The Flammable Dangers Of Victorian Ballet Costumes
Ballet is a beautiful and expressive art form with carefully constructed costumes but back in the 19th century flammable fabrics and gaslights proved a deathly mix.
The Deadly History Of Green Victorian Gowns
During the 19th century, there was an uptick in demand for green dye, the only problem is that it contained arsenic. There were reports of babies dying in their green-wallpaper nurseries, people’s hands breaking out in blisters after trying on green gloves and even a foreign dignitary telling Queen Victoria that he felt ill due to the wallpapers being used in Buckingham Palace.
The Truly Terrifying Halloween Costumes Of The Victorian Era
The Most Useful Victorian Fashion Accessory, The Chatelaine
A chatelaine is a decorative belt hook or clasp worn at the waist with a series of chains suspended from it, each of which is mounted with various household tools such as scissors, watches, keys, thimbles, household seals and so much more. Ancient Roman’s utilised a similar device with ear scoops, nail cleaners and tweezers.
What To Wear? The Clothes Of Victorian Working-Class Women
When we think of the Victorian era we usually think of voluptuous gowns and embroidered evening wear, women in bustles and tailored silhouettes. For the upper classes this is true, women did waltz around in these status showing dresses, however, this wasn’t the case for the majority of ladies.
Victorian Mourning Dress
When a monarch and their family do something, especially in regards to fashion, people tend to follow suit and so, due to Victoria’s deep state of mourning, mourning etiquette and mourning fashion became a staple for Victorian society.
Dangerous Beauty: The World of Victorian Makeup
Do you love wearing makeup? Can’t bear to leave the house without it on? Well…you’d struggle in the Victorian era! Makeup was a big no-no.
Maternity Fashions in History
In 2020, maternity clothing is a massive business, with most pregnant people choosing to keep up with the main fashion trends. However, having an entire fashion market dedicated to pregnancy is perhaps more modern than we think. In history, things were a tad bit different.
The Victorian Obsession with Costume Balls
Halloween is fast approaching! Getting dressed up and having a riot of a time is not a new concept, so let’s take a look into history, specifically the Victorian’s love of a costume ball.
Were Victorian corsets actually painful?
As someone who has a love for fashions of years gone by, I find myself often presented with the phrase ‘oh no I’d hate to wear that, imagine the pain from the corset!’. There is a belief amongst many that corsetry is a device of torture and that wearing one is excruciatingly painful. So, let’s take the question of whether corsets are actually painful, break it down and find the truth.
Queen Victoria’s Wedding Dress: Breaking and Making Tradition
The white wedding dress, a traditional symbol of marriage in the western world. Let’s take a look at the dress credited as making the white wedding dress popular, the wedding dress worn by Queen Victoria.
Women Wore Shifts! A small rant.
Hollywood has a habit of showing their leading, period drama ladies wearing their corsets and stays against their bare skin, but why is this inaccurate? Meet the shift!
An Interview with Witchy Vintage
An interview with Paula Bates, the owner of Witchy Vintage, an online antique store selling Victorian to 1940s finds on Etsy and Instagram.
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE
This unofficial syllabus covers the brands, moments, designers, and ideas in women’s traditional workwear that have long been omitted from the conversation. While it’s not fully comprehensive, it is a good place to start if you want to look like you know how to change a tire.