From THE EVENING STANDARD Saturday-August 6, 1892-page 6:
"Miss Lizzie and Miss Emma Borden were of course the principal mourners. Miss Lizzie went out of the house first leaning on Undertaker Winward's arm. She was self-conscious, but her nerves were completely unstrung, as was shown by the great trembling of her body and the manner in which she bore down on her supporter. When she reached her carriage she fell back exhausted on the cushions. Miss Emma, the other sister, was much calmer and she walked quickly and took her seat without hardly glancing at the crowds staring at her.
Miss Lizzie Borden appeared as a very pretty woman and quiet fresh. Her face showed traces of the suffering she has borne for three days. Both ladies were without veils."
A female reporter for the Boston Herald describes Lizzie's dress as such:
"She wore a tight fitting black lace dress with a plain skirt and waist of equally modest cut and finish, while a dark hat, trimmed with similar material, rested upon her head."
Once again, no mention of a veil, which seems to be the norm for the time period.
From the Ladies Home Journal 1895:
"As was the custom, she would have added a crepe veil that she would pull over her face whenever she went out for the first three months of her mourning.
The crepe veil would have reached to her waist in the front and in the back.
After that, she could throw the front portion over the back of her head so it draped artistically and just worn a short net veil in front."
There were three stages to Victorian mourning for women; Full Mourning, Second Mourning and Half Mourning. Beginning with the funeral of her parents, Lizzie should have been in Full Mourning.
"Full mourning, a period of a year and one day, was represented with dull black clothing without ornament. The most recognizable portion of this stage was the weeping veil of black crepe. If a women had no means of income and small children to support, marriage was allowed after this period. There are cases of women returning to black clothing on the day after marrying again.
Second mourning, a period of nine months, allowed for minor ornamentation by implementing fabric trim and mourning jewelry. The main dress was still made from a lusterless cloth. The veil was lifted and worn back over the head. Elderly widows frequently remained in mourning for the rest of their lives.
Half mourning lasted from three to six months and was represented by more elaborate fabrics used as trim. Gradually easing back into color was expected coming out of half mourning. All manor of jewelry could be worn.
Mourning for parents ranked next to that of widows; children mourning for their parents or parents for children being identical. One year was the standard length: six months in crepe, three in second, and three in half mourning. Second mourning, without full mourning, is suitable for parents-in-law. After one month in black, lilac should follow."
From this site:http://www.morbidoutlook.com/fashion/hi ... mourn.html
On the Friday of Lizzie's arrest, the description of her clothing follows as such: Lizzie was dressed in a dark blue suit and a pert black hat with a tiny spray of red flowers in the front and a dark blue half veil. I've also seen the hat as described as having small red cherries on it. Doesn't sound like the typical mourning garb or veil Lizzie should have been wearing.
At Lizzie's Trial, she seems to have worn 2 different outfits, from the courtroom drawings they look completely different. It sounds at this point as though Lizzie was in Half Mourning. There are these 2 drawings of Lizzie, this one with Emma and her in the lower left hand corner:
And this one:
Which looks to be the same outfit, the only description I could find of it was in Lincoln's A Private Disgrace, page 211:
"Emma wre mourning; she looked drawn and tense. Lizzie wore blue with red trimmings, and her manner was composed.
Which sounds like it may have not have been suitable for Half Mourning. If Lincoln is correct in her description, the dress sounds too loud. Then there is the black lace dress Lizzie wore to the Trial which seems to be her standard outfit from then on. This dress sounds like the correct type of garment worn by a grieving daughter in Half Mourning. The description sounds much like the dress Lizzie wore to her parent's funeral.
From Kent's Forthy Whacks, page 93:
"She was dressed in black save for a blue plume of feathers in her hat, two blue velvet rosettes in her hair, and an enamelled pansy pin at her throat."
I have also seen it written that Lizzie alternated the pansy pin with a brooch with a child's face on it. This black lace dress dress with small touchs of blue sounds like the only appropriate outfit worn at the approriate time that Lizzie ever wore during her mourning period. If this is the same dress worn the day of her parent's funeral, it was fine, Lizzie just needed to add a veil and she would have been set. There are many pictures of this dress with its lace cape effect and the small chic hat, still no veils for Miss Lizzie though.
All photos from the LBVM&L site.
