Victorian Aesthetic Dress

  

From 1895 Punch cartoon. Gertrude: "My dear Jessie, what on earth is that Bicycle Suit for?"

Jessie: "Why, to wear, of course."

Gertrude: "But you haven't got a Bicycle!"

Jessie: "No; but I've got a Sewing Machine!"

— Public domain image, Wikipedia

 

The Victorian aesthetics seen in clothing also often reflected the worldly state of the British Empire. Women of considerable means wore dresses made from coloured silk from the Far East. In the Victorian era, women who were well-off often didn’t work, and so their clothing wasn’t needed to have much practicality. Instead, tight-fitting corsets and layered petticoats were the standard. Embroidered trim and other fine decorative elements were also reserved for wealthy women. Middle class and working women wore similar styles, although lacking the added decoration and luxurious fabrics.

Over the course of the Victorian era, women’s clothes became more form-fitting. Necklines dropped, with significant ‘v’ shapes becoming popular. Off-shoulder sleeves were also stylish in the mid-1800s. By the turn of the 20th century, the prominent bustles and hoop skirts that had exemplified Victorians were much less popular. Instead, tight dresses with bustles that created more of an hourglass or ‘mermaid’ shape rose to the fore.

Men and women wore significant jewelry throughout the Victorian era. For men, pocket watches, signet rings, tie pins, and cufflinks were commonplace. Brooches were a piece of jewellery that was particularly prominent for Victorians, serving as decoration and practicality. They could be worn as ornamentation on a coat lapel just as easily as they could be used to affix a lady’s hairstyle in place.

Victorian jewellery evolved throughout the period, with changing aesthetics and purposes. Queen Victoria herself was massively influential throughout the British Empire, being the closest thing to an international celebrity at the time. As she grew and her life circumstances changed, so did her taste in jewellery. One prominent theme seen throughout Victorian jewellery pieces is the snake. To Victorians, snakes were seen as a romantic icon, representing an eternal love between two people. Snake jewellery includes men’s jewelry just as much as women’s jewellery pieces—From the AC Silver Site Blog, 2023

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia