A short history of the waistcoat (up to the Victorian era) The waistcoat (commonly called a vest in American English) is a sleeveless upper-body garment. For men, this item is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. It is also sported as [...]
The late Victorian Era in Europe went by many names—but the most beautiful was the term the French used. “Belle Époque” means Beautiful Age, and the fashion from this era didn’t disappoint either. Keeping with the name for the era, the wedding gowns of the Late Victorian Era still retained much of the style that [...]
Before we get started, if you haven’t seen last week’s episode, get caught up with our last recap here. Well, love is in the air and wedding plans are in full swing. Rose and Atticus are still head-over-heels, and they need all the loving they can get, because there are plenty of people trying to [...]
Throughout the entire Victorian Era, hats were a major component to wardrobes. A hat could make or break an outfit in the same way that dress colors and hairstyles could. However, because the era lasted so long, the style of hats changed just as drastically as the style of dresses. Just as there were bustles [...]
It’s crazy to think about where our traditions come from. The unexplained reasons behind why we do what we do sometimes bring us comfort, but when we learn their origins, they become even more meaningful . Many of the traditions that we still hold in weddings today are from the Victorian Era, over 100 years [...]
When you imagine the Victorian era, you probably imagine huge sunhats, enormous dresses, gloves, lace, jewels, and decadence. In fashion, when an era is simplistic, the era after it usually is extreme. The simplicity of the Regency era meant only that the Victorian Era would be grander than ever. However, a part of the outfit [...]
Between Rose, Isobel, Mary, and the Dowager, everybody this episode’s got a boyfriend! But before we go too far, if you've missed out on the last episode, check out our recap! The Dowager and Aunt Rosamund try to catch Cora and tell her the truth about Edith and the mysterious Marigold, but Mrs. Drewe beats [...]
Valentine's Day History Robert McNamara, and expert in 19th century history relates that St. Valentine's Day celebrations date back to at least the Middle ages when the day was observed as Choose Your Romantic Partner Day "because it was believed that birds began mating on that day." (McNamara "History of St. Valentine's Day [...]
Because of films and movies, the Victorian era is idealized and envied. For Halloween and parties and reenactments, all some people want is to be able to dress in a Victorian Style dress, but what does that really mean? The Victorian Era lasted roughly seventy years and was named so, because that was the entire [...]