One of the many things about the Victorian era that fascinate 
me is dress code. Like everything else in a woman’s life, it all seemed to be about limiting her freedom. Her reputation was precious and it took very little for it to be smudged. To be seen in public without a hat or gloves, was unheard of, no matter what class she came from. The colour red was considered shocking (floozies only!) and we are all aware of the mourning restrictions regarding black (that strangely didn’t apply to men, other than a black band on a sleeve!). Looking back it is hard to believe that women submitted to these strictures. But for anyone interested in costume and accessories, we have been left with a wonderful collection of artifacts to admire or collect.
My particular favourite was the fan. They first appeared in Ancient Greece about the 4th century, and developed into a staple fashion accessory during the 17th century. The leaves could be made of anything from silk, or 
parchment to feathers, intricately decorated with jewels, lace, etc., while the sticks evolved from bone to ivory and tortoiseshell, often embellished with gold and silver work.
And they weren’t just to keep you cool. An entire language developed, used by young ladies to communicate with the opposite sex – a way to cope with the restricting social etiquette that prevailed in ballrooms throughout Europe.
Chatelaines, often worn by the woman of the house, also intrigue me. They were
a set of short chains on a belt with a variety of useful items such as keys, sewing kit, scissors, watches, vinaigrette and household seals. They were symbols of power. Younger women in the house often wanted the appearance of this responsibility, and would wear decorative chatelaines with a variety of small objects in place of the keys. In a bachelor or widower’s house, the housekeeper would have worn it. Below is a particularly beautiful example.
And o
f course there were hats. Lots of hats. Big ones, small ones and delicate ones. Sigh!
But of course it would be the Edwardians who would take the hat to its most glorious … but that’s another day’s post.
Pam Lecky Books 
A nice blog post. I think we forget how essential hats were during the Victorian era, not just as a fashion statement, but also for practical reasons (like keeping the dirt and dust from hair in the streets – remember that women couldn’t just grab a shampoo bottle for their hair – washing hair was a long and hassle-filled process).
Tam
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Such a shame we really only wear hats now on a winter’s day – and then they are fairly ugly woolly ones! Even at weddings now ladies only wear fascinators which I loath.
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Absolutely fascinating. I’m particularly hooked with the fan language. I’ve never known there was one.
And you know? For me life in the Victorian and Edwardian Eras is partuclarly intriguing. I write and reserch the 1920s, so I often reference how life was ‘before’ that time to tell how life had changed.
I’m so happy I’ve found your blog 🙂
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I am so glad you enjoyed it. I too like the ’20s and ’30s but my first love will always be the Victorian and Edwardian.Although early 1800s interests me, I think it is flooded with authors who write in that time period.
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