Black and the Shroud of History
Words by Mathilda Gatsby
Edited by Rachel Hambly and Bailey Tolentino
Portrait of Madame X By John Singer Sargent (1884). Source: Portrait of Madame X - Wikipedia
Black is the absence of color, the lack of reflection, and the absorption of light. In purely physical terms, black can exist without any light at all, but when black clothes are being made, manufacturers often weave together many different shades, such as darker blues and reds. Plant materials, such as acorns or walnuts, have their tannins removed and used as natural dyes, while synthetic black dyes can be made from oxidized iron, nickel, or chrome compounds. Black clothing has historically been difficult and expensive to manufacture, and in fashion history, it first appears around the thirteenth century on the backs of fashion-forward aristocrats or clergymen. From uniforms, suits, and Little Black Dresses, we see the light-absorbing colour go from a class indicator to a symbol of culture and counter-cultural iconicism. From wealth, respectability, and sophistication, to death, mystery, and accessibility, black is the chameleon of colors. How is it that black has become so commonplace, and how has this versatile shade become the uniform of grief?
Once a symbol of elegance and wealth in Western culture, black used to be what beige is today: the uniform of the wealthy. Clothing has always been a class indicator: “from rags to riches” is a phrase everyone knows that evokes the influence of fashion on the portrayal of wealth. Because it has a longer manufacturing process, it's easy to see why black was an expensive color, worn only by society’s elites. Throughout the Middle Ages, there were ‘sumptuary laws’ that dictated what could and could not be worn across different social classes, with black appearing as a marker of wealth around the thirteenth century. Notably, we see high-class figures wearing it in portraits such as Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait (1434) or the portrait of Anne Boleyn at the National Portrait Gallery. In our era of overconsumption and fast fashion, we take for granted the work that goes into producing rich colors and hues like black or blue. Still, to the people of the past, it was significantly more apparent.
Coco Chanel in 1935. Source: Marie Claire UK
Black has appeared in many of the most famous moments in modern fashion history. The famous Portrait of Madame X by John Singer Sargent caused a scandal at the French salon when it debuted in 1884, originally featuring socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau’s strap falling off her shoulder. Following the Great Depression and World War I, black was one of the more readily available colors, as manufacturing processes became cheaper and synthetic dyes became easier to produce. Coco Chanel revolutionized and democratized wearing black for women when she created her “Little Black Dress” in 1926 as a feminine alternative to the men's suit. When Vogue published a drawing of a simple black dress in crepe de Chine, draped in pearls and dubbed “Chanel’s Ford,” the LBD was canonized into fashion history. Post-war design, such as this, saw the rise in counter-culture and statement fashion. Two iconic examples of such a statement include Audrey Hepburn’s iconic Givenchy LBD from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Princess Diana’s famous “Revenge Dress.” The democratization of black became an icon of stylistic change. Garments such as black leather jackets and latex pencil skirts slipped their way into cultural revolutions, notably the punk rock movement. You cannot imagine gothic aesthetics or Halloween costumes without the idea of something black, or contemporary workwear without at least one black jacket. Most people can find a black vest or pair of leggings in their wardrobe, particularly as Kim Kardashian’s Skims basics have become statements of modern wealth. Black made its way from wealthy wardrobes into the most versatile and basic staple.
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). Source: Classic Critics Corner
Princess Diana’s “Revenge Dress” 1994. Source: Harper's Bazaar
It is entirely unsurprising that it was the Victorians who started to change the perception of black as a symbol of mourning in Western culture, considering the cultural and technological changes of the Nineteenth Century. It was Queen Victoria who popularized black mourning when she wore it to the funeral of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861, and continued to wear it for the remainder of her life. In contemporary culture, black is elegant and sophisticated, but also a reminder of darkness. Absorbing light, the dark shade makes its way into the color palette for funerals and for winter, the time when things hibernate or die; when color is stripped from the world. We all know that death is natural, so it would make sense in Western culture that our outward appearance reflects our inner grief, and the protective layering of darkness provided by mourning black. Looking at color psychology, black then becomes a means of blending in and retreating: of stylistic presentability and collective identity. When we wear black to funerals or walk the streets of dreary London, we become part of a collective identity that reflects the emotive turmoil of contemporary overstimulation. In our fast-paced and ever-changing world, it makes sense that black became the uniform of calm and a representation of our technological materiality.
Queen Victoria in mourning black, 1880s. Source: History Today: Getty Images
Do we wear black because it contains multitudes, or because it contains nothing at all? What better way to honor a loved one than to wear a shade steeped in rich history and reflecting natural and cultural processes of change? Black is more than the absence of color; it is an indication of our social and cultural institutions, reflecting a history of change and a depth of emotion.