Victorian Costume

Victorian clothing
During Victorian times, for both sexes, they changed their outfit several times a day for different events. In women's fashion, they wore numbers of garments to cover up their body and the dresses look feminine and romantic as 1830s were the time where the Romantic Age take place. A belt was worn to show feminine and a cape was fashionable to wear on top of the bodice.  The tight bodice is used to emphasize the slim waist. Elephant sleeve and puff on the upper arm were worn. In 1840s, high neckline and ground length skirt were worn. The colours of the costume were darker and stripes, plaids, sprig-patterned materials were fashionable. They wore layers of petticoats and hour glass body shape were trendy. But for the evening wear, they wore lighter colour costumes, lower neckline , short sleeves and thinner fabrics and gowns. Upper class women wore dropped shoulder lines dresses and corsets more as they were expected to be idle. 



Portrait of Queen Victoria by Alexander Melville
1845
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During 1959, the front and the sides of the dresses were flattened and the fullness was concentrated at the back of the dress. They used the cage crinoline, also called hoop skirts to create the shape of the costume. The sleeves were like a bell-like shape which were tight at the top. 

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Bustle were used and popular during the late Victorian era. It is a pad that emphases the back of the dress. In 1875, the skirt were closer to the body and bustle were not always used. 



http://www.angelpig.net/victorian/fashion/1880s_fashion_bustle.jpg

Corsetry 

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Wearing corset was one of the famous trend during the Victorian era. The corset helps to push up the bustline and also creates a hourglass figure, making the size of the waist look small, while enhancing the bustline and the butt (helps to add shape to the body). It was wore underneath the dress and they were usually made of white cotton, satin or linen. The reason they used the colour white is because it represents chastity. Working class women wore looser corsets and lighter clothings as they need to work and move around easily. Many women made their own corsets at that time. During 1830s, people saw corsets as a medical treatment. Women were seen as weak at that time. The corset was used to make women look more beautiful and it also helps to protect themselves from fanciful men.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/VictorianCorset.gif

Sunstroke and faints were caused because of the heaviness and the tightness of the clothing under hot temperatures. It is also hard to breath properly when wearing corset as it is too tight. The tightness of the corset pushes the ribs in and up and it alters the position of the internal organs. The tighter the corset was, the more chaste and virtuous you were. If you were thinking the same questions as what I'm thinking now, as wearing corsets caused many problems, why would they still wearing it? The answer is because of their interest in fashionable dresses. I think that reason worth a lot because they need to accept and undertake the consequences that caused them in the future. 

Men did wore corset as well and there are different reasons such as:

• Back support - especially for horse back riding, military men, etc.
• For fat gentleman - improve their appearances and also for dieting

Book references:

• Valerie Steele (2003).The Corset - A cultural history. Yale University Press , New Haven & London, printed in Singapore
• Christopher Breward (1995) .The Culture Of Fashion. Manchester University Press, Manchester and New York
• Naomi Tarrant (1996). The Development of Costume. Published by the National Museums of Scotland, and Routledge
• Doreen Yarwood (1993). Fashion in the Western World. Published by Batsford, B.T.