The following explores Victorian men's fashions from the pre-victorian 1830s to the late 1890s. It is sourced from Victorian Costume and Costume Accessories by Anne Buck, published in 1961. If you want to skip the history and learn how to create a Victorian men's costume, this is the article for you. Men's garments of the Victorian
ca. 1840-60, [daguerreotype portrait of actress, Eliza Logan, earnestly praying in a white dress] via Harvard University, Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library
Recently we asked you to send us your pictures of your grandparents acting cool in their younger days, and you certainly didn't disappoint us. Now we're bringing you more examples of your grandparents being super smooth in their heyday. From grandmas chilling with Ernest Hemingway and modeling Volvos in the 1950s to grandfathers sledding through Antarctica, pulling off motorbike stunts, and even playing with their pet polar bears, this list, compiled by Bored Panda, will make you wonder just what on earth you're doing with your life. Don't forget to vote for the coolest character!
In preparation for a trip to Gettysburg, PA. next week, I thought I would focus today on hairstyle from the 1860s. One of the most common hairstyle was hair parted down the center of the head and pinned into a bun or chignon and the nap of the neck. Hair could also be confined with a hairnet. Notice that the hairnet pictured below is made of very fine material - not at all like the bright colored, heavy synthetic hairnets sometimes see at reenactments. Source - http://www.bartoscollection.com/vehairstylesbyera/hairstyles2civilwar.html Braids were popular and women often used false hair to achieve some of more elaborate styles, particularly for evening events such as going to the opera or a ball. Source - http://www.bartoscollection.com/vehairstylesbyera/hairstyles2civilwar.html This style pre dates the Civil War but was a style still favored by older ladies. To achieve the fullness at the temples, hair rats were pinned to the head and the hairs draped and pinned smoothly over the rats. Source - http://www.bartoscollection.com/vehairstylesbyera/hairstyles2civilwar.html The Ladies' 1860s Society has a page for 1860's hairstyle with pictures and step-by-step instructions. http://gwtwscrapbook.blogspot.com/2010/07/beyond-chignon-part-1-civil-war.html#.UUNC_Td26Dc
Mr and Mrs Cassel (?)
There are lots of conspiracy theories and myths in all areas of life, including fashion, hygiene, relationships, etc. It can be hard to tell what the reality was for earlier periods, but the 19th century is open to our eyes due to the invention of photography. On the photos below, you’ll see the fashion trends and typical appearance of the mid-19th-century men and women in Britain. We think that the most interesting thing about these photos are pretty and elegant female hairstyles. But it’s up to you what details of their appearance to notice and appreciate.
Mr and Mrs Kirmack
A dress everyone in the costuming community knows, a gown so stunning it must have left the original viewers speechless the moment the original wearer stepped into the room. Swirls of black velvet trailing like an iron gate across an ivory white ground, the fabric cascading into a train. I can't imagine discovering that Worth gown, you know, that one, without falling in love. In some ways this was an untouchable dream dress for me, one costume I would never be able to recreate without spending countless hours fray checking individually cut velvet pieces (kudos to Samantha for doing so and her dress is amazing!) or thousands of dollars finding someone who could weave me some incredible fabric. Then when I decided I wanted to make something for the Your Wardrobe Unlocked competition, I knew I wanted my entry to stand out and I took the opportunity to leap into a gown merely inspired by this gorgeous House of Worth creation. But first I had to find a suitable fabric. Finding a silk velvet was never going to happen, nor would have it been in my price range anyway. So much of the flocked taffeta's out there are so obviously curtain fabrics and have that pretty but recognizable wallpaper-ish motif. I wanted something scrolling, art nouveau if I could manage it and in keeping with the feeling of awe that the original Worth dress inspired in me. After hours of searching I found the fabric! Ahhhhh! the skirt piece cut and draped on the form to see how it would look Of course I had left myself a roomy two weeks to construct the entire gown from the shift to the outside. I was working full time all fall and would have had all of January...if I hadn't of decided to stay at my job part time this month and also book a vacation for the last week of January, forgetting that was supposed to be sewing time! As I have detailed in my last post, I managed to make the shift, corset and petticoat last weekend, which was a crazy enough feat but then I had to start on the gown. The fabric was coming from England, as I had found it on Etsy of all places, and I had to pay extra to get it here in time to use it, but when I unfolded the fabric and laid it out to cut the skirt it suddenly seemed well worth the cost and wait. I owe a huge debt to Natalie of Frolicking Frocks ,as I have been reading her dress diary for her Gibson Girl dress over and over to gain any insight I could from how she made her beautiful dress. There was no way I could afford enough fabric to make the skirt in panels and match patterns at the seams so I used her method of cutting the skirt like you would a circle skirt and it worked perfectly! If you ever read this Natalie thank you! as you can see my machine is having some tension troubles, as the messy line of stitches on the waistband reveal So, making the skirt, I cut it in one piece which made things easy. I just sewed up the back seam as the only seam in the skirt. For an explanation of how this style of skirt is cut check out Natalie's post about her skirt that I referenced when cutting mine, I ended up not having enough room for darts at the side of my skirt though after I had cut mine. The only change I made to her directions was to cut the back side of my skirt much longer than the front to give myself a bit of a train. I finished my skirt almost exactly as she did, with a placket and snaps along the back. I added the waistband and then it was time for the hem. I used two entire packages of cotton single fold bias tape as hem facing meaning the hem is nearly exactly 6 yards around! I sewed the bias tape to the right side, turned it under, ironed the whole thing and then hand sewed it down around the inside. Then I was truly swimming in the deep end, for though I had a pattern for the corset, and a fellow costumers diary guidance for the skirt, I had less to go on for the looming bodice! But more on that tomorrow... P.S. I have decided to call this the Night Circus gown as I have just finished reading The Night Circus and for those who have read the book it is probably obvious why it fits but for those who haven't, firstly go read it it's super great and second, the circus featured in the book is magnificent and entirely black and white so I think this gown would fit in perfectly!
The concept of easy-to-wear, comfortable clothes was unknown to ladies of the 1800s. The rules concerning proper dress were strict and confining. Of
Outdoor dress for men and women, 1844 Italy, Corriere delle Dame
Isn't she lovely in her fan front bodice, with all the characteristic of 1840's fashion: her bodice long and tight with fan-shaped gathering, pointed in the front and fastening in the back, the neckline wide and shallow, the sleeves long and tight. I recently purchased a dress from an online dealer, described as "Edwardian" but it was clear even in the blurry photos that it was definitely from an earlier era...and made of stunning fabric too! I was so pleased when the box arrived and my thoughts were confirmed when this beautiful wool challis 1840's fan front dress emerged! The fabric is so outstanding, brilliant green with a pattern of botehs or paisley that increase in size from top to bottom. The dress is completely hand sewn, closes up the back with hooks and eyes. Tiny self fabric piping is found at the arms-eye, the shoulder and finishing the sleeve; larger piping finishes the waist. The only trim is a bit of fringe on the sleeves. The sleeves are cut on the bias, are lined and are one piece, with just a bit of gathering at the elbow for wearing ease - I've used this style of sleeve, which was briefly popular again in the early 1860's, on some of my reproduction dresses and it's quite comfortable. The skirt is not lined, with the exception of a polished cotton hem facing; there is no hem braid, the fashion fabric has been just slightly turned to the interior. The panels making up the skirt run selvedge to selvedge, and have been joined with a running stitch. The pattern was printed to allow for the pattern to match up when this technique was used, although the seamstress was a little off in her join in this case. The skirt was gauged at the waist. At some point, a modern alteration was made and the excess fabric at the front point was removed and added to the back of the bodice to enlarge the dress. While an alteration of this type was done in the period, after all, fabric was expensive, this particular example is so crude, I believe it to be modern. However, it could be easily reversed - the original hooks can be felt still in their proper places and the fabric could be used to restore some of the more damaged areas. This photo shows the princess seams used on the front and the clever and careful way the fabric was cut to emphasize a tiny waist. Here's a view of the bodice interior - even the basting stitches are still in place! Despite the modern "remuddling" and the damage to the fabric, especially the underarms, it's a beautiful dress and a wonderful example of 1840's fashion! Available for purchase here.
LOTS OF COILS! 6th plate plate dag taken just before the end of the 1840s decade. (via Dennis A. Waters Fine Daguerreotypes)
A dress everyone in the costuming community knows, a gown so stunning it must have left the original viewers speechless the moment the original wearer stepped into the room. Swirls of black velvet trailing like an iron gate across an ivory white ground, the fabric cascading into a train. I can't imagine discovering that Worth gown, you know, that one, without falling in love. In some ways this was an untouchable dream dress for me, one costume I would never be able to recreate without spending countless hours fray checking individually cut velvet pieces (kudos to Samantha for doing so and her dress is amazing!) or thousands of dollars finding someone who could weave me some incredible fabric. Then when I decided I wanted to make something for the Your Wardrobe Unlocked competition, I knew I wanted my entry to stand out and I took the opportunity to leap into a gown merely inspired by this gorgeous House of Worth creation. But first I had to find a suitable fabric. Finding a silk velvet was never going to happen, nor would have it been in my price range anyway. So much of the flocked taffeta's out there are so obviously curtain fabrics and have that pretty but recognizable wallpaper-ish motif. I wanted something scrolling, art nouveau if I could manage it and in keeping with the feeling of awe that the original Worth dress inspired in me. After hours of searching I found the fabric! Ahhhhh! the skirt piece cut and draped on the form to see how it would look Of course I had left myself a roomy two weeks to construct the entire gown from the shift to the outside. I was working full time all fall and would have had all of January...if I hadn't of decided to stay at my job part time this month and also book a vacation for the last week of January, forgetting that was supposed to be sewing time! As I have detailed in my last post, I managed to make the shift, corset and petticoat last weekend, which was a crazy enough feat but then I had to start on the gown. The fabric was coming from England, as I had found it on Etsy of all places, and I had to pay extra to get it here in time to use it, but when I unfolded the fabric and laid it out to cut the skirt it suddenly seemed well worth the cost and wait. I owe a huge debt to Natalie of Frolicking Frocks ,as I have been reading her dress diary for her Gibson Girl dress over and over to gain any insight I could from how she made her beautiful dress. There was no way I could afford enough fabric to make the skirt in panels and match patterns at the seams so I used her method of cutting the skirt like you would a circle skirt and it worked perfectly! If you ever read this Natalie thank you! as you can see my machine is having some tension troubles, as the messy line of stitches on the waistband reveal So, making the skirt, I cut it in one piece which made things easy. I just sewed up the back seam as the only seam in the skirt. For an explanation of how this style of skirt is cut check out Natalie's post about her skirt that I referenced when cutting mine, I ended up not having enough room for darts at the side of my skirt though after I had cut mine. The only change I made to her directions was to cut the back side of my skirt much longer than the front to give myself a bit of a train. I finished my skirt almost exactly as she did, with a placket and snaps along the back. I added the waistband and then it was time for the hem. I used two entire packages of cotton single fold bias tape as hem facing meaning the hem is nearly exactly 6 yards around! I sewed the bias tape to the right side, turned it under, ironed the whole thing and then hand sewed it down around the inside. Then I was truly swimming in the deep end, for though I had a pattern for the corset, and a fellow costumers diary guidance for the skirt, I had less to go on for the looming bodice! But more on that tomorrow... P.S. I have decided to call this the Night Circus gown as I have just finished reading The Night Circus and for those who have read the book it is probably obvious why it fits but for those who haven't, firstly go read it it's super great and second, the circus featured in the book is magnificent and entirely black and white so I think this gown would fit in perfectly!
There are lots of conspiracy theories and myths in all areas of life, including fashion, hygiene, relationships, etc. It can be hard to tell what the reality was for earlier periods, but the 19th century is open to our eyes due to the invention of photography. On the photos below, you’ll see the fashion trends and typical appearance of the mid-19th-century men and women in Britain. We think that the most interesting thing about these photos are pretty and elegant female hairstyles. But it’s up to you what details of their appearance to notice and appreciate.
LOVE this image. And man, I love the LOC! This little gem I found by searching for "occupation 1860" or something like that in the LOC search bar. Really cool image of a woman with a broom. I'm wondering what her apron is made of. It looks a bit shiny, like it could be a glazed fabric. I can't imagine a work apron made of silk taffeta!
© Ann Longmore-Etheridge Collection.
