… was very different. An affluent wife was supposed to spend her time reading, sewing, receiving guests, going visiting, letter writing, seeing to the servants, and dressing the part of her husband’s social representative.
Her clothing was made specifically to show off wealth, and that became more and more lavish as the 1800’s progressed until rich women’s outfits literally “dripped” with lace, beads, ribbons, and bows. She had up to 6 wardrobe changes a day which changed over 3 seasons a year.
In contrast the very poor wife of Britain wore clothing handed down and remade, typically “5th hand”. They ate food leftovers from rich households, and what they bought was often inferior stringy meat, old bread, cheese, herring, porridge, or kippers.
(Photo: 1880’s Bryant May mill workers; working lower class women of London)