Victorian Fashion
Content
Merve Naz Yalçınkaya 100102005 English Language And Litarature 10 May 2013
VICTORIAN FASHION The Victorian Era was a time period between 1830 to the end of the XXth century. Queen Victoria dominated England. With the rise of the economy provided to make high quality clothes. The most important feature of the Victorian Era, it was the best mix of other styles. Cloth making was made easier and cheaper during of this time. The uniqueness of this time period’s fashions set the stage for the styles to come. Dresses were the social standard for women. They had a conservative cut. Corsets were always worn. Dresses generally had many frills, ruffles, and were always long. As is the case in all ages, clear distinctions were drawn between the fashions worn by people from different social backgrounds. The poor invariably wore clothes that were practical, giving few concessions to fashion, while the rich could afford better materials and indulge themselves in more elaborate styles, purely for the look, even though many were extremely uncomfortable to wear. People from all classes tended to keep a special set of clothes for Sunday best. Fashion consciousness; narrow waists were very fashionable for ladies, right up to the end of Victoria's reign. In 1830, the corset was considered a medical necessity. A woman believed to be very fragile, and it is supposed to help to keep some sort of support. This was achieved
by wearing corsets made of steel, wood or bone, which were so tightly laced that they restricted breathing, causing some women to faint. For example a fuller figure; by about 1870 bustles replaced crinoline. Skirts were draped over a frame of padded cushions to give more fullness to the back of the dress. They wore long dresses with high collars made from good materials. Working-class women (except when dressed for special occasions) did not wear the annoying tightly laced corsets. They wore looser corsets and simpler clothes, it was not heavy. Fashion accessories; ladies carried many fashion accessories, particularly when attending social functions. In addition to jewellery, they might carry a fan, such as the one shown here, complete with artificial flower decoration. Hair styles were more elaborate, often incorporating wigs and false hair pieces. Gentlemen usually carried gloves and a walking cane. Changing face of fashion; The invention of the sewing machine did not make seamstresses, tailors and shoemakers redundant (in 1891 over a quarter of a million people worked in clothes manufacture) but instead made more elaborate designs possible. Ladies' shoes in particular became far more daring in their design as a result of mechanisation. Gentlemen wore spats, short cloth gaiters below their trouser bottoms to protect their shoes from mud. Followers of fashion; working class children wore cast-offs or cut-down adult clothes, while wealthier families dressed their children very formally in miniature versions of adult styles. Boys and girls both wore dresses until about five years old. Costume jewellery; many precious and semiprecious stones were imported from the east, particularly from India, where they were quite common , and used to decorate items of fashion jewellery. The usual jewelry worn by men in the Victorian era consisted in stickpins, watches with their attendant keys, chains and fobs and rings. In Europe, only the simplest of jewelry was worn by young, unmarried women crosses, pearls, chains, and mourning
jewellery. Fine jewelry in the Victorian era denoted more than just wealth. It was refer to reflect social standing and status as well as give a message about the nobility and grace of the wearer. Brooches were extremely popular and were worn in a variety of ways by the Victorian woman. They were worn on the shoulder, of course, but also at the neck, waist, in the hair, and on ribbons as necklaces and bracelets. Amethysts, Opals, Turquoise, and Freshwater, baroque and seed pearls are often found in examples of Victorian jewelry. Shoes; men wore boots and it became very often acceptable for women to wear them too. First they were made of leather but later they were made of rubber. On the other hand, at the 19th century, they are still a luxury, and poor families could not buy some boots and shoes for their children. Another important ornament was hat. In first place hats were used to prevent injury and protection from the sun. However, in later years, the hat became a symbol of style and authority. Different types of hats worn by men and women. Birds were used as decorating piece on the hats.
Make up; This time for make-up, women wanted to look like delicate ladies. They compared themselves to flowers and emphasized the delicacy and femininity. They always wanted to look pale. Pallor could be provide by drinking vinegar and avoiding fresh air. Sometimes ladies carefully used a little rouge on the cheeks, but the social etiquette became more strict, especially during the 1870s, make-up was not know very good. A pale skin was a symbol of nobility. It meant that a upper-class lady did not work in the country so she was not dark-skinned . A small light umbrella used as protection from the sun was very popular and it was called parasol. Rooms were shuttered with dark heavy velvet curtains to keep out the sun's rays.
During this period it was thought woman’s hair was the most precious thing on them and very rarely cut. Hairstyles were very complicated. Hair was thick, long, and fancy in many different styles. Only in informal occasions Victorian lady leaving her hair fall loose around her shoulders. When Queen Elizabeth died in 1901 her styles died with her. The XXth century brought simpler fashions. Women’s fashions changed considerable with the rise in feminism in the XXth century. During the Victorian era, there were many fashionable styles and many variety type of dresses.(1) As time progressed more styles were invented and fashion keeps on developing. Fashion became an important factor in people’s lives both in Victorian era and modern society.
Work Cited Guy, John, Victorian Life, Ticktock publishing, 1997 http://victorianeracnr.blogspot.com/ Web Chrisp, Peter A History of Fashion and Costume The Victorian, Bailey Publishing Associates Ltd, 2005 (1) The Victorian Era Fashions http://ww2.wooster.k12.oh.us/highschool/studentprojects/fashiondesign/Victorian Era.htm
VICTORIAN FASHION The Victorian Era was a time period between 1830 to the end of the XXth century. Queen Victoria dominated England. With the rise of the economy provided to make high quality clothes. The most important feature of the Victorian Era, it was the best mix of other styles. Cloth making was made easier and cheaper during of this time. The uniqueness of this time period’s fashions set the stage for the styles to come. Dresses were the social standard for women. They had a conservative cut. Corsets were always worn. Dresses generally had many frills, ruffles, and were always long. As is the case in all ages, clear distinctions were drawn between the fashions worn by people from different social backgrounds. The poor invariably wore clothes that were practical, giving few concessions to fashion, while the rich could afford better materials and indulge themselves in more elaborate styles, purely for the look, even though many were extremely uncomfortable to wear. People from all classes tended to keep a special set of clothes for Sunday best. Fashion consciousness; narrow waists were very fashionable for ladies, right up to the end of Victoria's reign. In 1830, the corset was considered a medical necessity. A woman believed to be very fragile, and it is supposed to help to keep some sort of support. This was achieved
by wearing corsets made of steel, wood or bone, which were so tightly laced that they restricted breathing, causing some women to faint. For example a fuller figure; by about 1870 bustles replaced crinoline. Skirts were draped over a frame of padded cushions to give more fullness to the back of the dress. They wore long dresses with high collars made from good materials. Working-class women (except when dressed for special occasions) did not wear the annoying tightly laced corsets. They wore looser corsets and simpler clothes, it was not heavy. Fashion accessories; ladies carried many fashion accessories, particularly when attending social functions. In addition to jewellery, they might carry a fan, such as the one shown here, complete with artificial flower decoration. Hair styles were more elaborate, often incorporating wigs and false hair pieces. Gentlemen usually carried gloves and a walking cane. Changing face of fashion; The invention of the sewing machine did not make seamstresses, tailors and shoemakers redundant (in 1891 over a quarter of a million people worked in clothes manufacture) but instead made more elaborate designs possible. Ladies' shoes in particular became far more daring in their design as a result of mechanisation. Gentlemen wore spats, short cloth gaiters below their trouser bottoms to protect their shoes from mud. Followers of fashion; working class children wore cast-offs or cut-down adult clothes, while wealthier families dressed their children very formally in miniature versions of adult styles. Boys and girls both wore dresses until about five years old. Costume jewellery; many precious and semiprecious stones were imported from the east, particularly from India, where they were quite common , and used to decorate items of fashion jewellery. The usual jewelry worn by men in the Victorian era consisted in stickpins, watches with their attendant keys, chains and fobs and rings. In Europe, only the simplest of jewelry was worn by young, unmarried women crosses, pearls, chains, and mourning
jewellery. Fine jewelry in the Victorian era denoted more than just wealth. It was refer to reflect social standing and status as well as give a message about the nobility and grace of the wearer. Brooches were extremely popular and were worn in a variety of ways by the Victorian woman. They were worn on the shoulder, of course, but also at the neck, waist, in the hair, and on ribbons as necklaces and bracelets. Amethysts, Opals, Turquoise, and Freshwater, baroque and seed pearls are often found in examples of Victorian jewelry. Shoes; men wore boots and it became very often acceptable for women to wear them too. First they were made of leather but later they were made of rubber. On the other hand, at the 19th century, they are still a luxury, and poor families could not buy some boots and shoes for their children. Another important ornament was hat. In first place hats were used to prevent injury and protection from the sun. However, in later years, the hat became a symbol of style and authority. Different types of hats worn by men and women. Birds were used as decorating piece on the hats.
Make up; This time for make-up, women wanted to look like delicate ladies. They compared themselves to flowers and emphasized the delicacy and femininity. They always wanted to look pale. Pallor could be provide by drinking vinegar and avoiding fresh air. Sometimes ladies carefully used a little rouge on the cheeks, but the social etiquette became more strict, especially during the 1870s, make-up was not know very good. A pale skin was a symbol of nobility. It meant that a upper-class lady did not work in the country so she was not dark-skinned . A small light umbrella used as protection from the sun was very popular and it was called parasol. Rooms were shuttered with dark heavy velvet curtains to keep out the sun's rays.
During this period it was thought woman’s hair was the most precious thing on them and very rarely cut. Hairstyles were very complicated. Hair was thick, long, and fancy in many different styles. Only in informal occasions Victorian lady leaving her hair fall loose around her shoulders. When Queen Elizabeth died in 1901 her styles died with her. The XXth century brought simpler fashions. Women’s fashions changed considerable with the rise in feminism in the XXth century. During the Victorian era, there were many fashionable styles and many variety type of dresses.(1) As time progressed more styles were invented and fashion keeps on developing. Fashion became an important factor in people’s lives both in Victorian era and modern society.
Work Cited Guy, John, Victorian Life, Ticktock publishing, 1997 http://victorianeracnr.blogspot.com/ Web Chrisp, Peter A History of Fashion and Costume The Victorian, Bailey Publishing Associates Ltd, 2005 (1) The Victorian Era Fashions http://ww2.wooster.k12.oh.us/highschool/studentprojects/fashiondesign/Victorian Era.htm
