Victorian Fashion

Victorian Fashion

The main focus of the Victorian was mixing ideas of other styles, to make another style. The Victorian Fashion style was full of ornamental dressing. Clothing which was dressed by the Victorian Era, were elaborated and restrictive on those who were worn on. The Victorian started at the time period of 1830. Queen Victoria was the ruler of England. When the economy started to risen, it allowed them to make more elaborated dresses. The industrial Boom let the tailors make dresses which easy to saw and made with cheaper fabric. The Victorian Fashion which was created by Queen Victoria in England, where made at a time which completely strict in dress, which almost looked like funeral dresses, this was so because of the death of her husband which she than remained mourning the rest of her life. Queen Victoria let known very strict rules in mourning, which this is shown in movies and in texts. The female’s dress was much elaborated. The dresses where designed to show the way they walked, sat or moved their arms. Woman used to wear colorful stockings and dresses. Dresses and stockings were sawn in the style to show off their figure in the most modest way. The undergarments had flexible steel, this was made so the women can feel more comfortable in there undergarments.

 The Victorian Dress was worn in two separate pieces and the two pieces where connected together by hooks and ties. The sleeve style, of the dress, had various changes and through the years it has changed so many times throughout the Victorian Era. The necklines of the dresses were worn as a high V-neck. The dresses were either worn with one or two skirts, if it were to be worn with two skirts; the underskirt would be longer, all both the skirts to form a short train with the top skirt forming an apron. The underskirt was flared from the knees down to create fullness. At around the 1880^th, the skirt was cut and formed narrow all around the body, letting the body form a slim outline. The dress would be made in differently toned colors, from pastels to darker colors. At that time different shades of green were very popular.

Shoes

In the beginning of the 19^th century shoes were beginning to be made with a right foot and a left foot instead of it being interchangeable. In the 19^th century men usually wore boots, and then later women were accepted to wear boots as ^th century boots and shoes were being mass produced, so they began to be sold cheaper. In the 19^th century boots and shoes were still in the fashion sense and some poor people couldn’t buy them for themselves. Boots and shoes were most frequently worn with heels and pointed or also squared toes.

well. The first time they were made out of leather but later on they began to be made out of rubber. At the end of the century it became fashionable for women to wear shoes once again. In the 19

Hats

Another important accessory was hats.  Hats were often used a protection source from sunlight, to avoid injuries in the eyes. As time passed by, hats became a symbol of style statement and authority. The hats worn by the male and the female were styled and designed differently. For the female hats showed and formed an essential part of her appearance, the female when going out always wore a hat. The hats were made with a layered wire base covered with straw braids, and was made with velvet, satin or cotton material. As a decoration on the hat, they used birds, and this was very fashionable in the last half of the 19^th century.

Make-up

At that time women wanted to look like fragile and delicate ladies. Women usually compared themselves to delicate flowers and emphasize the delicacy and femininity. Women always wanted to look pale and interesting. They used to look pale by drinking vinegar and avoiding going outside for fresh air. Sometimes women used to put on a little bit of rouge on their cheeks, but at that time make-up didn’t seem very nice, especially during the 1870s when social etiquette became more firm and stiff. At that time actresses were allowed to use make up. There make up products available were either chemically or homemade with kitchen coloring like berries

and beetroot. The pale skin showed gentleness. This meant that the higher class women didn’t work in their country so she was not dark skinned. Parasols, a small umbrella, were very important and used to protect their skin from the sun. Rooms were decorated and shuttered with dark heavy velvet curtains to keep out the sun’s rays. They used to paint blue lines on their skin to increase the appearance of delicate translucent skin and for the blue line to look like veins.

Hairstyles

Their hairstyles were very complicated. Their hair was very thick, long and luxuriant in many different styles. As said earlier on hats were a very important part of their outfit. Their used to be pared down in the middle, curled or braided, then it was tied or pinned up. The female only let her hair fall loose around her shoulders when there is an informal occasion. Later in the 19^th century, Victorian Hairstyles became more elaborated. Female started cutting their bangs at around the 1880s. Women at a later stage started to use hot irons to wave or add ringlets to it.

Referencing:

• The Neo-Victorian Parlour: Victorian Underwear. 2013. The Neo-Victorian Parlour: Victorian Underwear. [ONLINE] Available at: http://neovictorianparlour.blogspot.com/2013/02/victorian-underwear.html. [Accessed 02 April 2013].
• Victorian Era: Fashion. 2013. Victorian Era: Fashion. [ONLINE] Available at: http://victorianeracnr.blogspot.com/2011/01/fashion.html. [Accessed 02 April 2013].
• victorian dresses by ~xXColornessXx on deviantART. 2013. victorian dresses by ~xXColornessXx on deviantART. [ONLINE] Available at: http://xxcolornessxx.deviantart.com/art/victorian-dresses-168134377. [Accessed 02 April 2013].
• The Fascinate of Victorian Dress Patterns Victorian Dress Patterns For Children – Fashion Belief. 2013. The Fascinate of Victorian Dress Patterns Victorian Dress Patterns For Children – Fashion Belief. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.fashionbelief.com/the-fascinate-of-victorian-dress-patterns.html/victorian-dress-patterns-for-children. [Accessed 02 April 2013].
• “The Shirley” 1910. What a wonderful example of.... 2013. “The Shirley” 1910. What a wonderful example of.... [ONLINE] Available at: http://hatsfromhistory.tumblr.com/post/5670257896/the-shirley-1910-what-a-wonderful-example-of. [Accessed 02 April 2013].
• Victorian Makeup Styles Image Gallery | vintage makeup guide. 2013. Victorian Makeup Styles Image Gallery | vintage makeup guide. [ONLINE] Available at: http://vintagemakeupguide.com/victorian-look/. [Accessed 02 April 2013].
•  victorian hairstyles | Tumblr . 2013. victorian hairstyles | Tumblr . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/victorian%20hairstyles. [Accessed 02 April 2013].