NOT SO BASIC BLACK

What color does Jane Eyre wear through most of the book? What color did Laura Ingalls Wilder wear for her wedding? What did Queen Victoria wear for most of her life?
The last one, of course, gives away the game.
Black.
By the Victorian era, it was well-known as the color of mourning for Western societies, but it was also a serviceable basic for many women, bereaved or not.
Black didn’t start out as basic, though.
In the Renaissance, there was black, and Burgundian black.
From a sheer technical standpoint, black cloth is tough to make. Before aniline dyes (we’ll get there in a moment!) shades of brown, yellow, and orange were fairly simple, with things like walnut shells and onion husks. Madder reds and indigo, or woad, blues were also possible, if more expensive or difficult to find.
But true black was hard.
True black that looked good was even harder.
Black became a very popular color in the early-modern period, across class lines, and there were some relatively cheap ways to make it. The problem was, they involved metal salts or other mordants that weakened the fabric, or created a rusty tone, or both.
Enter Burgundian black. The famous dye-masters there came up with an elaborate process for producing black cloth with a gorgeous deep blue undertone. Since it required two steps – an initial blue dye of indigo or woad, and then a red dye with a special mordant – it was so expensive that only the richest could afford it. It was also immediately recognizable as special, so it’s no surprise that you see a fair number of people in deep, rich, black outfits in portraits from the time period.
That’s pretty much how matters stayed with black until the invention of aniline dyes in the mid-19th century. Just as they changed everything with bright colors like purples and blues that still shimmer today, so did they upend the game with black.
Within a few years of the first aniline mauve, chemists had come up with a fast, true-black dye. Affordable enough for a governess, and deep enough for a queen.
As black fabric became widely available at an affordable price, more and more women realized just how useful it was to have a plain black dress. Poorer people had always known that dark clothes were easier to maintain than light, and more unobtrusive, when that mattered. But until aniline dye, those humble garments had been dark brown.
An important note here: before the Industrial Revolution, many people, even relatively prosperous ones, had only a few outfits. A woman might well have a couple of daily dresses, an old one for dirty housework, and a “best dress” for church.
Governesses like Jane Eyre had to look respectable and unobtrusive at all times, and simple black dresses were perfect for the task. Not to mention far easier to maintain than a lighter color that might show stains or wear.
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s black wedding dress is more in the line of the “best dress.” Well into the 20th century, women kept one nice dress for important events – and a well-made black dress fit that bill perfectly.
Even now, professional women (and men, too!) keep a black interview suit for occasions when they need to dress to impress…I know I do!

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