] ... she had been instructing the scullery maids on the proper way to do the washing up, and she just draped a dish towel over her head...

...just as little girls do when they put pajama bottoms on their head, pretend their brush is a microphone, and sing in front of the mirror.

Or she has "made wretched work" of a turban.

Or she's waiting for her hair to dry...

I always had the impression this was an expensive version of headress worn by urbanites like Miss Bingley and Lady Catharine. I guess if you wanted to show you were wealthy you'd spend money on a lot of extra silk to make these kinds of "hats". It seems more formal than the simple country fashions around Meryton. Lizzie and her sisters only wear flowers and ribbons in their hair for formal occasions. LC is over the top she'd probably wear a tiara to bathe, so it doesn't surprise me she's wearing this for informal house parties. This is just MHO based on my viewing of P&P2.

Tanya Virginia