ext_76136 ([identity profile] calzephyr77.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] 1word1day2021-06-18 05:18 pm

Friday Phrase: Mother Hubbard

If you have heard this old nursery rhyme, you probably didn't think too much about Mother Hubbard:


Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the Cupboard,
To give the poor Dog a bone;
When she came there,
The Cupboard was bare,
And so the poor Dog had none.


But, did you know that a Mother Hubbard is also a piece of clothing inspired by the nursery rhyme? Mother Hubbards are long, wide and loose-fitting dresses with long sleeves and a high neck. They are extremely modest and developed during Victorian times.

Alas, the Mother Hubbard has a negative connotation as well--colonizers and missionaries introduced the style to "civilize" BIPOC people, so aghast were they at nudity. The Mother Hubbard lives on in various designs, however, mostly notably the Hawaiian muumuu.

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