Costuming

A Few Words on Achieving the Appearance of Victorian Apparel----

(Or you too can be a Mock-Turtle Victorian without really much effort!)
Being An Absurdly Simple Collection of Thoughts for Those That Do Not Have
Period Clothing But That Wish to Achieve A Victorian Effect

For more information, see Dress -- Its Attractiveness and Appropriateness
(chapter 13, Polite Society at Home and Abroad, publ. 1901,
in the Library at Victoriana Online.)

Men

Men can appear Victorian either as workers, shopkeepers, or gentlemen.  Common was long underwear (yes, including the use of red flannel Union suit).  Working men of the Victorian period dressed frequently in jeans and plaid shirts (lumberjack styles (in this area) with collars attached).  A plain shirt without collar would help. Leather boots would be worn (although wooden shoes were worn as well).  Belts were less common than suspenders.  Hats were not baseball caps (unless you were on a team and in uniform) but more often of the form of the train engineer or train worker.  Paper hats were commonly worn by tradesmen (butcher, baker, and printers).  Clerks and Shopkeepers would be in dark pants (with belts or suspenders) and a white shirt.  (Note: typically paper collars were in use----by turning one's collar into and under the shirt the effect can be achieved of being collarless).  Vests may be worn.  Common shop coats or aprons would also be worn.  Shopkeepers commonly wore sleeve Garters.  Leather shoes.  No wristwatches.  The truth for gentlemen is that not much as changed.  Gentlemen would wear a suit coat.  Either morning or dress suits.  Vests were often part of the daily outfit.  Formal wear (tails) were worn only on special evening occasions.  Most common business suits today actually would pass on the Victorian street (leisure and zoot being exceptions).  Sleeve garters were not uncommon.  Cigars were common.  A paper collar shirt would look much like a collared white shirt today (with top button buttoned).  Top hats of bowlers or formal were common.  Canes and umbrellas were often carried (even though there may be no need for them).  Polyester is out.  Cotton and wool or wool blends were the correct fabrics.

Women

A woman on a day outing or picnic may wear a long, dark-colored skirt with a white long-sleeved shirt buttoned up to the neck.  If she wore a hat it may be similar to our straw picnic hats today.  Her boots would be black or dark brown.  A woman would not have worn trousers, and would only wear bloomers (a modified trouser-skirt) if cycling.  Her skirt would always be at least ankle-length---showing any leg at all was a strict no-no.  She may have worn a narrow black tie; just like a man's tie of today, and tied in the same fashion.  On day outings, a woman would often carry an umbrella to shield herself from the sun.  If she were shopping, she may carry a plain canvas shopping bag.  A woman most often carried a white handkerchief tucked away somewhere on her person, indispensable for avoiding sweat on the brow on a hot day (or dropping for a handsome young gentleman to retrieve).  Makeup was similar to today, and hair was often braided or worn up.

Common fabrics included cottons, broadcloths, crepes and muslin.  Outside of day excursion/picnic wear, women's fashions have changed considerably since the Victorian era.  But this "picnic look" can be achieved with items a modern woman may have already in her closet.  For the truly ambitious, due to a great interest and popularity of all things of that time, our local fabric stores are now carrying period patterns by Butterick, Simplicity, etc.

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