… introduced by Queen Victoria to the public, although they had been worn in the 18th century. They were not a Victorian innovation. American women had long ago figured out the advantage of wearing a washable cap, sleeve, and outer petticoat in the way today’s women would wear aprons to protect them from splashes, spills, and muddy roads.
(Photo: early 1860’s shows a casual Victoria with her daughter, looking like a working woman with her sleeves rolled up; her egageante sleeves, that is.)