If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Bonnet suitable for very light mourning. It is of eased black silk, with a full piece of white silk, edged with lace, laid on the bonnet from the crown to the front. A black feather is fastened at the side of the crown with a bow of white ribbon. The cape is of white silk, edged with black lace. This inside trimming is formed of violet and white velvet. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

                         Cuir-colored silk bonnet, with a cape of white crepe covered with rich blonde. The trimming is place on top of the bonnet, and is formed of bands of Solferino velvet and feathers. The inside trimming is tulle and Solferino flowers. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

Bonnet of white silk, with
puffed front and cap crown. The cape is very short, and raised on the right
side it display a rose and bud. A bunch of roses with leaves is placed over the
crown. Roses and black velvet with blonde are arranged as an inside trimming. (Godey’s,
October, 1864)

A white silk bonnet, with soft crown of plaid velvet. In the front is a piece of plaid velvet and a tuft of white feathers. Inside is a white tulle cap and scarlet velvet flowers. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

                         The front is composed of black silk[]ased. The crown is soft, and made of plaid silk, so also is the cape. A bunch of variegated flowers is on the left side the inside is a ruching of white tulle, bright flowers, and grasses. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

 Bonnet for light mourning. The front is of black silk, with a fall of chenille fringe drooping over the front. The crown and cape are of white silk, trimmed with a chenille fanchon. The inside trimming is white roses, black grass, and white tulle. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

White silk bonnet, with a double cape of Eugenie blue silk. The bonnet is bound with blue silk, and the puffings are also of blue silk. Black and white grasses with a few scarlet berries are arranged on the outside of the bonnet, and also form part of the inside trimming. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

                         A white silk drawn bonnet, edged with black velvet and white drop buttons. The trimming is composed of crimson tulips and white feathers. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

 A black Neapolitan bonnet, with a white crepe cape covered with white blonde. The trimming of the bonnet is black lace, black ribbon, and salmon-colored flowers. (Godey’s, October, 1864)

Bonnets still continue very small, with scarcely any curtain at the back. Quantities of tulle are used, and this is a most becoming style. (Peterson’s, October, 1864)

Curtianless bonnets are rapidly gaining ground in Paris. Some are but mere caps, almost entirely covered with flowers; others are a half handkerchief, with a small front; and other again have only a fall of lace for the crown. In the next number we will give a very pretty illustration of one of these curtainless bonnets, and the ladies will then be able to decide whether to accept or reject them. (Godey’s, September, 1864)

A Leghorn bonnet, trimmed
with a salmon and black ribbon. The feathers are black. The inside trimming is
composed of scarlet velvet, black lace, and salmon-colored flowers.  (Godey’s, September, 1864)

White silk bonnet, trimmed with violet ribbons and pink roses. A net formed of ribbons is attached to the bonnet.  (Godey’s, September, 1864)

Pearl-colored crape bonnet, trimmed with black lace. A fan of pearl-colored silk and white feathers, The trimming inside is of pink ribbon and stiff white feathers. (Godey’s, September,
1864)

Bonnet of white chip, trimmed with a long white plume. The inside trimming is of Ophelia velvet. (Godey’s, September, 1864)

Bonnets – The capes of the bonnets have almost entirely disappeared. In fact, in Paris, not only the capes, but the crowns also, have disappeared. The bonnets there, during the past summer, have consisted of a straw or tulle front, profusely ornamented with flowers and lace, and only a half-handkerchief of lace falling over the hair at the back, this being trimmed with sprays of flowers – no crown, no cape. It will be seen that we are fast approaching thse models by one of our wood-cuts. Still, the apprehension of neuralgia will prevent us from adopting this style in full for the winter. A Paris authority says:

“The bonnet shape, as it now stands, is small in every respect, and is not intended to hide either hair or face; on the contrary, it seems rather to connive at showing both. The mass of hair at the back, the bandeaux in front, the ears and ear-rings are all left unconcealed. A vast quantity of both white and colored tulle is worn about the bonnets of the present day, which proves soft and vastly becoming, when brought in such close contact with the skin, and will be found advantageous to both old and young faces. Long tulle strings are very general; and tulle is frequently arranged in such away as to do away with the necassity of a cap at the sides. Instead of being placed as a scarf upon the outside of the front, it is placed upon the edge, thus falling half inside and half outside the bonnet; a quilling is then unnedassary, the plain tulle scarf providing equally as becoming, and not crushing so easily as the quilled blonde.” (Peterson’s, September, 1864)

In bonnets, bombazine, crape Maretz silk covered with crape, and all crape with crape ruche inside, are the only styles admissible for deep mourning.

There is no dress that requires more discretion in the choice and arrangement than that called second mourning, but it is one of the most elegant, when well selected.

For half mourning at this season of the year, Mme. Demorest is making black grenadine richly trimmed with flutings and silk, or ribbon quilled and laid on in various designs, while an endless variety of chine grenadines, lustiness, crapes, and Mozambiques, in black, gray, and lavender, give ample scope for a display of taste in all the gradations of mourning dress.

Some very beautiful designs in shawls have been exhibited this summer, in black grenadine with a border composed of white and violet stripes edged with a heavy silk fringe.

Basquines and circulars made in lusterless silk, and without trimming, are in light mourning.

For a half mourning bonnet black tulle puffed and trimmed with violet; or, for full dress, white crape covered with black lace and trimmed with violet flowers and violet strings; the latter is very much admired as a reception bonnet.

One of the most elegant bonnets we have seen this season was composed of a new material having the appearance of fine Tarleton and velvet woven together to form small diamonds; the bonnet was covered plain with the material, while a simple, trailing vine of black ivy leaves, veined with white, fell over the crown and cape inside; white and black flowers and white strings. (Godey’s, August, 1864)

Fig. 4 is a black crinoline bonnet, with loose crown of white spotted tulle; the crown is divided from the bonnet by a shaped piece of pink silk, edged at the bottom with a narrow black velvet and a jet fringe, and having in the centre a group of white roses, rose-buds, and a few tufts of grass; the front edge of bonnet is finished by a narrow guipure lace turned back. The curtain of pink silk edged with a black velvet and jet fringe; the strings are of pink silk, and the cap is of blonde or tulle, trimmed with white roses, buds, and a few fullings of black lace. (Godey’s, August, 1864)

                         Fig. 5 is a dress bonnet, composed entirely of fullings of white tulle, those on the crown being formed into a species of boullions, divided lengthwise at intervals by small artificial pearls; at the top of front, rather towards the left side, is a group of green leaves, with a tuft of white silk or feathers; the curtain is formed of broad white lace. The strings are of white silk, and the cap is of blonde, trimmed at the top with a group of large white flowers. (Godey’s, August, 1864)

 Fig. 7 is a Leghorn bonnet; the front trimmed with a shaped piece of maize silk, plaited like a fan towards the top; at the top is a plume of maize ostrich feathers. Strings of maize silk, and blonde cap with a few roses and rose-buds. (Godey’s, August, 1864)