The Model

The Model, Aline Masson with a White Mantilla

Artist: Garreta, Raimundo de Madrazoy

Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Catholic mass in 1962

A sea of mantillas on young women at mass in Puerto Rico, 01 Dec 1962.

Cellist, Pablso Casals at mass with his wife

Cellist Pablo Casals (up front to the right), his wife Martita (3R) wearing long mantilla, at Mass  in Puerto Rico. Jan 1966

Wearing your mantilla to the theatre!

Arriving in style: British actress Jean Simmons ('Ophelia'), arrives at the Odeon theater for the Premiere of Laurence Olivier's 'Hamlet' wearing a satin gown and a black lace mantilla over her head on May 7, 1948 in London.

She could get away with it in 1948. Might not work so well now. 

Ingrid Bergman in 1945

Ingrid Bergman (in character) in 'Saratoga Trunk' wearing a mantilla, 1945.

1922 Poster

White Mantilla in Oil

La Floreta, 1875

 A young Spanish woman wearing a white lace mantilla.

Engraving

A young Spanish woman in a mantilla, circa 1850. Engraving by A. H. Payne after L. Hicks.

Even more adorable!

Japanese Catholics attend a Mass following the death of Pope John Paul II at the Tokyo Cathedral on April 3, 2005 in Tokyo, Japan.

Adorable!

Girls during Holy Week in Spain.

Spanish oil - 17th Century

Watercolor of the world's first computer programer and her mantilla

 Watercolour portrait by Alfred Edward Chalon of Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852),  wearing evening dress with a mantilla and holding a fan. 01 Jan 1840

"Augusta Ada King, was the daughter of the great Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824). She was a writer and a trained mathematician. King acquired fame by working with Charles Babbage (1791-1871) on the world's first computer, the Analytical Engine, which could carry out many different types of calculations. She designed several computer programmes for the engine which were coded onto cards with holes punched in them - thus becoming the world's first computer programmer. The universally recognised computer language ADA is named after her."

Spanish height!

Another Goya

1800 Maria Luisa with mantilla by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (Prado)

Queen Paola at a funeral in 2009

 King Albert II of Belgium and Queen Paola during the funeral ceremony of Prince Alexandre of Belgium. 

4 December 2009

Laken, Brussels. 

Spanish Dancer Wearing a Lace Mantilla

TITLE: Spanish Dancer Wearing a Lace Mantilla

ARTIST: Mary Cassatt

OWNER: Smithsonian American Art Museum

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States of America

DATE OF CREATION: 1873 AD

More Post Modern Mantillas

Circa 1995. 

Another photo of Mrs Kennedy

Kennedy Family on Easter Sunday

April 14, 1963

Jacquline Kennedy at the funeral of Robert Kennedy

Original caption: A mantilla covering her head, Mrs. John F. Kennedy prays at St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the body of her brother-in-law, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, lies in state. June 07, 1968

Mantilla in oil

Charlotte of Monaco wearing a mantilla

Princess Caroline's daughter Charlotte Casiraghi adjusts her mantilla during a mass for the first anniversary of Prince Rainier's death at Monaco cathedral April 6, 2006.

Paintball mantilla?

Circa 2004.

In Poland

Late Polish President Lech Kaczynski's daughter Marta attends a funeral mass for her parents at St.John's Cathedral in Warsaw on April 17, 2010.

A Post Modern Mantilla?

I think I'll pass on this one. 

How to Make a Chapel Veil | eHow.com

How to Make a Chapel Veil | eHow.com

From eHow.com

By ValerieK, eHow Contributor

updated: October 12, 2010

Chapel veils or mantillas, have been part of religious history since Christianity began. According to St. Paul´s Epistle to the Corinthians, "Every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, disgraceth her head." (Corinthians 11:5). A chapel veil signifies respect and reverence for the church. Rooted in the Catholic faith, parishioners often wear chapel veils during church services and occasionally wear them during wedding ceremonies. You can create your own chapel veil for a traditional look for your wedding ceremony.

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring tape

• Ruler

• Rotary circle cutter

• Scissors

• Sewing needle

• Straight pins

• Fabric chalk

• Fabric such as lace or tulle

• Border fabric

• Embellishments

• Iron

• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Measure from the top middle of your head to a stop point on one side. Stop your measurement no farther than your shoulders for a traditional chapel veil or to the floor if you are using a cathedral chapel veil. Be sure to wear the shoes you will wear during the service because this can affect the total length. Double this measurement.

2. Cut out fabric to match the length you measured. Use a metal ruler if you will be using a straight-edged shape such as a rectangle and mark your cutting lines. Use a rotary circle cutter for a a circular or oblong chapel veil. Cut out the fabric in the desired shape.

3. Place a cloth over the fabric. Iron the fabric on a low setting in slow circular motions.

4. Pins the border to the main fabric. Sew the bordering lace using a simple stitch. Use a craft glue or bonding adhesive for a no-sew option.

5. Add embellishments, such as iron-on appliques, pearl beads or sequins. The chapel veil is a traditional garment and often less is more.

6. Analyze your veil. If the veil seems bare, add more embellishments. If it is too short, go back to Step 2 and use a seam ripper to separate the central fabric from the border. Cut out a new section of fabric and start over. Try the veil on to make sure it fits as you envisioned it and make necessary adjustments. Place the finished veil in a garment bag to safely store it

Another Manet

Portrait of Emilie Ambre as Carmen by Edouard Manet, 1880

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Jacqueline Kennedy on her way to mass

Jacqueline Kennedy, wearing a cream lace mantilla, on her way to attend Mass on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1962

 Ravello, Italy

Mantilla in Oil: Lola de Valence by Edouard Manet

Lola de Valence by Edouard Manet

1862

Queen Elizabeth at a Windsor Funeral

Protestants veiled once too.

In this photo, a hat is worn by Her Majesty, a mantilla by the Duchess of Windsor and a hat and veil by the late Queen Mother at a funeral for the Duke of Windsor .

Photo Caption - 3rd June 1972: Queen Elizabeth II followed by the Duchess of Windsor (1896 - 1986) and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900 - 2002) as they leave St Geoge's Chapel, Windsor after the funeral service for the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII.

Queen Elizabeth II with the Duchess of Windsor, 3rd June 1972

What Color Mantilla? Black or White?

It doesn't much matter these days what color you wear. There are no hard and fast rules. 

Traditionally, however, you wore black if you were married and ivory or white if you were unmarried. 

As a married woman, therefore, I usually wear black. In the summer I occasionally wear an ivory mantilla depending on my attire and if I think that the black feels a little too dark.

Catherine de Medici

Portrait of Catherine de Medici wearing a chapel veil.

Lady Gaga dons the mantilla

Lady Gaga wore a mantilla to her grandfather's funeral on Monday.

She looks very respectable. Maybe the trend will catch on with some of her fans?

Source 

Oscar Romero

Photo of a woman wearing a mantilla during a mass said by Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, October 1979.

Mantilla Amontillado: The famous ecclesiastical fashionista speaks

Guest post by Mantilla Amontillado.

OK hon. You asked me why I wear the mantilla. It's easy. I wear the mantilla first of all because it looks good and because it is ridiculous. You think hats are simply to keep your head warm? You're crazy, then everybody would just wear a woolen stretchy hat.

No a good hat is something, you know, slightly crazy. A good hat stands the world upside down. A really good hat is totally useless and reminds everyone that not everything has to be useful and that useful is usually another word for ugly.

Still. This is not ugly. No. This mantilla is to look good. So what's wrong with looking good? Also, it is for something else. The Bible says women should cover their heads in church. When I wear the mantilla I'm saying, "Look here. I believe the Bible." In this day and age, that's ridiculous too. You see, it is the way I fly the flag. It is my way of saying, "I'm a Christian, and what are you going to do about it?"

Third reason I wear the mantilla is because it is Catholic. Do you think you'll ever see one of those Protestant gals at the mega church wearing a mantilla? I don't think so. They're dressed in sloppy jeans, flip flops and slurping a latte. You call that church? I call it slouch. My mantilla is my Catholic badge of courage.

Fourth reason: I met this Amish girl once. She was wearing one of those little bonnets that look like the thing you collect strawberries in, but it was white and upside down on her head.

I say, "Why are you wearing that crazy thing on your head?"

She looks me in the eye and says "It is the sign that I am submissive to God and to men."

I nearly punched her in the eye. "Are you crazy? You want to be submissive to God and men? What's wrong with you? I think I'm going to slap you girl!"

She says, "Well, you got to be submissive to something. Everybody's got to take orders from someone. Who you going to take orders from? Yourself? Who do you think you are? God? Get over it."

Whew! talk about radical statements? That one knocked me for a loop. Then I start to think about it, and I think maybe she's right. So I got my own version of the Amish bonnet which is my mantilla, and I'm happy about the submissive to God thing, but I want to argue with her about the submission to man thing because so many of the boys are beasts.

But never mind that. Another reason: I wear it because it annoys liberal Catholics, and that is always fun, you know?

Finally there is this: I wear it to remind the men in my life that I am submissive to God, and I'll tell you a secret, I'd like to find one of them I could be submissive to as well, but they better watch out because if they take advantage of that they're going to be sorry, because if they think 'submissive' means I'm going to be some kind of Minnie Mouse doormat they'd better think again.


Republished with thanks to Fr Longenecker. First posted at Standing on my Head.

'Mantilla With Me' featured on Catholic Answers Live!

On 9 September 2010 the topic of veiling in church was discussed by Patrick Coffin on Catholic Answers Live.

Mantilla With Me is mentioned at the 3:45 mark! It's at about 3/4 of the way through - towards the end.

Click here to listen to the discussion if you have trouble listening to it on this site.

___________________________

If you'd like to post this radio clip on your own site, email me (mantillawithme at gmail.com) and I will send you the html code.

Cherie gets it right

Despite her previous faux pas - and although not required - Cherie Blair donned a black lace mantilla for the recent mass held by Pope Benedict XVI at Westminster Cathedral during his State Visit to England (18 September 2010). Lovely!

New Blogger at Mantilla With Me: Señora Elaine!

Please join me in welcoming the newest member of the Mantilla With Me blog team, Señora Elaine!

Elaine is a convert to wearing chapel veils, but not a convert to the faith. A lifelong Catholic, she embraced her faith more fully soon after college. She has been married 9 years and homeschools her three children.

Besides being a witness to the beauty of veiling at her novus ordo parish (where almost nobody else wears a veil), Elaine's interests include whole foods cooking, reading, sewing and knitting, supporting local politics and childbirth advocacy. She's come a long way from her skater chick, punk rock days of her young adulthood, but still retains a strong individualist streak.

Elaine is our photography blogstress: she will be posting interesting and beautiful photos of women wearing mantillas from all over the world.

You can preview her work and exquisite taste at her blog: Wear Your Mantilla.

Veil Winners

Veils by Lily has some very beautiful veils and our four winners will soon be receiving one! 


Congratulations to: 

Mandy

Anne Burke-Herrera

Lindsay Piedra 

Kim (MommaF8) 


A special fifth veil is going to Suzanne who emailed in after hearing about the giveaway on Catholic Answers at Spirit 102.7!

I'll be emailing soon to get your mailing address. 

Thank you everyone for your entries. Hopefully we'll be able to arrange another giveaway soon! 


And thank you again to Lily at Veils by Lily! I hope you will continue to support her wonderful work! 

Giveaway: Four Mantillas from Veils by Lily

It's giveaway time here at Mantilla With Me.

To celebrate the launch of Veils by Lily we have mantillas for four lucky readers! 

Two of the mantillas are ivory while the other two are black. 

To enter please post a comment below (remember we need some way of getting in touch with you so make sure we can access this info via your profile page or include an email address).

Plus we'll give additional entries to anyone who posts about the giveaway (including a link) on their blog or who cc's us in on an email to their friends and family about the giveaway.

You get two extra entries if you do both! 

Our email address is mantillawithme at gmail dot com.

Entries close Thursday 16 September. 

With thanks to Veils by Lily! 

Faux Pas: Politicos and Popes

We've had the best. Now the rest.

1. Queen Sofia

Queen Sofia of Spain with Pope Benedict XVI.

Normally I'm a fan of Queen Sofia (Spain), especially in terms of her sartorial elegance.  But when it comes to papal audiences, she has a history of sticking with the protocols that suit her (like wearing white) while ignoring others (the mantilla).

If you're going to exercise your privilège du blanc - granted as a sign of respect for Catholic monarchs - then make a return gesture of respect by donning a mantilla.

With Pope John Paul II. 

2. Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson - former Irish President

In 1997, Irish President Mary Robinson visited the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II sans mantilla and wearing a green suit. I haven't been able to find a photo of it but it stirred up some debate in Ireland at the time since it was speculated that her choice of attire was deliberately provocative. 

Her successor, Mary McAleese, sensibly chose to wear black when she met Pope John Paul II in 2003 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 (photo below) but was likewise sans mantilla. 

Pope Benedict XVI with Irish President

Mary McAleese, 23 March 2007

3. 

Winnie Mandela

I haven't been able to find a photo of 

this, but according to the Catholic News Service 'Winnie Mandela, who was the wife of then-vice president of the African National Congress Nelson Mandela, wore a long lacy dress that was whiter than the pope's vestments in a June 15, 1990, visit to the Vatican.' 

4. Raisa Gorbachev

Raisa Gorbachev with Pope John Paul II, December 1989.

It's a faux pas that still gets discussed. This monumental meeting between the Polish pope and the last head of state of the USSR was almost over shadowed by the bright red dress worn by Mrs Gorbachev. 

5. Cherie Blair

The wife of then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Cherie Blair 

meets Pope Benedict XVI, 28 April 200

What's wrong with this photo? Well, she's in white (a privilege reserved only for reigning Catholic monarchs), she should be in black, her head isn't covered and she's a celebrity heterodox 'Catholic' who likes to publicly criticize church teachings. In fact, according to some accounts, she's on a one-woman mission to modernize the church. 

I'm going to make a point of praying for her more often.