Whenever I look at photos and paintings of Victorian ladies clothing, I notice a big difference between the adult styles and the children's styles. However, there was less difference between the young ladies and their mother's styles, as far as length goes. I wrote about this many years ago when I first began the Lady Lydia Speaks etiquette column on the web, mentioning that little girls wore shorter dresses and bloomers that enabled them to run and play, and their hair was down, perhaps fastened with a bow in the back to keep it neat.
As they approached the teen years, girls often begged their mothers to let them put their hair up, and wear a long skirt. Mothers diaries and popular ladies advice columns supported the belief that until they reached a certain age, they did not put their hair up or wear long skirts. It was considered too grown up, and a privilege only for girls who had matured enough to act like ladies. Perhaps this made it all the more appealing to little girls. They seemed to look forward to reaching their teens and becoming all grown up by participating in the grown-up privilege of wearing longer sleeves and longer skirts, and aprons tied at the waist instead of the shapeless little-girl pinafores.
It seems today women want to stay in the jeans and t-shirts they were used to wearing in childhood. One well-known dress designer said that when women grow up in jeans and tennis shoes, they do not develop a sense of style and do not find dressing up or wearing dresses appealing.
There are young ladies today that long for the dignity and structure of the beautiful garments of the Victorian period. This way of dressing is actually quite youthful, as the styles encourage better posture, which contributes to optimism. Tiny floral prints and pretty cotton fabrics for "day" dresses worn in the home were as important to a lady as a going-to-town dress.
The hair was swept up from the neck and pinned in various fashionable twists and tucks. Hats and head coverings were not always worn, as evidenced by the many photographs and portraits available for us to view still today.
Today there are plenty of little girls items to make a girl look adorable and sweet, but the grown up ladies clothing that makes a woman feel and look really appropriate and dignified, is harder to find. So that is what I am addressing today.
Although dresses and skirts are being promoted more as popular fashion, they are not always ample enough to really cover the body comfortably, which then requires women to wear leggings that show, instead of hidden completely by the skirt. The lack of sleeves require that ladies add cardigans and jackets, which may not create a very slimming look, or which may be too warm indoors. The Victorian style blouse, on the other hand, is feminine and modest.
There are ways to adopt elements of the Victorian into modern dress today. The main thing you need is a dress that is above the ankle, and not mid calf like some designers advise. I say this because if you are trying to look more slender, having the hem in the middle of your calf, at the knee or mid-thigh, emphasizes the widest part of your legs, and is not at all elegant or slenderizing. So, the first consideration in a style is length on the skirt.

The next thing to look for is the slenderness at the waist. That would mean avoiding poufiness and thickness at the waistline. What is called "princess seaming" or a-line and darts, is a better shape if you are looking to create blouses and skirts or dresses that have a slender look. There are blouses and skirts you can buy today that have elements of Victorian style. Some Victorian skirts have a dip at the waist, as seen in many of the western clothes at places like Cattle Kate, which is very slimming and comfortable.
Another thing to look for in a garment are longer sleeves, at least covering the elbow. The short sleeve tee shirts that are sold to women today only make their upper arms appear fatter, and unless a lady is extremely thin, these do not look particularly good on anyone but men. The same goes for jeans, because the way they are styled, only emphasizes a wide waist and thickness in areas a really modest woman would want to hide. We should all be conscious about how we look from behind, and in general we need to wear clothes that draw the attention to the face and hair. That can be accomplished by wearing clothing that is slimming but not clinging, and covering without being frumpy. This requires some critical consideration of the clothing, and not settling for less than the best for your coloring and figure type.
If you are shopping, here are some ideas:
If you are sewing, here are some ideas. Above, McCalls 2255 only takes 2 yards, more or less, depending on the size. Cotton is not a suggested fabric for this.
McCalls skirt pattern has a yoke front like many Victorian styles, and can be made of cottons and denim a and decorator fabrics which work well at home. (A reader cautions that this requires a large amount of fabric, which is probably not a good economical deal.). Below is Simplicity 1560, requiring only 3-1/2 yards.
For myself, I prefer to make a princess seamed dress with Victorian sleeves:
With this pattern you can raise the neckline by following my "How to raise a neckline on a sewing pattern" article on the sewing section of the sidebar on this blog. You can also add an insert in a coordinating fabric pattern or lace to the front bodice or you can substitute a bodice pattern piece that fits you more perfectly.
The ideas here are for ladies who want to wear dresses at home that are pretty and make them feel good. Protect them with a full apron and remove the apron when going out. For ladies who are not able to sew, look for length and sleeves and slimming lines, like the jacket and blouse at the top of this post. Long floral skirts seem to be more available in the stores, so you should be able to find something.
A friend of mine in another part of the country sent me a picture of her in a well-appointed tea room. She was wearing a pretty A-line skirt and a soft blouse. There was definitely a difference between the way she looked and the women who came to the elegant tea room in jeans. She looked like a lady in a painting; so feminine!
This is my friend, who is in a tea room. She wore a long skirt and with her outfit a pair of gloves. It was a nice tea room and she was complimenting the owners by showing up dressed up. On a side note, my friend is 70 years old! She has such a nice complexion and countenance, and is very happy, partly due to the appropriate way she dresses. Dressing grown-up will not make you look old; it just makes you look feminine and elegant.

Now compare, at the same tea room while she was taking tea, the view from her table, in the picture below. My friend was trying to show more of the tea room, with the shelf full of teas, but could not help noticing something else that is quite depressing. These women do not know what kind of impression they give and how ultra casual they look, especially from behind! A hundred years ago, anyone who looked like this was a man! Although they are covered from neck to ankle, the garments do not have beauty and modesty, and their clothing shows what the clothing stores are selling in mass amounts, heedless of what really looks good on a woman.
I know as Christians we do not insist that ladies all dress up, but I think we should keep in mind that we represent our husbands, and families and the churches where we attend, and when we go out, it is also a reflection on our upbringing. I solved this problem by not even wearing jeans at home. That way, I always had on a pretty dress, and if I had to go on a quick trip to the grocery store or post office, could just remove my apron and add a dressy looking short jacket. It is not good that foreign visitors say that Americans are an eyesore when they travel, largely due to the casual dress of jeans and t-shirts, especially unflattering on grown-up women.

I think it shows self-respect and honors the people we do business with or come in contact with when we wear something pretty and avoid wearing jeans in public. Most of all, the way we dress must show that we are ladies and not men! If there is some reason women must wear jeans or pants, it would be good if they would wear a feminine top that also was long enough to cover the rear end. Also before going out in public, check in the mirror from behind to see if you are presentable.
Dressing in sweats, sports pants, shorts or short skirts is just not as ladylike as long skirts, dresses and feminine tops. Whe you get older it is shocking how fast life seemed to pass, and you realize how important it is to dress in a lovely way. It is a way that a Christian can present themselves to represent their Lord, Christ.
Think also about the memories you are making by what you wear, and the pictures that are taken throughout your life. It is sad to think of photo albums with not one picture of a woman in a dress, and there are little children who have never seen their mother in anything but jeans.
I have known people who are employed in various places where they come in contact with the public, and they have often said that it is not uncommon never to see a woman in a dress come through their store or their business. Ladies I think even a few people can change this situation just by wearing pretty clothes at home. When I suggest skirts and blouses, I do not mean looking drab and dowdy and colorless. Show the world the way you would like it to be by the way you dress, and if you cling to those good habits, you will see changes for the better.

Rom 12:1    I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

In dressing for the home, consider the effect it may have on the family members. When the lady of the house looks nice and dresses in a special way for her family, it boosts their morale.
Rom 12:2    And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Wearing the styles like jeans and mini skirts and immodest t-shirts is conforming to the prevailing culture. Christian women should stand out as happy people who love life and wear things that imitate the beauty of The Creation. Dressing grown-up does not mean you must wear exactly what the Victorians wore, but since a lot of the elements of Victorian style were feminine and beautiful, you can find ways to Victorianize your clothing with length and sleeves and slimness.
The Victorian way of dressing was included as part of their etiquette, and no one went anywhere in their pyjamas; not even breakfast at home. To read more about ettiquette, go here.

In honour of a new law passed in Italy, please go do something Italian today: go to the grocery store and buy Parmesan cheese or something. I'll have some pictures to follow. And, if you can, write to the the local government in the small town in Italy that created the ordinance, and thank them for taking a brave stand. I understand it is a small town south of Naples.






How to Make  A Pizza Pie


In a fourth cup olive oil, sautee a fourth to one half cup of sweet white onion, just until steaming.



Pile on the sauce mixture, spreading it to the edges, and add your choice of shredded cheese or cheese mixture.

Eat and listen to this music.

See also http://www.thinkinghousewife.com/wp/2010/10/italian-town-skirts-the-law/

This is the email address to that Italian town: Dr. Anthony Venditti Communicator public-journalist Responsible Office for relations with the public urp@comune.castellammare-di-stabia.napoli.it

It was interesting to see in the recent issue of Traveller, this pretty picture of Samoan girls in church, and to read the caption, which said, "Sunday Services in American Samoa evoke a portrait by Paul Gauguin." This photograph shows modest, beautiful, constructed clothing (and also dispels the myth that people living in equatorial regions do not care about modesty), than we have not seen on store clothing racks for some time.

A lot of the new styles are so deconstructed that there are no buttons and no pieces sewn together anymore; just one slinky thing you "throw on." The designers and manufacturers, advertisers, convince us that clothing has to be so simple that it cannot have any structure at all. These girls in the photograph look sweet, innocent and feminine. Deconstructed clothing would change that look to hard and jaded.

Yes, this picture would certainly inspire any traditional artist, and even Paul Gauguin, an impressionist, painted ladies wearing better clothing than they parade around in today. I know these girls look better than most of the women we see, and yet I also know that American Samoans are not rich people! Clothing is a matter of wisdom, taste and discernment, not a matter of wealth. I have been to a few countries like this and have been impressed at the color and the fabrics that the women wear. They love being women and like dressing in beautiful dresses. They live in poor countries, and dressing up is important to them. I remember as a child how important it was to dress well, because it disguised your poverty, even to yourself.

Now, our designers have foisted upon the public the worst clothing in history. The 20th century deconstructivists focused mainly on desconstructing art and architecture, and the attitude of such people has trickled down to the fashion industry.

Clothing used to have color and at least a collar that would soften the face. Ladies liked to have little lace at the throat. It has been years since I've seen collars or sleeves. The bottom is the biggest part of the body, and skirts used to completely disguise that fact. Thanks to the deconstruction of clothing, no one can deny that fact.

Now, when we see a woman's outfit, the eye is drawn downward from the baggy shirt to the clam diggers and the strings of thongs at the waist to the clacking flip-flops at the feet. The poets of old who described women in their verse, would gasp in despair. No artist of the 18th or 19th century would stop in his tracks and beg the subject to stay right where she is while he captures the moment for all time on his canvas, so that he won't forget the blue/orange streaked hair and the 5 rings in various parts of the face and body. When I was a youngster, we thought body piercing was a sign of ignorance. Educated, civilized, enlightened people were far above such savage practices. How far we have come!

I have mentioned in previous articles that we are boring our own children by the drab clothing we wear. Think of what they see at their short height, and you will get the picture: bare legs or tight, low-cut jeans are their view. Wearing pretty fabrics with interesting prints could delight little children and stir their appreciation for art and beauty.


I just returned from the Scandinavian Festival, which celebrates the Scandinavian culture prior to the 20th century. The photograph on the left shows the performers of the various Scandinavian dances on stage, in their costumes. These costumes reminded me of the paintings of Daniel Ridgeway Knight, who lived in Pennsylvania during the Victorian era.

Would we be such an eager audience if these dancers were dressed in contemporary deconstructed clothing of stretchy tee shirts, low slung pants, short-shorts, strappy tops and other shapeless clothing?


All around the festival grounds, deconstructed clothing, drippy, droopy, muddy, colorless, flat clothing that did nothing to flatter a woman's hair, face, figure, or draw attention to her personality, posed as "fashion."

Who has done this to us? It has to be someone who hates women, because there was not one woman who looked good in these deconstructed outfits, and not one outfit actually fit anyone's figure. The performers and the other people walking around in costume looked wonderful, and not the least bit embarrassed or uncomfortable. The older ones dressed just like the younger ones, even the children, and there were no special outfits of the period made to "express' their teen-hood or independent spirit. Little girls wore little costumes and big girls wore bigger ones, but they all looked very bright and cheerful and put-together.


For those who think it would be impossible "do" anything in a dress, it was obvious that these people were able to perform very intricate and vigorous dances in them, and they seemed quite happy about it. The people who served food at the various booths were also in these 19th century traditional costumes, and were able to make lemonade, meat pies, ice cream, and any type of food available, without the costumes getting in the way. The craft booths were also attended by people in costumes and they seemed very able to conduct trade in these clothes. These clothes were so beautiful to look at that people were asking the performers, "Where did you get your dress?"
















The costumes reminded me of one of my favorite artists of the 1800's, Daniel Ridgeway Knight. I just had to come straight home and take another look at these paintings. He was an artist from Pennsylvania, who loved to paint in the open air so much that he built a glass room so that he could paint when it was cold or wet outside, and still get the feeling of being outdoors. You can read more about him and see these amazing paintings with their bright, clear colors and pastel backgrounds here http://www.rehsgalleries.com/virtexdrk.htm These paintings of the past give a clue about the construction of clothing. The garments portrayed in them seem to look good on many women. In the photograph of the festival I attended, the costumes looked good on both the thin women and the heavier ones because of their feminine appearance, the clear colors and the good construction. It can not be so much trouble for designers and manufacturers today to give us beautiful clothing like this.


To view the vivid works of the Victorian painter, Daniel Ridgeway Knight, go herehttp://www.rehsgalleries.com/virtexdrk.htm In my opinion this is the best showing of his works anywhere online. One that I particularly like shows two women waving to a ferry across the river. Daniel Ridgeway Knight liked to paint women in contented poses doing ordinary things, in beautiful clothing, surrounded by beautiful scenery. The scenery and the women always seemed to belong together.



Girl with Basket
Art Print
Knight, Daniel...
Buy at AllPosters.com









Girl Fishing

Art Print

Knight, Daniel...

Buy at AllPosters.com





Brittany Girl

Art Print

Knight, Daniel...

Buy at AllPosters.com





Noonday Repast

Art Print

Knight, Daniel...

Buy at AllPosters.com





Ray of Sunshine

Art Print

Knight, Daniel...
Buy at AllPosters.com


What can we do about these fashions that are making our people look so depressed and unhappy? Clothing can be beautiful and still cover the body adequately. We do not have to wear these awful clothes. We can make our own. We can pay someone else to make them. There are even ways to create modest skirts and dresses without sewing, by the way they are folded or wrapped. Now, with velcro and fabritack, not everyone has to know how to sew.

You do not have to be at the mercy of the manufactured styles. You can also buy beautiful clothes on the web.

I think today that maybe women are afraid of the "b" word: beauty. They feel self conscious in beautiful clothes, so they want to go around in drab clothing and not be noticed. Homemakers may think they do not need to dress nicely at home, but clothing can help create the mood for their work and make it seem important or not. Their performance in the work of the home can be affected by clothing.

Many of the artists of old painted women at a time when women's work was primarily that of the home, and yet they are in beautiful clothes. Another think we can do to encourage women to get back to feminine, dignified dressing, is to smile and compliment anyone we see who is wearing a pretty, modest dress.

*And now to the resident whiner/complainer and deconstructionist: I dont' care what definition some arrogant deconstructionist hippie professor in the 1960's gave this word. I was born long before the 1960's and I can give it whatever definition I want, but I prefer to use the original Latin and French meanings of the root words. "de" means "to move away from." Construction entails building something or creating something using pieces and parts. In their favor, the deconstructionists definition of deconstruction is actually true: it is a movement away from reality and a rebellion against truth. Apparently people after the 1950's can create their own philosophy and definition, so I can create my own definition if I like. It is still the same meaning: elitist looking down your nose at goodness and loveliness and giving women so few affordable choices that they have to wear garbage sacks, and laughing all the way to the bank. That is deconstruction. It doesn't just dismantle clothing construction as it was once known, it dismantles the humanity of the person who has to wear it. No one would do it to an animal.

http://www.lindaanderson.com/item--Victorian-Cotton-Comfort-Bloomer-Set--i-544701--u-12.html

Look at the beautiful garment the mother is wearing here http://cgi.ebay.com/ARTHUR-JOHN-ELSLEY-VICTORIAN-FAMILY-DOG-CALENDAR-1922_W0QQitemZ250149636524QQihZ015QQcategoryZ41184QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ

Pretty clothing catologs, good for ideas for home sewers, and some are quite feminine:
http://softsurroundings.com/index.php (will continue list of catologs, later)