The Victorian era was a time of high morals, cultured manners, and ultra feminine, luxurious apparel. While beautiful to gaze upon, elaborate ensembles were hot, heavy, restrictive, and constricting to the point of discomfort or even injury and disease. Revealed here are the childrens and womens clothing, including undergarments, leisurewear, and street apparel from 1860 to 1900. Over 270 photographs provide detailed images of Victorian garments, along with irrefutable evidence of our stalwart ancestors burdensome apparel. Nineteenth century photographs are supplemented by surviving examples of period clothing, many picturing both the outside and inner construction. This well-researched book not only describes the styles and the differences between these womens and childrens fashions, but also explores the reasons women were willing to become such devoted slaves to dress and the health hazards associated with their apparel. The text is based on Victorian fashion, medical, etiquette, and advice literature.

Panoramic display of evolving styles ranges from hoop-skirted gowns of the mid-1800s to turn-of-the-century fashions that produced diminished bustles and close-fitting skirts. "A superb resource." — History in Review.

“Meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated . . . indispensable to anyone interested in the era.” —Tasha Alexander, New York Times–bestselling author of the Lady Emily series What did a Victorian lady wear for a walk in the park? How did she style her hair for an evening at the theater? And what products might she have used to soothe a sunburn or treat an unsightly blemish? USA Today-bestselling author Mimi Matthews answers these questions and more as she takes readers on a decade-by-decade journey through Victorian fashion and beauty history. Women’s clothing changed dramatically during the course of the Victorian era. Necklines rose, waistlines dropped, and Gothic severity gave way to flounces and frills. Sleeves ballooned up and skirts billowed out. The crinoline morphed into the bustle and steam-molded corsets cinched women’s waists ever tighter. As fashion evolved, so too did trends in ladies’ hair care and cosmetics. An era which began by prizing natural, barefaced beauty ended with women purchasing lip and cheek rouge, false hairpieces and pomades, and fashionable perfumes. Using research from nineteenth-century beauty books, fashion magazines, and lady’s journals, the author of the Parish Orphans of Devon series brings Victorian fashion into modern day focus—and offers a glimpse of the social issues that influenced women’s clothing and the outrage that was a frequent response to those bold females who used fashion and beauty to assert their individuality and independence. “An elegant resource that I will be reaching for again and again.”—Deanna Raybourn, New York Times-bestselling author of the Veronica Speedwell novels

Victorian ladies' fashions as seen through contemporary fashion publications dating from 1880 through 1890. Also included are 15 patterns for making a doll's outfit consisting of a frock, fur-trimmed cloak with matching bonnet and muff (fits a 23in [58cm] doll) adapted from an 1890 Delineator magazine. Over 285 photos.

52 extremely rare plates depict the latest in chic apparel for the well-to-do, including elegant day dresses, hunting outfits, ornamented costumes for the theatre, a parade of millinery styles, and more.

Vintage guide offered turn-of-the-century seamstresses clear instructions for altering patterns and creating shirt-blouses, skirts, wedding gowns, coats, maternity wear, children's clothing, and other apparel.

Victorian Fashions for Women explores the British styles and clothing throughout the long reign of Queen Victoria, from the late 1830s to the first years of the 20th century. Within are a superb overview of the dresses, hats, hair styles, corsetry, undergarments shoes and boots that combined to present the prevailing styles for each decade. From those who had enough money to have day and evening wear and clothes for sports and outdoor activities, to those with limited income and wardrobes or labouring folk with little more than the clothes they stood up in. All decades are illustrated with original photographs, adverts and contemporary magazine features from the authors' own remarkable collections, accompanied by a knowledgeable and informative text that describes the fashions, their social history context and influences reflected in the clothes of the time. Laid out in a clear and easy-to-follow chronological order, the key features of styles, decoration and accoutrements will help family historians to date family photographs and will provide a useful resource for students and costume historians or for anyone with a love of fashion and style to enjoy.