Date: c. 1925
Origin: United States
Fabric: Silk ribbon, lace and cotton tulle
Brand: Simonettes
A boudoir headband in fine silk ribbon, silk tulle, machine lace and silk ribbonwork rosettes. The silk ribbons interlock around the head, with a bow embellishing the crown. The centre back of the headband is made of a channel of silk ribbon, which would have originally been elasticated. Sadly due to the age of the garment, the elastic has now perished.
This luxurious boudoir headband would have been worn as a form of decorative lingerie, rather than for the purpose of protecting the hair as with traditional boudoir caps. The ‘cage’ effect of the interlocking silk ribbons would have offered little coverage to the hair. It’s a style that prioritises aesthetic over practicality. The style was patented on 05-12-25.
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
