Victorian Era
Women's Style
The Purpose of Style
The purpose of women's style was to uphold the social status of their husbands. If a women dressed with class and the latest fashion it was because her husband was of high social status. She would never be allowed to be in public without being dressed properly.
The Skirt
The skirts in this time period were made full with many layers of petticoats. This made the skirt big. The bigger the skirt the higher the social class of the individual wearing the dress.
The Waist
Women's waist's in the Victorian Era appeared to be much smaller than they actually were. The corset and lace up back gave the appearance of a small waist.
The Shoulder
The shoulder line of the dress generally didn't lay on top of the shoulder but in the sides of the shoulder, down to the arm. This made it almost impossible for women to move their arms.
Overall Style
Women were never seen in public without a dress on. These dresses were usually elaborate with lots of bows and frills. The dresses went past the ankles to touch the floor, anything shorter than this was not acceptable. Many colors and designs were put into one dress.