Date: c.1910s
Origin: Great Britain
Fabric: Silk & lace
Brand: Custom made
This cap is made from a gathered crown of pale yellow silk crêpe, trimmed with bands of machine lace trims. Decorative silk ribbon bows are appliquéd to the sides of the cap. A silk ribbon is stitched to the hem of the garment, originally forming a channel for a piece of elastic to run through, to give the cap a closer fit (sadly the original elastic has now perished).
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
