Fashion and costumes during the Victorian Era

Fashion and costumes during the Victorian Era

England was ruled by queen victoria from 1837-1901.

Before this period, fashion was more focused to men. However, when the queen came to power, women came to the forefront, men receding into the background.

During the 1940s, petticoats became quite popular.

Full skirts were supported by vast petticoats, which were very stiff. Most of the garments were made in such a way that the shoulders look wide, waist looked clinched at the waist and the hip was accentuated.

Most of the evening gowns for the women during this era were off shoulder and were covered with folds of fabrics.

The sleeves started to become wider during the 1850s.

The skirts sized began to expand and petticoats were worn more often. Flounces were added to the  skirts to create a wider look.

The v neckline or the plunging neckline was also worn during the day. It was often supported with a small chemise underneath.

The style for flounces became very popular with more and more flounce added to the dress all the time.

Dress fabrics were milled especially for the flounces supported with colours and patterns designed to be cut into stripes.

Tightly fitted bodice were also very common for women during this time.

The jacket bodice was very popular and it extended till the hips. Daytime sleeves are full in Pagoda style, gathered at the top to a narrow shoulder cap, full and/or slit at the wrist, with a linen undersleeve inside.

                                                                                                                

 

During the 1870s and 1871,most bodices ended at the natural waist.

 The tunic would then be fitted over the bodice, showing a belt and often a large bow behind.  A detatched basque (a very short overkirt) became very fashionable.  This basque soon became attached to the bodice, and the bodices began to extend past the waist and over the hips.

Evening bodices were off-the-shoulder with trimming framing the neckline.  Evening sleeves were small and decorated with ruffles, puffings and bows.

In 1875, the bustle began to dwindle in size, but the excess fabric remained.  A more veritical line started to apear in trimmings.

For day wear, the neckline could be high ,square or heart shaped. Often an open neckline would be filled with a chemisette and full sleeves filled with a linen under sleeve/cuff.

Many petticoats were worn to help keep the dress from trailing through the dirt.  Often dust ruffles were added to the inside of the train to help as well.

Lightweight fabrics were popular, especially for eveningwear.

The shoulder line of the bodice still extended slightly past the natural shoulder.

Another interesting style trend in 1875 is the skirt pocket. These pockets were often too low and too far back to be of any practical use, but were very much a stylish decoration. Short lived, the pocket trend only lasted about a year, after being ridiculed as a "boon to pick pockets".

By 1877, the bustle had diminished from the wire frames of earlier, to a small pad or nothing at all. The poufs in the skirts dropped to behind the knees. The bodices became long and smooth fitting over the hips, in a style known as the Cuirass

The horizontal look of earlier was giving way to ever more vertical lines. A tall, slim figure was considered fashionable. Skirts that clung to the legs (scandalous) known as tie-back skirts were all the rage. These skirts had tie strings inside to hold the front close to the legs, leaving the back free to flow into a train. 

Colors and textures were mixed into complicated creations of skirts, swags, and drapes.  The main focus is on the skirts, with simpler trims on the bodice.  Almost every dress is trained, sometimes even walking dresses.  Asymmetrical skirts are all the rage, and trims and swags are put on high on one side and low on the other.

The detached overskirt looses favor as most of the complicated drapes are sewn directly to the foundation skirt.  Flowers and bows can help decorate and hide where the skirts are tacked together.
Evening bodices are more on-the-shoulder than off.

The bodices see more vertical trimmings,  they no longer just go around the neckline, but can extend down the center front to the waist or lower.

By 1880, the skirts are very slim and the train begins to disappear.  "Pannier" drapes at the hips are all the rage in France, adding fullness to the figure.