I'm reading Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, and one line says "She had on a shingle cap and I only saw the back of her head.” Googling around, I found "shingle caps" that are beaded and look like you'd wear them out on the town, as well a pattern for a more modest, crocheted one. I'm guessing it's like a boudoir cap to keep your hair nice while you sleep, so it would be more like the crocheted one. Can a vintage fashion expert confirm this for me?
What is a "shingle cap?"
- Thread starter KateKG
- Start date
Jonathan
VFG Member
Is the reference to the woman wearing it during the day on the train, or after the murder when one of the suspects is seen in the aisle leaving the area of where the murder took place. In the movies I think they usually refer to her wearing a 'dragon robe' or some such exotic style dressing gown. I assume it would be a close fitting cap to keep the hair in place while you slept, like what you have pictured, so essentially a night cap or boudoir cap.
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The woman was seen at 5 am in a scarlet kimono, so I would guess a boudoir cap, too. But online, I've seen "a woman's tight-fitting cloth hat" and "an elaborate beaded hair net," so I wanted to get an expert's opinion! I can't imagine sleeping in a beaded hair net, but maybe there were "going out" shingle caps as well as nighttime ones? Thank you for your reply, and confirming that I'm on the right track.
Jonathan
VFG Member
Boudoir caps were not designed to be slept in - you put them on, with your dressing gown, to appear at the breakfast table, or go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, especially if you were on a train and could run into someone. It 'fixed' your hair problem.
anothertimevintageapparel
VFG Member
A Shingle was also a hair style in the 1920s and 30s.
It would make sense to wear a cap to protect the style.
It would make sense to wear a cap to protect the style.
Interesting! I guess one would like a fancy sort of thing then.
The crocheted caps do look like they were meant to be worn while sleeping to keep one's shingled head from getting weirdly messed up during the night. But I haven't actually seen anything written that said as much, so I have been second guessing myself. Those photos you provided look like they would benefit from a night cap of some kind.
Rue_de_la_Paix
VFG Member
Yes, I was going to say it likely was a reference to a lady's shingle hairstyle of the time. But I am late to the thread!
Thank you for this interesting thread! I posted about it in social media for the VFG.