The phrase refers to an ensemble meant to duplicate the looks of Lizzie Borden, notably as she may be imagined across the time of the notorious 1892 murders of her father and stepmother. This apparel sometimes contains parts similar to a late Nineteenth-century costume, typically in a darkish coloration, and will incorporate a prop hatchet to allude to the alleged homicide weapon. The presentation is primarily for celebratory occasions occurring on or round October thirty first.
The enduring curiosity on this apparel highlights society’s fascination with true crime and historic figures, even these related to macabre occasions. The selection to embody such a determine, whereas probably controversial, displays a want to have interaction with narratives that problem societal norms and discover darker facets of human historical past. The act of dressing up could be seen as a way of confronting and processing unsettling occasions from a secure, distanced perspective.