How to dress for reenactment
of the Victorian Women.
The fashionable Victorian lady wore a multiplicity
of garments that reflected her station in life.
Her clothing was restrictive and confining.
Servants or other women who had to work for a living
wore much simpler clothing in fewer layers.
The basic shape was tightly corseted on top and a
rounded "bell" shape from the waist down.
Everyone wore petticoats, even the poor, but not as many.
The "crinoline" or hoop skirt was all the rage.
Sleeves were usually long with a variety of widths
from tightly fitted jackets to the wide "pagoda" sleeves
with a second set of narrower sleeves underneath.
Necklines were high.
No respectable Victorian woman
would go out without a hat!
Look for hats that can be shaped
into bonnets to be tied underneath the chin,
or a "mob cap" if you’re one of the working class.
Aprons, shawls, brooches, market baskets, reticules,
and lace collars can complete your look.
UNDERGARMENTS:
Proper undergarments are crucial
in achieving the Victorian silhouette.
The wasp waist was a gift of the tightly laced corset,
and the skirts were borne out
by a vast number of petticoats, starched and flounced,
or a lesser number of petticoats and a hoop.
The undergarments worn by most women included:
BLOUSES:
Blouses were always long-sleeved and high-necked and
were usually worn with a wide belt of some kind and
sometimes a jacket or bolero.
A blouse worn without a jacket was
considered very informal,
on about the same level as a housedress.
Blouses were almost always made of plain white cotton,
sometimes embroidered or trimmed
with lace and buttoned up the front.
SKIRTS:
Although a great variety of skirt styles were available,
all were very full, at least 120" around the bottom hem.
Waist bands were about 2" wide.
Skirts should be hemmed so that they do not drag.
BODICES:
Generally speaking, a day dress bodice
had a high neck and long sleeves.
It buttoned or hooked up the front
(occasionally up the back)
and was usually sewn to the skirt,
though it was almost always constructed separately.
The skirt and bodice fabric matched.
A ballroom gown bodice was cut very low in
the neck so as to expose the shoulders.
The sleeves were short to above the elbow.
This bodice was usually tightly laced up the back and,
like the day dress, was constructed separately and then
sometimes sewn onto the skirt.
JACKETS:
Jackets and jacket-type bodices were commonly w worn in the 1850s
and almost completely replaced the back lacing or
hooking bodice for day wear.
They usually had bell-shaped or pagoda sleeves;
fastened with ties, frogs, or hooks;
and were cut very wide over
the hips or had a separate flared skirting
sewn to it at the waistline.
Another popular jacket style
was the zouave, or bolero,
that came down only to the waist or a little above.
sleeves were long cylindrical and sometimes slit up the
back of the arm to the elbow.
This collar-less jacket was cut away in a curve in
the front and had no front fastening,
except maybe a
hook and eye or button and loop at the neck.
OUTERWEAR:
Choices for outerwear include the shawl,
cape or cloak, coat, or pelerine
(shoulder cape with long lappets hanging down the front).
HATS:
No one would be on the streets without a hat.
one can choose from a variety of bonnet and hat styles
(all elaborately trimmed) or,
for the lower classes, wear a simple mob cap.
Hair should be tucked under your hat or
tied back, not left loose,
and all modern hairstyles and colors must be covered.
ACCESSORIES:
Cosmetics were used with
discretion and consisted
mostly of a little face powder.
Shoes were either laced-up
boots for outdoor wear
or low-heeled slippers for evening wear.
Stockings went over the knee and
were knitted out of cotton, wool,
or silk and were often embroidered.
Gloves were either colored kid leather or lace.
Generally short gloves were worn with day dresses
and long gloves were worn with evening gowns.
Reticules or purses were made of fabric to match
or coordinate with the gown,
or were knitted, crocheted, tatted,
or netted of fine silk.
These purses could also be embroidered
or beaded.
Jewelry for daywear was generally less
elaborate than for
evening wear and included small earrings, rings,
brooches, and pins.
Cameos were very popular, as were pearls.
Fancier earrings, necklaces, and bracelets were reserved
for wear with dinner dresses or ball gowns.
Other accessories include muffs, fans, parasols,
aprons, and market baskets.
Well there, you have it.
A well dressed Victorian