Nowadays, we’re lucky if the friends we meet for coffee are wearing jeans and actual shoes instead of flip-flops and sweatpants. In other words, we’re a little more focused on comfort than beauty. But, that attitude may change when we think back to the Edwardian era and all the effort that it took to be an Edwardian lady. We may consider spending the few extra minutes to dab on some eyeliner and throw on some jeans without holes.

Being an Edwardian lady was no easy task. The Edwardian dress may have been more comfortable than the dresses Victorians wore, but they were by no means as comfortable as the clothes women wear today. An Edwardian dress had a corset that jutted the hips backward, causing back pain and deformations. Although this was an improvement from the Victorian corset, it still constricted and contorted the woman’s body in ways that were unnatural. Even maids and servants were subjected to wearing a corset, which interfered with their daily tasks of cleaning and cooking. Ladies had to change into different Edwardian dresses based on their daily activities, including every meal, riding, calling, and receiving guests. That means a woman could be changing clothes up to six times a day! And, not only had the Edwardian dress changed. Oftentimes, a lady’s hairstyle had to change. Imagine how much time these women had to spend in front of mirrors!

Think of your own daily routine. You may sleep in an extra few minutes and skip some beautification ritual to enjoy some more sleep. However, next time you think of that, remember a time when the ultimate effort was put into ensuring a woman looked her best. While we know that this is in the past and women are not expected to change upwards of six times a day, the idea of looking your best is an important part of feeling your best overall. And, if you do want to play the part of an Edwardian lady, you can pick up an Edwardian dress with all the accessories needed to make you look your finest. We even have six different dresses in case you want to be as accurate as possible. Get started building your Edwardian dress collection here!