|
Women's Clothing
The term "Victorian fashion" refers to fashion in clothing in the Victorian era, or the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901). It is strictly used only with regard to the United Kingdom and its colonies, but is often used loosely to refer to Western fashions of the period. more...
 Home
Boys
Girls
Infants & Toddlers
Men's Accessories
Men's Clothing
Uniforms
Vintage
 Children's
Men's & Women's Accessories
Men's Clothing
Men's Shoes
Reproductions & Costumes
Unisex & T-Shirts
Women's Clothing
 1901-19 (Edwardian, WWI)
1920-38 (20s, Depression)
 Coats & Jackets
Dresses
Formal, Bridal
Lingerie
Other
Skirts
Suits, Outfits
Tops, Blouses, Sweaters
1939-46 (WWII)
Coats & Jackets
Dresses
Formal, Bridal
Lingerie
Other
Skirts
Suits, Outfits
Tops, Blouses, Sweaters
1947-64 (New Look-Early 60s)
Coats & Jackets
Dresses
Formal, Bridal
Lingerie
Other
Pants, Jeans, Shorts
Skirts
Suits, Outfits
Sweaters
Tops, Blouses
1965-76 (Mod, Hippie, Disco)
Coats & Jackets
Dresses
Formal, Bridal
Lingerie
Other
Pants, Jeans, Shorts
Skirts
Suits, Outfits
Sweaters
Tops, Blouses
1977-89 (Punk, New Wave,...
Coats & Jackets
Dresses
Formal, Bridal
Lingerie
Pants, Jeans, Shorts
Skirts
Suits, Outfits
Sweaters
Tops, Blouses
Other Women's Clothing
Pre-1901 (Victorian & Older)
Women's Shoes
Wedding Apparel
Women's Accessories,...
Women's Clothing
Active, Fitness
Blazers, Jackets
Dresses
Intimates
Jeans
Juniors
Maternity
Mixed Items
Other Items
Outerwear
Outfits
Pants
Petites
Plus Sizes
Shirts, Tops
Shorts
Skirts
Suits
Sweaters
Swimwear
T-Shirts, Tank Tops
Vests
It may also refer to a supposedly unified style in clothing, home décor, manners, and morals, or a culture, said to be prevalent in the West during this period.
Usefulness of the term
Those who have studied the period in detail would protest against vacuous generalizations. Clothing, décor, manners, and morals varied from year to year, country to country, and class to class. Whether or not there is a style or unified culture connecting a Scottish fisherwoman, for example, and an aristocratic London lady, might well be debated.
If we carefully restrict our language, however, and take Victorian fashion to refer to the dress, or in a wider sense, the culture of an upper-middle-class London family of fashion and conventional attitudes, and describe it as it varied from decade to decade, we may be able to usefully describe these phenomena. We can also usefully speak of contemporary stereotypes of the Victorian era. These stereotypes, while not historically valid, help us understand current uses of the term "Victorian".
Historical overview
Several general style trends of the Victorian era transcend any one facet of fashion, but rather had broad influence across clothing styles, architecture, literature, and the decorative arts. Many of these had their roots in the 18th century but flowered in the Victorian age. These include:
Orientalism;
The romanticising of the Scottish Highlands;
The Gothic revival, which in turn generated the Pre-Raphaelites and Artistic Dress;
Aestheticism;
The Great Exhibition of 1851 had a marked impact on fashion, especially home décor, and even social reform movements influenced fashion, through dress reform and rational dress.
Clothing
- See also fashion by decades: 1830s - 1840s - 1850s - 1860s - 1870s - 1880s- 1890s
Methods of clothing production and distribution varied enormously over the course of Victoria's long reign.
In 1837, cloth was manufactured (in the mill towns of northern England, Scotland, and Ireland) but clothing was generally custom-made by seamstresses, milliners, tailors, hatters, glovers, corsetiers, and many other specialized tradespeople, who served a local clientele in small shops. Families who could not afford to patronize specialists made their own clothing, or bought and modified used clothing.
By 1907, clothing was increasingly factory-made and sold in large, fixed price department stores. Custom sewing and home sewing were still significant, but on the decline.
Read more at Wikipedia.org
|
|
