Date: c. 1920s
Origin: Unknown
Fabric: Floral printed rayon and machine made lace
Brand: Unknown
A boudoir cap in a floral printed rayon, with small rosebud motifs in shades of red and blue. The cap is highly decorative, with intricate manipulation to the rayon fabric forming much of the embellishment. The front of the cap features a panel of pin tucked rayon, framed with bands of appliquéd machine made lace. The ears of the cap are covered into gathered rosettes of ribbonwork, formed from rouleau tubes of the rayon fabric. The rosettes are edged in a Schiffli embroidered tulle.
The boudoir cap is a type of lingerie headwear, most commonly worn during the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. It was originally worn over undressed hair, worn in the privacy of the boudoir alongside nightwear. In the 1910s and 1920s, it would be commonly worn to protect shorter hair styles during sleep. As the designs became more and more elaborate towards the 1930s, it began to be considered more of a decorative hair net. Like other forms of lingerie, boudoir caps were usually made in fine fabrics such as lace, tulle and satin. Embellishment was often profuse, with techniques such as ribbonwork being particularly commonplace.
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
