Victorian Fashion Pushed Boundaries
Victorian fashion evolved from the hoop skirt to the bustle.
The Victorian era took fashion to new heights. Women wore crinoline dresses that stretched as wide as 18 feet across in the 1850s. And by the 1870s, the puffy bustle was all the rage.
Victorian fashion was also a matter of life and death. The airy fabrics of full-skirted 19th-century gowns were incredibly flammable. Oscar Wilde's half-sisters died after a Halloween party when candlesticks set their gowns on fire. And they weren't the only ones to suffer this painful fate. At one point, it was estimated that 3,000 women died in crinoline-related fires.
Victorians were also fans of body modification — which didn't just refer to corsets. While some women chased the temporary "wasp waist" look, others went with more permanent modifications. For instance, tattoos were popular in the Victorian era, both with criminals and royalty.
Edward VII had a Jerusalem Cross tattooed on his body, and George V boasted a red and blue dragon. By 1902, elite men and women lined up for tattoos, with Pearson's Magazine promising that "even the most delicate ladies make no complaint" at the "slight pricking" of the tattoo needle.
Fashionable ladies chose tattoos of butterflies and birds or went for an "all-year-round delicate pink complexion" with subtle face tattoos. Winston Churchill's mother inked a serpent on her wrist.
Unfortunately, Victorian fashion also drove some species to extinction as women adorned their outfits with dead animals. "Dame Fashion," one article wrote in 1890, "has extended her murderous designs to moths and butterflies." Meanwhile, dead birds sat atop hats and beetles replaced jewels on necklaces and earrings.
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