Victorian Fashion

Accessing costumes and outfits from the past. Role-play and studio photography skills applied with reference to early and contemporary portraits.

Photography by Helen Miller

Photography by Rebecca Cater

Photography by Helen Miller

Photography by Jade Horton

Photography by Helen Miller

Photography by Jade Horton

Photography by Helen Miller

Photography by Rebecca Cater

Photography by Jade Horton

Photography by Cheyenne Mckane

Adult lady’s costume: Corset, Crinoline, Skirt and Costume

This outfit would have been worn by a wealthy lady c. 1860. The amount of fabric used and the width of the skirt were a way of showing how wealthy you were. The restrictive nature of the clothes meant that the person wearing this outfit would have needed household staff to do the chores. Corsets had whalebone rods and were worn so tightly that women sometimes suffered broken ribs. Crinolines contained steel hoops and meant that women had to walk very carefully to avoid tripping.