Fashion History Blog

.. literally into larger skirts and bigger attitudes.  With America at war, and Europe making tenuous peace. women wanted to be noticed. 1861-1866

… everything became bigger, bolder, and more colorful.  It was the world of “Gone with the Wind” and notable 12′ diameter skirts with layers and layers.. until the introduction of the crinoline to the fashion world by Eugenie of France – who was a buddy of Queen Victoria, and thus …

.. introduced worldwide fabrics, textures, and new colors and patterns to the world, with Victoria now having firmly established herself as the leader.  She required English to wear English made fabrics and clothing in an attempt to spur on her economy, but she loved to learn about and wear things …

.. the cats.  Take a look at these silhouettes.  The early Victorian era which started with her coronation in 1837, established the Queen of England as the fashion trend setter world wide.

… having waylaid ourselves with Post-Mortem stuff, culture, lifestyle, women’s roles, and other “stuff”.  We will be going through the different Victorian era fashions using – CATS! – yes, cats to describe them. With the invention of the daguerrotype photo imaging process (a method of using silver on glass slides …

… and prescribed from the day forward to which Prince Albert of England died.  Of note is – this is a PHOTOGRAPH!!  Common by the 1890’s, but very new in the 1840’s… (Photo:  all of Queen Victoria and Albert’s daughters, in a typical Victorian portrait, pose around a bust of …

.. because Queen Victoria wore it as part of her black mourning ensemble at the death of her beloved Prince Albert. (Photo: Victoria and her daughter Beatrice in mourning apparel for Prince Albert)    

.. magical, and they put it into amulets and pendants because of its supposed protective qualities and the ability to deflect the gaze of the “evil eye”.  Pliny the Elder of Rome wrote “the kindling of jet drives off snakes and relieves suffocation of the uterus.  Its fumes detect attempts …

.. at least 10,000 BC when a model of a botfly larva was found made of it near Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.  Britain used it through the Bronze Age, predominantly for necklace beads. Jet went out of fashion until the early 3rd century AD, although the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings – and later …