Victorian Ladies Dress
What would you wear if yoga pants weren't invented yet?
It’s easy to pine for the good old days—until you find out what those people had to go through even for something as simple as getting dressed in the morning. Back in the Victorian era you couldn’t just slap on a pair of yoga pants and a tee-shirt and call it quits. There was a lot more involved.
Victorian women’s clothing covered their entire body. Any skin peeking out was a no no—unless, of course, you were going to a fancy ball. Then you could show your shoulders and/or top part of your bosom. So let’s start with the layer next to your skin.
Stockings
The first thing you’ll put on is your stockings. Black was the normal daytime color. They weren’t very elastic, though, so you’d have to put on garters as well.
Drawers
This is a fancy name for underpants. This garment was made of cotton and consisted of two flaps that overlapped and attached around the waist.
Decency Skirt
The first of potentially several layers was a narrow petticoat called a “decency” skirt—so named because it protected your lady bits from view if the skirt was blow up by the wind.
Shoes
Yes, you read this right. You need to put your shoes on now because once you shimmy into that corset, you won’t be able to bend over and put your shoes on.
Chemise
The last item to complete your first layer is a knee-length, sleeveless undershirt generally made of cotton or linen.
Corset
These bad boys had the power to crush your internal organs and lower sets of ribs. The corset pulled in the waist and supported the bust. This was done by means of whalebone or flexible steel slats. Over the course of the Victorian era, corsets lengthened, but they always remained super tight to give you an hourglass figure.
Crinoline
Hoop crinolines became popular in the mid 1850s. This framework created the bell-shape so often seen in Victorian paintings and drawings.
Bustle
Eventually crinolines evolved into bustles, giving emphasis to the rear of the gown. Bustles were made out of different things depending upon what you could afford, from bags filled with horsehair to steel or whalebone cages.
Camisole
Another name for this is a corset cover. It’s a white, short, kind of like a shirt-type piece of clothing that’s worn over the corset to protect outer garments from perspiration and oils.
Petticoat
This is your next layer of skirting, which protects your skirt from the boning or steel in the hoops. And sometimes women wore two of these puppies, the second one with embroidery to peek out of the gown.
Bodice
Think short, tight jacket and you’ll have the general idea. Bodices were very fitted and tight.
Skirt
Depending on the decade, your skirt may or may not have a train, but it would for sure be floor-length.
Undersleeves
This layer protected the hem of your sleeve and also protected sweat from soaking into the outer layers.
Shawl/Cape
These weren’t just for going outside. Victorian homes could be chilly.
Hat/Bonnet
Don’t leave home without one.
Parasol
Tan skin was for the lower classes. Real ladies protected their skin from the sun.
Fan
If you’re going to a ball, this is a must-have.
Broach
The most common type of ornamentation was plain silver or pearls, though emerald was accepted as well.
Whew. Just typing all that up made me tired. But wait—that’s just for the first time you dressed. You’d change for church, or tea, or going to the theater, or going to dinner, or going for a ride, or…get the idea? Yeah. Basically your day was spent getting in and out of clothes. I don’t know about you, but when I get up in the morning and wriggle into a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt, I call it quits.
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