Matte is the new black

It goes without saying that black is back in a big way. All the runway shows were filled with lithe models gliding along draped in head to toe black. So, I wasn’t surprised to learn that Anna Wintour was mounting the first show in her newly named costume institute gallery appropriately titled Death Becomes Her – a century of morning attire.

But, what struck me as the take away from this exhibit was the matte finish of all the fabrics. At first I thought this was due to the age of the clothes, some almost two hundred years old. But, I was pleased to discover that the manufacturers and designers developed special “mourning” finishes to convey an appropriate somber feeling to the clothes. The other oddity was that the strict social codes applied mostly to women. I guess men don’t mourn or they didn’t feel color in clothing was important in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Their mourning attire didn’t look much different than every day clothing.

Go see the exhibit. After a half an hour submereged in this matte black world, you’ll be craving a little less shine!

Here’s a slide show from the exhibit.