Date: c. 1920s
Origin: Great Britain
Fabric: Silk
Brand: Custom made
A boudoir cap made of pale blue silk crêpe. The silk is gathered into a circular panel at the crown and lightly shirred to achieve its fit. It is profusely embellished with a range of techniques: a machine needle lace is appliquéd in angular panels, with a ruffled leavers lace trim following the angles of the panel. Silk ribbonwork rosettes are applied symmetrically across the front of the cap.
The boudoir cap was originally 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
