Dress 1800-1910 7. Children and Mourning 8. The Mourning Dress and Textile Industries 9. Mourning Jewellery 10. The Colours of Mourning 11. The Breakdown of Mourning Traditions: Mourning Dress from 1910.