Veils: Why Was It Chic to Hide?

Why did fashionable women hide their faces behind delicate black veils? From Victorian mourning veils and Edwardian fashion to Christian Dior’s New Look and the glamorous fashion photography of the 1950s, the history of the face veil reveals a fascinating relationship between beauty, mystery, and the desire to be seen. In this fashion history documentary, we explore how veiled hats, fine black netting, and elegant millinery became essential elements of women’s fashion. Discover the practical origins of Edwardian motoring veils, the social conventions of Victorian mourning, and the extraordinary transformation of the veil through Hollywood glamour and Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist haute couture. We also examine how legendary fashion photographers Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Lillian Bassman used veils to create some of the most memorable images of 20th-century fashion, featuring models such as Jean Patchett, Dovima, and Suzy Parker. From the elaborate hats of the early 1900s to the sophisticated elegance of 1940s and 1950s fashion, this is the story of an accessory that made women more intriguing precisely by concealing part of their faces. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Irving Penn & Jean Patchett: Vogue Cover, April 1950 01:55 — Edwardian Fashion: Motoring Veils & Hats, 1905 03:51 — Victorian Mourning Veils & 19th-Century Fashion 05:22 — Vintage Hats, Face Veils & Women’s Millinery 06:07 — Hollywood Glamour: Veiled Hats & 1930s Fashion 07:19 — Elsa Schiaparelli & Salvador Dal