I have enjoyed this book and learnt more about Queen Victoria throughout the dresses she wore in her life.
In the last chapter we learn that Queen Victoria introduced the Stuart cap to the fashion industry, which was a garment inspired in Mary, Queen of Scots. A Victorian mourning cap was identified by its black colour or tone. The more recent the loss the simpler the design. The shape of the cap depended on the age of the widow but the most common was peaked at the front. Young widows wore mainly the Mary Stuart shape, but all widows' caps had long streamers. A Mary Stuart cap is a type of hat which was made well known in the 16th century, thanks to it regularly appearing in portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots. This specially styled cap became quite fashionable for a small period of time, and even became part of formal mourning dress until the 19th century.
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