Were Victorian corsets actually painful?
As someone who has a love for fashions of years gone by, I find myself often presented with the phrase ‘oh no I’d hate to wear that, imagine the pain from the corset!’. There is a belief amongst many that corsetry is a device of torture and that wearing one is excruciatingly painful. So, let’s take the question of whether corsets are actually painful, break it down and find the truth.
Queen Victoria’s Wedding Dress: Breaking and Making Tradition
The white wedding dress, a traditional symbol of marriage in the western world. Let’s take a look at the dress credited as making the white wedding dress popular, the wedding dress worn by Queen Victoria.
Women Wore Shifts! A small rant.
Hollywood has a habit of showing their leading, period drama ladies wearing their corsets and stays against their bare skin, but why is this inaccurate? Meet the shift!
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Dress
When she ascended to the throne in 1952, The Queen had to start planning her 1953 coronation. She employed Norman Hartnell to design her coronation dress, a dress that would become iconic.
What Happened to Elizabeth 1’s Clothes?
At the time of her death in 1603, Queen Elizabeth 1 had a wardrobe of over 2000 dresses. But what happened to these dresses and why do they no longer exist?
Mourning Jewellery
Mourning jewellery, a way to remember and commemorate a deceased loved one, reach its peak popularity during the Victorian era. Often made using hair, these were elaborate and intricate pieces of jewellery.
The Fashion Plate
The fashion plate, a way to circulate popular fashions among society in the late 18th century and 19th century. Let’s take a look at its history and why they were such a success.
The History of the Swimsuit
The swimsuit is an essential item of clothing if you find yourself on a beach or at the pool. As we descend deeper into the Summer months, let’s take a look at the history of the swimsuit.
Victorian Fashion And Its Royal Influences
When Queen Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837, having just turned 18 years old, she was full of the joys of youth and enjoyed popular fashions. As her 63 year-long reign progressed her fashion choices greatly influenced those of her subjects.
The History of Chanel
Chanel, the high-end fashion brand adored by many for years for its classic silhouettes, beautiful fragrances and timeless accessories. Originated by Coco Chanel in 1909, Chanel has had a fascinating history, marred by world wars and Coco’s unfortunate connections to the Nazi intelligence services - yikes.
The Gibson Girl
They were the poster girls of the early 20th century, but who were the Gibson Girls and what did they stand for, and who were the leading Gibson Girls of history?
The History of Lesbian Fashion
Through history, lesbians have had to hide their sexuality and fashion has played a major role in this. So, let's take a look at how lesbian fashions have changed over the years.
20th Century Fashion - A Timeline
The 20th century saw changes to fashion in ways never before seen. Take a look at an overview of the 10 decades that changed the way we look at fashion and why these changes occurred.
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE
This unofficial syllabus covers the brands, moments, designers, and ideas in women’s traditional workwear that have long been omitted from the conversation. While it’s not fully comprehensive, it is a good place to start if you want to look like you know how to change a tire.