Mary Lincoln's Fashions

[BettyO]

About floral head dresses -- they were worn by almost all women when attending a ball. Why? Because ladies wore gloves and their wedding ring may, or may not, be visible. A young man could glance accross the room and tell if a woman was married or single by the position of her floral head dress -- married women wore a crown at the top of their head; single women wore a smaller head dress on the back of the head.

Thanks, Donna! I love your book -- the head dress info is extremely facinating....