Seeing red: colors in the Victorian era

By | November 3rd, 2023|Categories: Colors in the Victorian era, Fashion, Fashion history, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , , |

Red is one of the most striking colors and one of the colors found most in nature. It is especially ingrained in humans with it being the third color that babies recognize. Throughout history, it has also been considered the most alluring, with it showing up as a symbol of sensuality in ancient times and [...]

Victorian summer dresses

By | June 28th, 2023|Categories: Fashion history, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Victorian fashion, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , |

Summer is here! It is a great time for freshening one’s wardrobe, with so many opportunities to be seen and to get creative. This year I am enjoying pairing my light sundresses and skirts with the cowboy boots and Western-style accessories I have been collecting over the past couple of years. I enjoy the fact [...]

5 women that make great Victorian Halloween costumes

By | September 19th, 2021|Categories: Halloween, Holidays, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

A memorable Halloween starts with a memorable costume. Why not make it one to remember by dressing as a woman from history who deserves to be remembered? Victorian Halloween costumes are always a part favorite because they are striking and great conversation starters. But who to choose? A lot of women from the Victorian era [...]

Victorian riding habits: more than meets the eye

By | June 27th, 2021|Categories: Fashion, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

Last week I wrote about the Victorian home workout and the various attitudes about female exercise of the time. I included illustrations from exercise 19th century fitness manuals which showed women performing various exercises in their full proper dress of the time; corsets, petticoats, and all. Clothing had not yet evolved to a point where [...]

Dressing for Your Dickens Event

By | September 7th, 2018|Categories: 19th Century Literature, Fashion, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , , |

Are you attending a Dickens-themed event? Whether you are participating in a Dickens Fair, are part of a Victorian caroling group, or are part of a Dickens production such as A Christmas Carol, it’s important for a lady to know how to dress the part! We’re here to wrap it all up for you in [...]

Sleeping Bear Inn: Victorian Charm on Lake Michigan

By | October 23rd, 2017|Categories: Destinations, Fashion, Pioneer Dress, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , |

Once a year, my husband and I head out on an anniversary adventure. This year we visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan but had no idea our travels would take us to the Sleeping Bear Inn. After climbing the Empire Bluff, we headed to Glen Haven to visit the [...]

Victorian Fashion as Inspiration for Steampunk

By | June 20th, 2015|Categories: Steampunk, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , , , , |

From the movies and pop culture, most of us know what parts of Victorian fashion were important. For instance, women’s ball gowns and bustles and men’s top hats and jackets are all recognizable elements of a Victorian wardrobe. However, a relatively recent innovation takes these iconic Victorian images and morphs them with a modern, sci-fi [...]

Period Events & Entertainments Re-Creation Society

By | May 4th, 2015|Categories: Ball Gowns, Edwardian Era, Steampunk, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

What is Period Events & Entertainments Re-Creation Society?   The Period Events & Entertainments Re-Creation Society (PEERS) is a non-profit corporation based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The organization is dedicated to remembering, researching, and re-creating the performing arts of the past. Their goals include producing and sponsoring original and re-creations of [...]

5 Most Popular Victorian Dress Patterns

By | May 1st, 2015|Categories: Victorian Era|Tags: , |

Victorian dresses are known for their long hoops and their poofy, leg-o-mutton sleeves. These dresses, especially the dresses of the Civil War, became iconic for the entire era, and are now are some of the most popular dresses we have on our entire site. We’ve compiled a list of the 5 most popular Victorian dress [...]