The bustle, or tournure, transformed Victorian femininity and women’s fashion from the late 1800s to the 1880s. It helped women navigate social norms by accentuating modest curves and symbolizing wealth. Even early-nineteenth-century neoclassical dresses often featured a small back pad, called an artificial hump, to give the high-waisted line a graceful flow. The bustle cushion or bustle pad style was accessible to most women and would have been worn by all classes.
The bustle evolved from the earlier crinoline of the 1860s and gradually became fashionable in Europe and the United States for most of the decade. Fuller dress styles were introduced in Paris in 1880 and London three years later. Bustles added more to the hourglass figure of a person, with narrow skirts, tight bodices, and much ornamentation. Extreme styles introduced hoop skirts and bustles to fashion, and synthetic dyes led to bright, wild colors. Highly ornamental fashions included ruffles, lace, and draping.
The Aesthetic and Rational Dress movements questioned the dictate of women’s tendencies, and fashions changed at similar rates during the poofy period, with the hoop shrinking, adding padding at the top back, turning into the bustle, dropping out for a period (1876-1882) known as the Natural Form era, and returning as a subtly different bustle.
Bustles were worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. They replaced the hoop skirt to provide wealthy women with a desirable figure that exaggerated the curvature of the buttocks.
📹 All About Bustles! A Deep Dive into 1870s Fashions
I have finally returned with the next installment of my Deep Dive Fashion series! Previously on this channel, we have covered the …
Why were bum rolls worn?
A “bum roll” is an old-fashioned item of clothing. The crescent-shaped padding with ribbons at either end was tied around the waist and worn under the skirt to enhance the curves. This accessory was used for centuries and changed along with women’s clothing. Eventually, these “underpinnings” became “paniers” in the 18th century and then “bustles” in the 19th century. The humble “bum roll” persisted and became one of the most practical accessories for the serious costumer. A bum roll can make you look like anyone from the High Renaissance to the 19th-century “Gilded Age.” It’s a versatile accessory for the serious costumer and practical too. You don’t need to wear a “cage” panier or a “cage” bustle when you can just as easily achieve the look with these pads.
Let’s look at the history of the “bum roll” and how it changed over time.
What was worn under a bustle?
This bustle was worn over the chemise, corset, and drawers, with an additional petticoat to hide the hoops.
Who started the bum bag trend?
Bags came before pockets. The chatelaine, a hook on a belt, was the most practical way for people in the Middle Ages to carry their valuables. The sporran, a small bag worn over a kilt, was necessary because pockets weren’t possible in a kilt. The sporran is a bum bag. The modern bum bag was invented by Melba Stone in 1962. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that it became popular. The bag was practical and popular, so it became a style cliché for drug dealers and middle-aged tourists. Its popularity made it unpopular. But now it’s cool again. Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, and Gucci have made the bum bag popular again. Many celebrities wear them. Bum bag vs. fanny pack. This is an example of the confusion that comes from two countries sharing the same language. The bags are called “bum bags” in America and “fanny packs” in Britain. Bum Bags and Popular Culture. Bum bags are more of a statement than other bags. In the 1980s, they were popular and dangerous. By the time overweight retirees wore them around Angkor Wat, they were an accessory of ridicule. Now they are fashionable again.
How did you sit in a bustle?
The bustle is collapsible. Just lift it up and sit on it. Here’s a bigger example.
What did corsets do to women’s bodies?
Women were often laced so tightly they fainted. Tight lacing could cause poor digestion and atrophy of the back muscles. Long-term tight lacing caused the rib cage to become deformed. The Hunterian Museum has a rib cage showing the damage caused by tight lacing. Doctors called these symptoms chlorosis or “green sickness.” Doctors tested patients’ blood and gave them pills to treat the symptoms.
Left: The bones of the thorax of an elderly woman, deformed by tight-lacing of clothing, from the late 19th century (RCSPC/02066)
Many doctors wrote about the negative effects of tightly laced corsets. In 1793, Von Sommerring published Uber die Wirkungen der Schnirbruste to show that the corset was bad for your health because it pressed on your ribs and other organs. Other items in the College collections on this subject are: On the ill effects of insufficient exercise, constrained positions and tight stays on young women Dress and health : an appeal to antiquity and common sense On voluntary distortions of the human figure by artificial compression.
When did bustles go out of fashion?
In the late 1880s, fashion changed. The angular, bustled shape was no longer in style. Instead, a small horsehair pad was used to shape the back of the body. By the 1890s, skirts were simpler and less restrictive. This reflected the growing interest in physical freedom for women, linked to the New Woman movement. This was an important strand of turn-of-the-century feminism. A-line skirts were free of structural aids. They used heavy materials and stiff petticoats to create a defined silhouette. Some women wore divided petticoats and skirts (like trousers). But volume didn’t disappear entirely from the fashionable silhouette. It moved to the upper sleeves. The new straighter silhouette and lack of a bustle meant the waist was more important. Some corsets had a long straight busk on each side. Other corset styles were also available. Dress reformers had been pushing for different approaches to womenswear for decades. Corsetry was a particular focus. But it was only around 1890 that their ideas started to influence the mainstream. For example, skirts became more practical. Jaeger sold many wool undergarments based on Gustav Jäger’s belief that animal fibers are better than plant fibers for underwear.
When did people stop wearing bustles?
In the late 1880s, fashion changed. The angular, bustled shape was no longer in style. Instead, a small horsehair pad was used to shape the back of the body. By the 1890s, skirts were simpler and less restrictive. This reflected the growing interest in physical freedom for women, linked to the New Woman movement. This was an important strand of turn-of-the-century feminism. A-line skirts were free of structural aids. They used heavy materials and stiff petticoats to create a defined silhouette. Some women wore divided petticoats and skirts (like trousers). But volume didn’t disappear entirely from the fashionable silhouette. It moved to the upper sleeves. The new straighter silhouette and lack of a bustle meant the waist was more important. Some corsets had a long straight busk on each side. Other corset styles were also available. Dress reformers had been pushing for different approaches to womenswear for decades. Corsetry was a particular focus. But it was only around 1890 that their ideas started to influence the mainstream. For example, skirts became more practical. Jaeger sold many wool undergarments based on Gustav Jäger’s belief that animal fibers are better than plant fibers for underwear.
Are bustles necessary?
Not all wedding gowns need a bustle. Not every bride wants a bustle, and not every wedding gown needs one. If your dress doesn’t have a train, you don’t need a bustle. These dresses let brides move more freely. Some gowns are made of light fabric that can be managed without a bustle. Some gowns have a loop on the underside of the train that you can wear around your wrist. This lets you lift your gown elegantly while keeping your hands free. Consider the bustle when choosing your gown. The bustle can change the look and function of the gown. At your bridal appointment, ask your stylist about bustling your dress. Most dresses have a few different options, but you should like your choices. You’ll probably spend most of your wedding day with the gown bustled.
Why did the bustle come into fashion?
In Victorian Europe, the bustle was a popular fashion accessory for the upper class throughout the 19th century. It replaced the hoop skirt to make women look curvier. The bustle’s history is complex. It was used by wealthy women in the 19th century, but its roots are in the exploitation of Black women. The bustle was inspired by Black body types. Black women in Europe made the bustle popular. Saartjie Baartman (1789-1815) was a South African woman from the Khoikhoi tribe. Baartman worked for William Dunlop and Henrik Cesars as an indentured servant. She was put on display at freak shows in Paris and London. Later in life, she was associated with an animal exhibitor who forced her into prostitution. Baartman died at twenty-six from an unknown disease. In Victorian Europe, big bottoms were admired, so Baartman’s figure was admired and envied. Baartman’s body was on display at a Paris museum until 1974.
What inspired bustles?
A garment design process is creative. Design elements like color, texture, pattern, silhouette, and shape are used to create a garment. The design process involves a lot of planning before making a product. A designer does basic research on different aspects to get ideas. Design research looks at different sources of inspiration, such as existing designs, images, art, objects, and nature. Sources of inspiration help designers create new designs and inform their work. In this study, Saartjie Baartman’s body inspired the bustle dress. After her death, her body was a design inspiration. Designers needed to turn that curiosity into a dress women could wear for sexual expression. Figure 2 shows that Saartjie Baartman’s body shape and the bustle dress are very similar. The bustle was made by tying a wire cage around a woman’s buttocks (Figure 3). This framework had to be worn under a skirt and over a top. The bustle dress divided the upper and lower classes in Europe. The bustle dress was a luxury item, only affordable to the rich. Bustle dresses are made with lots of technical input, long hours of pattern development, cutting and assembling, and many meters of fabrics and wires. This is what it takes to make the dress look like it has an enlarged butt (personal experience). The dress looks like Saartjie Baartman’s body. It’s amazing that a simple woman could inspire a luxurious 19th-century dress named after Queen Victoria. In the 21st century, Western women want big butts. It’s now popular for women to have big butts like in Figure 4. The word “bootylicious” is used to describe a woman with big buttocks.
Why did dresses become shorter in the 1920s?
In the 1920s, shorter dresses were a political statement. In 1920, women could vote for the first time. They started dressing differently to show their beliefs. At first, hemlines were a few inches above the knee, but eventually they were above the knee. But it was also practical. The Charleston was a popular dance at the time. It involved swinging arms and legs. You couldn’t dance the Charleston or party in a long dress until the sun came up.
The 1930s. After the stock market crash in 1929, short dresses were out. In the 1930s, women started wearing longer dresses to look classy during the Depression. Women tried to show off their waistlines again, with big sleeves and belts.
Hollywood Glamor Outfit Inspiration Skirirts went back to their lower hemlines. Calf-length was fine during the day, but floor-length was needed for nighttime. You couldn’t go out in a knee-length dress anymore. Dresses were shorter because women had fewer dresses. They needed to be versatile for different weather and locations.
📹 Why Did Victorian Women Change Their Clothing 5 times a Day? | An Explanation
Costube #CoSy Welcome to my Costube Symposium video! Have you ever wondered where the stereotype that victorian women …
If I remember correctly 1873 started a long depression era. Depending on who you get your information from it ended in 1878 or 1896. This could be why the dresses went from long and very elaborate to shorter and sleeker. It took less fabric to make them. Also the interior of the United States was becoming populated. Dresses that drug on the ground were very difficult to clean. The dust was awful. The prairie dress was so short that the ankles could be seen. Scandalous!
So worth waiting for this article! I love the silhouettes of this decade, which you’ve described in such detail. Information on fabrics, colors, embellishments and underpinnings is very helpful for me when re-costuming French & German fashion dolls from this era. I’ve just dipped my toe in the water so far, but your work is inspiring me to jump in the deep end. Well done!
Thank you! This is soo informative. I am particularly fond of the sleek lines of 1877 and 78. Which is odd, considering how many floor length circle skirts I own. And when the bows tacked things low in the back — I love that! The purple with stripes next to the white and pink at time 18:11! LOVE! I’ve already watched this three times, but I need to sit down and watch it slowly and carefully. YAY! Can’t wait for the 1880s.
The adoption of the early sewing machine made it easier to add multiple embellishments, ruffles and other trims which previously were painstakingly made by hand. Women started to resemble their parlor furnishings where windows and even doors were covered by multiple layers of expensive fabrics. Also the rise of great fortunes in the gilded age meant that the wives of the millionaires were expected to showcase the wealth by dressing ostentatiously in elaborate gowns, jewels and millinery
As someone who is lazing around the day after Christmas in my sweatpants, I can’t even IMAGINE getting so elaborately dressed every day. It makes me wonder about the lifestyle of people who lived during this period. Did they dress like this every day, all day? Or maybe just a few times a week and other days they hung around their house in a dressing gown? 🙂❤
Thank you for another wonderfully informative article! I hadn’t really looked at too much fashion from this decade before, but after you showed the changes year by year, it seems really interesting. Especially so since awhile back I got some purple silk taffeta that was too dark for the project I wanted and didn’t know what to do with after, but lo and behold that shade is perfect for the early 70s dresses! So thank you for adding yet another project to my list lol
I LOVE your fashion plates! Where did you find them? How on earth did women not trip over their skirts? I pity anyone who was tasked with cleaning these dresses! Would you ever consider doing a article about how servants and laundresses managed to clean such complicated garments? I know it’s not a “sexy” topic, but it would definitely be an important lesson in what exactly was required to have clothing like this. Also, how much fabric would these dresses require? How much would this cost (also adding the cost of the trimmings) for a middle class woman vs a wealthy one? Your enthusiasm for clothing history is fabulous, plus your knowledge about fashion is fabulous!
Normally I’m not super into natural form but there is a fashion plate from 1877 from la moda elegante illustrada (I don’t think it’s in the article?) that is a black velvet evening gown with white lace waterfall frills and red bows that is 🤌♥. also the fashion plate at 18:45 in the article that is almost giving tuxedo vibes is very cool.
Such a helpful article! I really appreciate it, must be a lot of work to gather information that precise. Thank you! Love all the bustles! I can see how they were so fashionable. Even 150years later, they still are such fascinating ensembles! I wonder, with the recent “corset” trend, will the youngsters bring back the bustle? =D I’m here for it!
“So practical for the beach”. 🤣 Seriously, imagine being a maid in one of the households where women are wearing those dresses with super long trains. It would be a full time job just to pull the skirt protector pieces off the bottom /inside & wash & repair & sew them back on! I can’t see how you could protect those fabrics, especially velvet, with just petticoats.
Bustle era fashion would make me crazy. I don’t like dressing asymmetrically. It looks nice on other people but I would feel silly with all that “rump” on the back of my dress. I’d also be the only loser at the ball without a crinoline. I love historical dresses but not historical support-garments and I can’t be bothered to wear them 😅
Rebecca, I have a dear friend who is a well known and now retired professor of clothing history. While helping her with one of her final fashion show projects which was all about what she called “structural underwear” (farthingales, panniers, corsets, crinolines, hoops, bustles and so on) she told me that in her opinion she believed that men must’ve designed much of women’s clothing in order to “keep them in their place “. I tend to agree with her as I see the impracticality of so much of women’s fashion throughout time. A woman couldn’t do much but look pretty in such restrictive clothing. Also, many of these fashions would be dangerous to wear for that reason along with the fact that the clothing could be caught on various items, catch fire close to a fireplace, be easy to trip on (especially going up or down stairs and so forth). What are your thoughts about my friend’s observation?
Adelaide – This was my Grandmother. So yes it means I am not far off of 90 myself. Father was born 1902 the last of 4 children. Grandfather was a moderately well known London architect and they lived in the country a trains ride from London. They had a maid of all work, a gardener and an ostler to see to the horse and carriage. But life was not easy, grandmother did much of the work like bottling fruit, washing and ironing and seeing to the children. But father remembers her in what he called Merry Widow style clothes. She pinned brushes under the back of the dress to pick up the mud and horse dirt, they were removed and washed. My father as a boy was dressed in a sailor suit and hat to be taken to the local town in the carriage to go shopping. Grandma saw me as a baby and I have a photo of her holding me, but she died soon after. I studied Historical Costume myself at Art School in the 50s and have remained interested all my life. A very good article and well made clothes.
I just had a weird flashback to my childhood where i had “play clothes”, school clothes, house clothes, “good clothes”. I used to think it was an germ phobia of something but my Great-grandmother, Grandmother, and Mother were raised this way. My family made 99.9% of whatever was worn other then under garmets or super special occasions. I was blessed enough to have inherhited a closet of period clothing(damn me for being born waay taller and fuller is chest then all the previous women in my family).
This was hilarious! Are we really so different today though? I eat breakfast in my pajamas, change to office attire for an 8-hour gauntlet of zoom calls and excel wrangling, then change into comfy clothes to cook, clean, and relax at the end of the day, then back into a cozy robe or pajamas for one last round of Youtube binging before bed…
My father was born in 1892 and was one of five children. They lived in Brooklyn and my Grandfather worked for a haberdashery with Jane Fonda’s grandfather. I remember my father and Grandmother were always so well dressed. Impeccable. And after my father died, my mother remarked that she never in all their years of marriage had to pick up one sock or any clothes that he dropped on the floor. Today is Veterans’ Day. My father fought in all seven major European battles in WW One. The trenches were awful. Thank God we won.
Hi Adelaide – thank you for such informative articles. I was raised by my grand-mother (born 1889, died at 102 years of age). My grand-mother was a college graduate but according to local customs, had to get married “… cause that was the purpose of a woman to raise a family…” The community married her to a farmer of the same age. Despite being raised on a farm, riding horses, doing farming chores, I never saw my grand-mother wearing pants or shorts. She always wore a skirt or a dress, with or w/o an apron for house/garden work. She made her own clothes (and mine). I am amazed on all the work that older generations did without the niceties that we enjoy. Thank you for sharing part of our history with younger generations, Ciao, L
My grandmother was part of that Victorian stereotype. She was only 8 years old when her parents sent her to work for another family. She had to clean, cook and do everything else that no one wanted to do in exchange for money being sent back home to her parents. This was in Europe. She ended up moving to the U.S. as a young adult with her husband. She had 7 kids (2 died as infants) My Dad was born as a first generation American. I cannot imagine being shipped to another family at such a young age to do hard work. Not to mention moving to a country where you don’t know the language. The Victorian era seemed so glamorous but when we dig a little deeper, we see how difficult it was for some people. Thank you for the article, I really enjoyed it.
My grandfather was the youngest of 22 children, all single births! Seriously, my great grandmother was the british equivalent of “Irish Maggie” who wore the same dress all the time, but a succession of aprons, worn one on top of the other. A sacking apron on top for clearing the grates, scrubbing the floors and etc. under that the housework apron, for dusting, sweeping etc, anther one for kitchen prep and taking food deliveries at the kitchen door. Finally the neat white apron for answering the door to visitors! I used to use “Granny’s Aprons” as a maths project with my first grade classes!
My grandma and most of the women in the town washed clothes on Mondays. They were hung up till almost dry then she’d usually roll them loosely and iron them the next day. Baking was done on Tuesdays or Wednesdays and Market days were Thursdays and Saturdays (the days the farmer’s markets were held). Sweeping and trash burning was done on Fridays. If anyone burned trash on any other day they were considered an a-hole (it might have been even illegal) because the soot would get on things like laundry or if someone were painting.
We’re really not all that different now. I get up, change into my scrubs, go to work, come home, change OUT of my scrubs and into cozy home clothes, probably change again if I need to go to the store or something, and would also need a specialized outfit if I were going to a party or planning to work out. The Victorian wardrobe only seems weird to us because of the relative complexity and time required, but we still have functional costume changes today.
Wow. That brings back memories of my grandmother. She was born in 1881, and there were pictures of her as a very young woman. She had her hair in a Gibson Girl hairdo, and she wore a high neck blouse, with the pintucks in the front, the legolamb sleeves, with the corset and the petticoats under a skirt that flared in the back. Of course, she also had the shoes that button up. They had a black manservant, who had just stayed doing what he did, even after he was emancipated. He was just part of the family. My mom called him “Uncle Theodore”. Nanny still wore a corset when I was a little girl. And the black special occasion dress with the lace collar. One day she went wild, and bought a bright red hat, though, lol. The world went from horse and buggy to the men on the moon in her lifetime.
This is absolutely awesome. I know we are all thinking how ridiculous it is to take this long to get dressed, but we sometimes spend just as long or more to do our makeup and hair when going out. We have decided to focus more time on that than clothing. Everything changes and stays the same. So appreciate your content and using the word “monobosom.” 🤣
My takeaway is that life was very structured during that time. Women learned to push aside discomforts like being sick, tired or stress and were cornerstones in their home. Their personal appearance carried over how their family was viewed. My mother had tried to get my great grandmother to wear a pair of pants under her dress in the winters of western New York in the snow belt, and she thought it was rubbish for women to wear men’s clothes! 🙂
honestly the modern equivalent would be changing out of your PJs into your athletic wear for a morning workout if you have one, then changing into work clothes, whatever those are for your profession, and then changing into more casual clothing (or athletic wear for an evening workout) for after work, before changing into you PJs once again for bedtime. I usually change about three or four times a day, personally. And of course we have specialized clothing as well, swimsuits and cycling clothing might look different today, but they still exist. Motor cyclists have their own special gear, and I’ve got an entire wardrobe of outdoor clothing for multiday hikes and camping.
All the best parts of a BBC period drama, and none of the contrived plot twists. Loved every minute, thank you so much for sharing all the little getting-dressed details! That plaid workdress especially stole my heart. Would love info on whether you sew your garments and if so what patterns you use, or, if not, where you source them. Thank you!!!
Those of us of a Certain Age (80s kids) remember dressing up slightly to go to school, and then having to change into “play clothes” upon returning home. Also dressing up for church was A Thing until the 2000s when we all switched to Business Casual. One still gets changed several times a day- one would not go to yoga and then the office in the same attire, after all!
This was a wonderful and informative article. I dress vintage (1940’s – 1950’s) most days and I too change clothes a few times a day. Robe in the morning for breakfast, housedress for cleaning, and a nice dress for running errands. It goes to show how we haven’t changed as much over the years as people would like to think.
Oh my goodness, what a delight this was to watch. You did an excellent job in clearly explaining each and every part of the article. My grandmother died at 106, and used to tell me about the clothing of her time. I am almost 70, and there’s a part of me that wishes we could go back to people trying to look tidy when then went out. Thank you so much for your very hard work on this. Just wonderful.
This was a fascinating article, both highly education and entertaining! Thank you for leaving in the getting-dressed parts, they not only gave us a rare glimpse into how the various pieces of an outfit were put on, but it gave me a whole new appreciation for my own clothes and how easy they are to put on in comparison. The humorous bits were also a nice touch, especially those about the phone and plane being impossible, but airships from Mars were a plausible thing. Science? Never heard of that!
6yo Irish Maggie killed me! 😆 And the fact that you even included a disclaimer that people didn’t have 27 children and didn’t employ 6 year olds made me consider other extreme stereotypes that some people believe about the era, that should also come with a disclaimer. (But people did sometimes have 12 children and employ 12 year olds, so it was only a slight exaggeration!)
As a woman who is naturally pretty hot all the time, I’m sweating just perusal this. My lord, I’m grateful to have been born in the era I was born in. And can you imagine having to get these complicated dresses taken in or let out if you should ever lose or gain five or ten pounds? My weight fluctuates quite a bit. I can sew, but my goodness, I’d be sewing endlessly for the whole family, it seems.
This was so fun and informative. I pity the husband trying to put all the 27 children in bed alone! In Finland the hats symbolised upper class. The working class people wore square scarves that were folded diagonally and tied under the chin. My grandma, who was a farm wife, still wore a scarf until she died. I think she only tool hers off to sleep and to wash. Hats became more common in cities and then the countryfolk were gossiping about those folks that moved to the city and came back wearing a hat!
HOLY HECK!!! I had no idea women went through this, back then. I actually appreciate the putting on and taking off sequences, because they show us an approximation of the real difficulties. I also find it hilarious that you lounge around in various outfits, while there’s a whole bunch of modern stuff in the background like the electric piano. Equal parts Snark and historical accuracy, combined to make a really great article. Thanks for the effort!
Well, that was fun! I’m 62, and when I was a little girl, I remember playing with my great grandmother’s darning eggs and button hooks, and looking at—but not touching—her 4-inch-long hat pins. I still have my grandfather’s collar box full of celluloid collars. Times sure have changed. Dressing, so much easier!
The vaccum! 😂 I love the article, and I laughed a lot. Seriously however, after a few months researching historical clothing, you get to understand they did things like us most of the time. Tea gown after waking up and before going to bed = loungewear Fashionable gown for outside = what people consider normal clothes (some jeans and t-shirt for a lot of people) House dress = old comfortable clothes to do chores And then it doesn’t seem so far fetched.
I am 74 and my grandmother lived in a very small town in the middle of Texas. I remember that she always put on make up, a hat and gloves to go into town which was only a few blocks away. It seemed so curious to me at the time. My how customs change over time. Sometimes now in the cities, I have even seen people go to Walmart at night in their pajamas!!!!!!
I have some more modern things like this that my mom and grandma had taught me. Like, you DON’T leave the house in PJs (no matter how quick the run). They always put make up on (I rarely ever wear any, myself). But we also have “lounge clothes”, aka not jeans or other bottoms that aren’t just plain comfy! And then of course more fancy wear, or hiking specific clothing (things I’m not afraid to dirty or tear).
As some others have said, I was struck by how similar we really are today, I’ll wake up in my pyjamas, change into my robe, have coffee, change into my work out clothes, come home shower, change into my home casual clothes, if I have to go out I’ll put on my nicer ‘shopping’ clothes, when I come home I change back into my comfy clothes, then change again after dinner into my pyjamas again. So I’m probably doing even more dress changes then in the article. Of course the difference is mine take a couple of minutes, but I’d argue I’m doing way more washing 😅
You make some good points. People hear something about the past and just repeat what they hear without thinking. Maybe rich women changed five times a day, but not my grandma and great-grandma. I knew my grandma, born in 1883, well and she told me a lot of things. You are right about the “house dress” for in the morning. “Get your work done up in the morning,” was the saying. And in our family a lot more of the work was done by the women of the family. They did have a maid, but the maid was usually pretty incompetent. My grandma never forgot the maid who emptied the leftover tea out the window all over my grandma’s new blouse! She had made it of white lawn with pin tucks and insertion and it was beautiful. When it was done she dampened it and ironed it and hung it on the line to let the dampness thoroughly dry. And the maid threw the tea all over it! Grandma had no confidence in servants. After housework, etc. in the morning grandma (and great-grandma, b. 1867) got cleaned up and put on afternoon clothes. If they were not going out, these would not be elaborate gowns, but nice enough to receive a friend if they dropped in. By the time my grandma was grown, about 1900, there was a telephone and groceries were ordered by phone and delivered, so there was no need of a market basket with your good clothes. If you went out shopping or paying calls you changed back into the house dress to cook dinner and unless there was company coming you stayed in that dress until bedtime. Something you don’t mention is a “combing jacket.
5 outfit changes sounds ridiculous, until I count out how many times I change in a day and realise it’s 6 times 1) Birthday suit to comfy clothes 2) Comfy clothes to work clothes 3) Work clothes to gym clothes, to go gym 4) Gym clothes to work/clean clothes (to take public transport back home) 5) Work clothes to comfy clothes 6) Comfy clothes to birthday suit
Having a lot of children was extremely common up until relatively recently in the West, and still happens quite frequently in the Global South.. Perhaps 26 was not frequent, but my grandfather was the youngest of 23 children, all single births, and we have a cousin on my mother’s side who was one of 26 children, same mother-and in Ireland!
i really enjoyed your article and I think people forget that we still do this today subconsciously! We have clothes we wear for work, sleep, going out to dinner, special events, lounging around the house, for cleaning, swimming, camping, exercise, maybe even travelling (I wear slacks on a plane or long trips because it’s more comfortable). I find that I naturally change clothes usually when I go to the supermarket because I don’t want people seeing me in my lounging clothes. This seems to be changing in society though as more people are wearing lounging clothes when they go out too.
“Irish Maggie does her best, but she’s only 6 years old…” That part really got me 😂 But honestly, I sometimes change several times a day for practical purposes, for example, if I’m going to do some gardening or grimy housework, I’ll put on some older clothes I don’t mind getting dirty. I also like to put on something more comfortable when I get back from work, and then into pajamas right before bed (though sometimes I’ll just go straight to the pajamas). The main difference seems to be that it takes me about 2 minutes to change rather than 5+.
My favorite dress is the working dress. This was so interesting, especially considering my great grandmother and great grandfather lived during this time and I knew them very well. My kids, both in there mid 40s even knew my great grandmother. It’s just fascinating to think about how much the world changed in her lifetime and also in my lifetime.
No idea why YouTube wanted me to watch this, but I’m glad it did. This was fascinating and well presented. I like seeing how each of these outfits go together, and what purpose each served. Your humor is engaging and the anecdotes you threw in were helpful for developing context. Thanks for sharing something you’re obviously passionate about!
Definitely the same today. I’ve always had pajamas, work/house/yard clothes, town clothes, and clothes I throw on when someone pops up and I need to look presentable for visiting. I don’t change into each of these every single day (because the life of an introvert means visiting is rare) but I have very specific outfits for very specific times.
I found the underarm deodorant pads very interesting because, although I was born in 1950, one of my classmates in high school used them. As a free hippy 70’s spirit I hated the feel of them but had lots of underarm perspiration and tried them out – until my Godmother turned me on to Mitchum. I had no idea these were so old. Fab article full of real life history.
This was so entertaining. I liked her jumping right into the the article and forgoing a boring prolog. I wouldn’t have the patience to dress myself like that today, but how intriguing were these fashions! One part I did not like was the high volume of the music. It was annoying. I had to turn it down then quickly up to hear her speak. She is so pretty and made a good model for the attire. I’m glad for the comfort of today’s fashions, yet I would love to wear the Victorian look with today’s comfort. What a delightful treat this was for me.
I LOVE your narration and sense of humor. But can you turn down the music in-between the dialogue? – It was hurting my ears – and I’d turn it down, but then when you started narrating again, I couldn’t hear you as easily. So I was in a quandary. But your totally worth listening to!!! very educational and entertaining.
I have an iron, just like the one shown, from my grandmother who was born in the late 1870s. She gave birth to my father when she was in her mid 40s. When I was a teenager, I heated that iron on the stove and did all my ironing with it. Thought it was one of the coolest things ever, and no getting burned by steam. Really enjoyed this.
I’ve thought for years that the five-daily-dresses thing was either nonsense or practical, but Victorian is not my period of focus, so I didn’t know. Now I do. Thank you! And now I’m adding Victorian to the list of things I need to investigate more and maybe wear. 🙂 I love that plaid house dress, by the way, it’s very good. The pretty colors must make it so cheerful to work in.
This was interesting and hilarious, but honestly I might have been heavily distracted by that gorgeous chatelaine. Like. Boy. (Also the decoration on the fancy dress, whew). Really like the references to parents or childhood etc, it really does help place the context of someone’s life better than just reading the names of decades
FYI my great grandpa was the oldest of 23 children. On another note keep in mind deodorant was not really what it is today. No air conditioning, coolers, or electric fans. Airing out layers of clothing helped keep you and your clothing fresh. Many women didn’t have more than a handful of complete outfits. Also, laundry “day” could take 2-3 depending on soaking, weather, ironing, etc. I’m glad she touched on the fashion moving more slowly compared to today. Also glad she touched on accessories. They were more affordable and if done properly-they could change the entire look of the exact same dress. (Still practiced today by people who are both fashion and money savvy)
I have watched many, many historical costume articles. However, yours was the 1st one I ever saw in which someone actually owned and used a button eye closing stick. I knew they once existed however, no one whose articles I’ve seen has ever actually USED one. 2 Q’s: Besides a money holder hanging watch and I believe a (metal) flint for fire-starting what other ‘tools’ would be on a woman’s chatelaine? How were cloths stored, either in your late Victorian or early Edwardian period….were they folded and laid flat or did they hang them some sort of way? Just curious. Something, I’d like to throw in there (from my late gr-grandmother: 1887 – 1991) as to the reasoning for frequent changing was the fact that, for example, when women were coming back and forth into and out of the home changing ones clothing was seen as a necessity after encountering, dirt, dust, grime, hay, (horse) droppings, and even steam from steam trains. A decent and proper women just didn’t wear the same clothes inside that she recently wore outside. One other necessity was the practice of changing one’s clothes just before dinner. I can tell you that one of my gr-grandmother’s last surviving nephews — himself, almost a centenarian strictly adhered to this rule for he and his own family. To this day neither he, nor any of his grown children will sit at the dinner table w/o FIRST going upstairs to change. ☺
i just love Victorian type clothes women looked so glamourous but boy was it hard work/i got myself a corset and black skirt bloomers gloves and hat and white blouse with frills with a black cardigan with bunched up shoulders and have gone out several times just to get the feeling off what it was like. i really loved the feeling of swishing my skirts//thankyou so much for your vid i really enjoyed it /you look fabulous /much love x
My word! The EFFORT that went into dressing each day! (Then again, many women today spend voluminous sums of time primping and preparing today.) This is really neat to see! The customs of the day, AND your DELIGHT in the era, then teaching others about something of which many of us know very little. VERY cool! Thank you so much for all the work you put into making this!
My grandmother was born a Victorian middle class daughter, about 1895 and when I was growing up in the 1960s she changed clothes in the middle of the day – no Irish Maggie in the picture. She wore a ‘morning dress’ to make breakfast and do household chores and to have a morning tea break (Elevenses). After lunch I think I remember (I was wee) she would put on another dress, newer (the morning dress had previously been an afternoon dress) in which she would entertain if friends came, or spend her afternoon knitting or writing letters. All the ‘chores’ were done in the morning. I don’t recall a different outfit for making dinner or after dinner, but the change of clothes blew my little pre-hippie mind. She also had that weekly routine the rhyme celebrates. Something like this but not quite as baking had to be more like bread on Monday but…: Monday: Wash Day ~ Tuesday: Ironing Day ~ Wednesday: Sewing Day ~ Thursday: Market Day ~ Friday: Cleaning Day ~ Saturday: Baking Day ~ Sunday: Day of Rest. Much of her workday on the farm did I mention that? was very Depression Era well into my childhood. By the time she died, she wore (Heavens!) trousers but that was well into the 1960s. Could you research and do a similar thing as this article on Depression Era middle class as she would have still been culturally though her economic status as a farm wife had become rather working class? Thank you. LOOOOOOVED this! -Kerry
this was fun to watch. i have old photos of my great-grandmothers wearing skirts that covered their ankles, with long sleeves and high necks. but, fashion has changed, even in my lifetime. i was born in 1929, and as an young woman, i always wore a hat and gloves if i left the house. in warm weather, the gloves were sheer and white, and the hat was likely to be made of straw, decorated with flowers and a veil. shopping, church, or visiting friends meant wearing a dress made of wool, velvet, or gabardine. in warm weather, eyelet, silk, moire, etc. and, you always wore high-heeled shoes and nylon stockings with these. at home you wore a cotton “house dress,” flat-heeled shoes, and cotton ankle socks. a cotton apron protected your dress while you cooked or washed dishes. it was a big change when women began to wear slacks, in the 1950’s.
im just gonna keep in mind that the time it takes to change clothes, however buggersome the closures may be, has nothing on the time it takes to wash them later. i dont remember what year this was, but i heard that a noble household might have a laundry cycle take a week to complete if they needed spot treatment, repair, delicate washing, bleaching, starching, ironing etc. so you would always want to compartmentalize the dirtying of your clothes
My mum, born 1920 recalled perusal her working class grandmother put on her petticoats. They had to be put on in the right order. She worried she would never remember the order when she grew up. Grandma also wore drawers not knickers. Essentially 2 lace trimmed tubes of cotton pulled together at the top with a drawer string.
My grandma does this still. Comfortable clothes in the mornings. Changing to going out clothes for whenever going past the gates. Having older, more worn clothes for chores and gardening. Changing into clean clothes in the afternoon when chores are done. Then changing to comfortable clothes in the evening after proper visiting hours, before going to bed in a nightgown. Then there are special clothing, like fancy clothing for sunday church or celebration, clothes for sports and even car pants. Car pants are used on long car drives, and have permanent knee bends after prolonged sitting, but needs to otherwise be of a going out condition. Having all these different clothes makes clothes last longer. Going out clothes need to be clean and without visible wear. If you got a permanent stain or had to make a visible mend, the clothing could still be worn, but only at home. Once an item was more mended or stained, it could still be worn for chores, as it would become dirty regardless. Some relaxing clothes also gets used for chores, as long as it’s not dirty chores. This does not mean she washes 3-4 outfits everyday. Going out clothes gets carefully spot cleaned and aired, before being returned to the closet. Other clothes probably also gets spot cleaned and aired, and reused later that day or week.
After perusal your article, I now feel that I need underarm sweat pads to protect my clothing! I think a lot of people still change their clothes just as frequently, it just became less of a social status thing and more of a practical/comfort thing. Growing up I had my comfy home clothes which were for playing at home but I would never be seen going out to town in those clothes. Then obviously my nicer outdoor clothes for when we went to town. So a typical day for me would start with pjs, shower, school uniform, come home and change into home clothes so that uniforms weren’t destroyed, bath, outdoor clothes if we had to go anywhere, then back to pjs.
My aunt was born in 1898. She passed away in 1979. She was so modest. No MALE. Or boy over 6 or 7 ever saw so much as her lower legs, naked arms, chest. All covered up. She impressed these things onto us as much as possible. It was eye opening in the 60&70. She just shook her head in amazement. And DISGUST sometimes. I could really say I don’t think I ever heard her say a bad word or drink alcohol.. and she didn’t gossip either. She had hair down to her ankles. She was 4ft9inches. Memories.
I actually change my clothing 3 times, sometimes 4 if I am gardening. Not that different as in the past. It truly is about practicality and function. For me, it is work cloth, then home cloth, if gardening than I change to older clothing, and then take a bath to wear p-js to go to bed. This makes it easier and better to regulate routines and have schedules managed through clothing. It truly helps those of us with ASD and other cognitive/intellectual related disabilities/disorders be more organized with routines and schedules. It also does make clothing last longer if each set is given a task of their own. It also does helps if modern clothing were made well and with sturdy materials. Having under shirts and layers also helps. Thank you so much for your article. I love how you explain the layers of each outfit for each occasion. It is such a lost art, and it is always nice to find younger generations take an interest in how people did things back then. Thank you again.
What a dear you are for showing us this exhausting attire for the day. Well played my dear, well played!! I laughed and cried at all the work.. Oh, well.. As the saying goes..a women’s work is never done! As we ladies know all to well. At least we have less clothing changes and better fabrics! YaY US 🥳👍 Menu blessing to you dear lady 💘
Actually when it came to child labor, there are records of 6 yr olds who are perusal 2 yr olds while working in the cannery at the fish ports opening oysters. The 2 yr old would become employed as soon as she/he can hold the knife to open the oysters. Working as an Irish Maggie as a child was probably one of the more safer jobs for a child.
Ok this is such a cool hobby, thank you for sharing it with us! The other thing I find to be fascinating, and this isn’t meant to come across as offensive at all, but your facial features also go along with the entire time period so well. Those memes where someone went to a museum and found out they look exactly like a random 1700s girl in a painting, that’s what I mean. Really awesome article, thank you so much!
I love your articles! THIS. This is what I wanted to learn in my history classes, what people were wearing, doing and why. I commend you for bringing Victorian dressing back to life and that you enjoy wearing it every day. I learned things I will definitely keep in mind when redoing my wardrobe. Thank you for teaching me!! 🙏💕✨
Hi Adelaide! Thanks so much for making this article! I found your website by chance and I’m amazed by it. Since I was a little girl (growing up in Vienna, Austria), I was secretly fascinated by historic dresses from around the 1900s and I regretted so much, that my ancestors did not keep their outfits for the later generations. (regardless of fashion) Especially as some of them came from upper class – families, so for sure must have had beautiful dresses. So hard to imagine, that those dresses and gowns were just thrown away at some point!? What we did find on the attic (of my childhood home, which was passed on for the 5th generation in my family) were other items from the 1900s and I was so fascinated by them. I was allowed to keep 2 pillow cases from that time made of finest Czech linen, in such a high quality that I’ve never seen nowadays! I’m using them on an everyday basis and love them. Did you really sew all of the outfits seen in this article yourself? The formal dress for going to the market amazes me especially, with all those little accurate details! Also the correct use of all those undergarments – I’ve never seen that in any of the other YouTube articles that are about historic fashion. I would really love to start wearing more and more garments from these times myself – just: where to start? I own a few under-skirts and one full dress that looks to me like from around that time. I could buy it when the largest Viennese costume storage was given up and all the pieces were were sold to individuals.
Oh my. I remember when they brought those detachable lace collars back. I think it was in the 1990s or early 2000s. Everyone wore them and you collected a small wardrobe of them in different styles. Problem was the manufacturers tried to pretend they were one size fits all and a size 2, a size 12 and a size 22 are very different, even in the neck and shoulders.
Delightfully interesting to see how a Victorian age housewife donned the appropriate clothes for what she was about to do. Beautiful clothes! I bet it was hot in warm weather. The clothes must have taken a long time to make and a lot of sewing. I always wished I could wear long skirts but I’m 4 ft 10 inches tall. I don’t “sweep” into a room…I “bustle” into a room. Thank you so much for this enlightening demonstration. I’m happy that I can do the shopping in a shirt and capri pants with sneakers, but not much style there. I love the ragtime music, too.
Some of these make sense like we have special clothes for swimming and other sports and for sleeping. We also have clothes for special occasions (although I don’t think most people would consider a trip to the shops a special occasion). However, I definitely don’t have special train clothes (although can understand that dark clothes on early steam trains would make sense). I also wouldn’t change my clothes just because I’m leaving the house, unless I was doing a certain activity whilst I was out like a muddy walk or something that required a uniform.
I am subbed to several uk- based Magnet fishing websites. One of the more common antiques they pull out of their canals, rivers, ponds, moats & lakes was that (Sad Iron)? or (Flatiron)? you were using. Its almost as if the day that the Electric Iron was invented, every Woman who used & (despised using) these troublesome & dangerous Irons, ran all at once & tossed them in the nearest body of 💧 water!😊Great article!
The changing clothes for function thing does not seem strange to me at all. Lounging in comfy house clothes, changing into business casual or in my case scrubs for work, having swimsuits, athletic wear, pajamas; all of that is normal to this day for a lot of people. However, and I always think this when I see people put on these older styles of clothes, the sheer amount of layers and buttons one has to go through for each outfit change seems so difficult lol. Also, I think I would be hot wearing 2-3 layers all the time. Victorian dresses and suits are very pretty but I wouldn’t want to live in them personally
So (for middleclass) this is basically the equivalent of replacing your pajamas with a sports bra, hoodie and sweat pants after getting up, then getting properly dressed later to go grocery shopping (and you put on that one fancy piece because today you’re feeling extra cute), then maybe replacing your new fancy blouse with a normal tshirt to clean your flat later. In the evening, you change back into your sweatpants to chill and then in your pajamas for bed. Doesn’t seem so out of place now that I think about it 🤔
this is cool because in a way, we still do this today. We change to our workout clothes when we workout, pajamas to sleep, bathing suits to swim, work clothes for work and that old shirt and pants you dont mind getting stained or dirty when you do yard work, garden work, dye your hair or deep clean the house. We have summer and winter clothes. Party, Wedding and Meeting dress/suits 😀
I change my clothes several times daily but it’s so much simpler than in your article, of course I live in shorts and T shirts mostly since retirement but I always change to go out in public for errands. I remember well the days I argued with my mother about not wanting wear a petticoat under my dresses and skirts, too much trouble for nothing! “Deary, your slip is showing.” Haven’t worn one since my late teens. Heaven!
I change my clothing four times a day, generally. Get up, change from sleep wear to house clothes. That’s one. Time to go out, change into nice clothes. Wouldn’t be comfy or wise to wear them around the house. They’d get damaged. Returning home, change again to house clothes. At bedtime, back to sleep wear. Now if I am doing hard labor like metal work or painting, that’s another two changes, as is getting dressed up for something fancy. So if it all occurred one one day, I might wear up to four different sets of clothing in a single day. Or I might spend the day doing light work at home and only change between houseclothes and sleepwear. House clothes are presentable but not good. There may be stains or wear and tear. It’s usually loose and comfy and sloppy looking. I believe this was normal two centuries ago too for the middle class.
This was awesome! When I was in my 20s, I was and really still am fascinated with the late 19th century (America), especially the architecture and the way people dressed. I always wanted some of the woman’s clothes, as it looks sharp and formal. Seeing all the components and work that go into properly wearing that type of clothing, I certainly appreciate the more simple clothing of today. Thank you, again for providing details about what all went into that style of dressing!
I loved this article. It’s the 1st time I’ve seen your website. This has been fascinating. I’m so glad you decided to show the full dressing for the day sequences. I’ve always wondered how a woman would fare in our Texas 100o+ heat with all those layers. Not well, I imagine! Lucy Worsley would be proud of you.
“She was placed as a housemaid in a European household as a young child (6 years old).” Spiral Python 1 month ago I found myself actually talking back to you, Bernadette, in my Grandmother’s voice… My Grandmother was a part of Australia’s Stolen Generations; an Aboriginal child whose skin was lighter coloured. She was placed as a housemaid in a European household as a young child (6 years old). She grew up with very strong opinions about “washing day”; including which dress to wear on washing day (the oldest one made of the most worn out fabric). She died in 1979, but not before I could be taught the ‘proper way’ to launder. And I still make my own laundry detergents from her recipes; grate a stick of pure soap into boiling water, remove from the heat and gently combine 2 cups of washing soda and a little essential oil of a desired fragrance (according to her, lavender for haberdashery, eucalyptus or ti-tree for ‘mens shirts’, sage for ‘ladies cloths’ and rosewater or orange water for summer dresses) I still use a few drops of the oils, but only as a final rinse. Stain removal and washing was not done properly just by soaking the garment in water/ chemicals. It needed to be agitated, by hand if item was especially delicate, but stained hems and underarms would be (gently) rubbed against a washing board with liberal applications of the chosen stain remover, and well rinsed before the next step. And yes! Never Ever boil one’s delicates! My Grandmother always believed the mangle was in fact better than a washing machine.
Very interesting and superbly detailed. I loved the image of the infantile maid of all work and the tribe of children. I can imagine the husband coming home and asking: “So what have you been up to today?” Little wonder those that could afford it needed a dresser and a full length mirror would have been essential! Great work! Thank you.
This is a delightful article and a charming peek into the intricacies of Victorian women’s fashion. And I must say you are a lovely model to demonstrate these gorgeous outfits. If I ran into any of your counterparts in my time travels, I would definitely find myself smitten and tongue-tied. And probably slink off without saying a word besides, Good day! 😄
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you so much for the extraordinary effort you put into the piece. It was very educational but also very entertaining. You, by the way, are a real doll. You definitely have a way of presenting your material that draws your viewers in. Thank you again for sharing this with all of us – it was really great!😊
Very interesting! Yes people today do change multiple times but the big difference is the clothing is much simpler…it doesn’t take 20 minutes to change from one outfit to another. Also people don’t worry about making the right fashion statement when they go to the supermarket. Thank you for such an interesting article…it must have taken some time to put together.
Excellent presentation – packed with information and no pointless wittering which kills so many otherwise useful articles and makes them unwatchable. I love the ‘working’ dress and hat and the cycling sweater. I’d never thought of this but the bustle etc are just the Victorian equivalent of botox etc.., just much less dangerous and reversible at the next change of clothes. 5 changes? Don’t we all often do that in a day? The difference is the time it must have taken to put all that on, especially in hot weather. Very tiring. .
1 house coat- house work, morning lounging. 2 fancy dress- fashion, shopping and gossip time! The rant about fashion never changing again was more something middle class women consoled themselves with because actually changing with the fashion was above their financial means. 3 plaid dress- actual housework and strenuous cleaning. 4 Back to house coat ( tea gown) 5 night dress
This is incredible and I love it so much. Just nodding along with the news, agreeing with how the little bustle is great…it was a moment of living a life I had never expected to experience. I live with chronic pain and by the time the button hook appeared I was seriously reconsidering whether I actually wanted to go out today; by the time I put on my mother-in-law’s cameo I was starting to fully understand why women with chronic health troubles might feel that taking to their beds was a fantastic decision. Perhaps not the intended message, but I still really enjoyed seeing how much time and attention to detail needed to go into each outfit, how much could go wrong and be the subject of gossip, and how very different just a small aspect of life might be. Thank you!