Forget Everything You’ve Ever Known About Victorian Fashion
During the Victorian era, women’s fashion was mostly influenced by extravagant skirts which eventually shifted to the back of the silhouette. Though, near the end of the century, a more liberated aesthetic and style emerged. Due to the rigid fashion etiquette, different occasions required different types of outfits. Thus, women from the middle and highborn classes would switch to multiple outfits during the whole day.
Different types of clothing for different occasions
Morning clothing:
The morning attire was usually comfortable and relaxed which they would wear while meeting with their housekeeper or morning guests. Although according to Victorian standards the attire was comfortable it could also be very stiff and constricting, even though it did have a more simplistic style.
Walking clothing:
If any women feel like roaming around in the park she would change into her walking attire. They would wear smaller skirts which allowed them to move more freely. Usually, these walking dresses were made of more expensive fabrics thus, the bystanders can relish while walking out.
Afternoon clothing:
This dress was worn when women were expecting any guests or they had to attend to other people. These dresses usually had a more moderate neckline and used to be worn based on etiquette. For instance, formal attires were kept for the higher-ranked guests.
Dinner clothing:
Women would change into their dinner attires once they had returned home or their guest had left. These dresses were much formal compared to other attires. The dresses were usually made of linen, satin, or velvet and the clothing’s fabric would stroke the ground all the way around.
Evening clothing:
The evening attire or ballgown was the most magnificent garment in a Victorian women’s closet. The trains were long, often stretching 65 inches in length, and the sleeves were small. Trains may be pinned up for dancing, and the fabric used differed according to the woman’s…