Victorian Ball Gown ,Gothic Victorian Dresses,Civil War Dresses,Victorian Bustle Dress,Lolita Dress,Cheap Costumes for Adults

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Civil War Womens Clothing

三月 31st, 2016

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The Civil War womens clothing outfits worn by the female citizens of Gettysburg and Victorian women visiting after the battle are hard for us to imagine in the modern age of shorts and tank tops.There were specialized Civil War dresses every occasion: mourning gowns, ball gowns, riding habits, etc.

The Hoop Skirt

Civil War Southern belles are best known for their hoops. Civil War ladies clothing and fashion in the 1860s featured the hoop skirt at its greatest width. The hoop extended slightly father out in the back than in the front.

It took up to 5 yards of fabric to make a Victorian hoop skirt.

The cloth supply to the South from northern mills was cut off during the war, so some women made smaller skirts to save material and help the war effort. Or perhaps they recycled curtains as in Gone with the Wind!

Practical Civil War Dresses

While a hoop skirt is a good outfit for Gettysburg Remembrance Day on November 19th when ladies would have dressed up to hear Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, it is likely not what most citizens were wearing during the battle or while helping in hospitals.

Wealthy Victorian women wore several dresses each day. A “morning dress” was plainer. An “evening dress” was low on the shoulders, and suitable for a party. A “walking dress” had a longer peltote (a type of jacket essential to the outfit) over it that matched the skirt.

On the other hand, working class women during the Civil War likely only had two or three everyday dresses, one Sunday best outfit, and maybe the newest everyday dress reserved for going to town or visiting people.

Layers of Civil War Womens Clothing

Here’s a list of the Civil War womens clothing that they wore starting next to the skin and working out in layers:

Layer 1
* Drawers (underpants) made of cotton or linen and trimmed with lace
* Chemise (long undershirt) usually made of linen
* Stockings held up with garters

Layer 2
* Corset or stays stiffened with whale bone
* Crinoline, hoop skirt, or 1 or 2 petticoats (dark color if traveling due to mud and dirt)

Layer 3
* Petticoat bodice, corset cover, or camisole

Layer 4
* Bodice
* Skirt, often held up with “braces” (suspenders)
* Belt
* Slippers made of satin, velvet, done in knit, or crochet

Layer 5 (outerwear for leaving the house)
* Shawl, jacket, or mantle
* Gloves or mitts
* Button up boots
* Parasol
* Bonnet or hat
* Bag or purse
* Handkerchief
* Fan sometimes made of sandalwood
* Watch pocket

A fine lady never painted her face (wore make up). Sometimes she did carry smelling salts incase she fainted. For festive occasions, young ladies wore a nosegay of flowers.

Visit the Smithsonian website to see a vintage photo of a lady in Civil War womens clothing. (Opens in a new window.) There is also a color fashion plate from Godey’s Ladies Book, June 1862. It was a magazine that served the upper middle class, but those of lower status would certainly have been influenced by the Civil War ladies clothing fashions of high society and tried to imitate them.

I have collected some photos of Civil War dresses from the archives of the Library of Congress.

Color Choices

According to magazine articles from the era, a lady should choose colors based on harmony, simplicity, and influenced by nature.

We might consider some of their flower inspired color combinations gaudy now; however, they were afraid of being gaudy and looking like they were wearing Joseph’s coat from the Biblical story, so they stuck to two main colors in most ensembles.

Various styles of trim and braid were popular. Accessories for Civil War womens clothing were often covered in embroidery, as the vintage patterns from Godey’s Ladies Book and Peterson’s Magazine testify.

More about Women’s Gloves

Victorian modesty dictated that ladies should wear gloves when going out. She must have nice clean gloves on for church or dancing. They were not worn at all times and removed for eating. Think of them as part of Civil War womens clothing outerwear or things put on when going visiting such as the shawl, cape, and bonnet.

Crochet mitts were popular in the 1840s, so wearing them to an 1863 event is out of fashion. Perhaps someone old and clinging to her younger days would wear them, but white kid gloves extending to cover the wrist were the most popular and fashionable gloves.

If you crochet or knit and want to make something for your ensemble, why not make a snood? It was a lacy type of hairnet used to cover a bun.

Is there a hair in your necklace?

Hair jewelry was a special type of Civil War jewelry used to remember loved ones separated by distance or death. It included the person’s hair in rings, brooches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, or even watch chains.

This accessory in Civil War womens clothing was a type of sentimental jewelry first given as a token of friendship or love, but as the Victorian era progressed, it became mourning jewelry.

Victorians had an obsession about hair being covered or worn up, and they were very careful about touching each other, hence the gloves. In this form, hair jewelry allowed men and women to touch an intimate part of each other.

The hair could be clipped from the head, but many ladies had a hair receiver on their dresser and emptied their brush into it.

About Marie Antoinette

三月 30th, 2016

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Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755, Marie Antoinette married the future French king Louis XVI when she was just 15 years old. The young couple soon came to symbolize all of the excesses of the reviled French monarchy, and Marie Antoinette herself became the target of a great deal of vicious gossip. After the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, the royal family was forced to live under the supervision of revolutionary authorities. In 1793, the king was executed; then, Marie Antoinette was arrested and tried for trumped-up crimes against the French republic. She was convicted and sent to the guillotine on October 16, 1793.

Marie Antoinette: Early Life

Marie Antoinette, the 15th child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and the powerful Habsburg empress Maria Theresa, was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755–an age of great instability for European monarchies. In 1766, as a way to cement the relatively new alliance between the French and Habsburg thrones, Maria Theresa promised her young daughter’s hand in marriage to the future king Louis XVI of France. Four years later, Marie Antoinette and the dauphin were married by proxy in Vienna. (They were 15 and 16 years old, and they had never met.) On May 16, 1770, a lavish second wedding ceremony took place in the royal chapel at Versailles. More than 5,000 guests watched as the two teenagers were married. It was the beginning of Marie Antoinette’s life in the public eye.

Marie Antoinette: Life at Versailles

Life as a public figure was not easy for Marie Antoinette. Her marriage was difficult and, as she had very few official duties, she spent most of her time socializing and indulging her extravagant tastes. (For example, she had a model farm built on the palace grounds so that she and her ladies-in-waiting could dress in elaborate costumes and pretend to be milkmaids and shepherdesses.) Widely circulated newspapers and inexpensive pamphlets poked fun at the queen’s profligate behavior and spread outlandish, even pornographic rumors about her. Before long, it had become fashionable to blame Marie Antoinette for all of France’s problems.

Marie Antoinette: The French Revolution

In fact, the nation’s difficulties were not the young queen’s fault. Eighteenth-century colonial wars–particularly the American Revolution, in which the French had intervened on behalf of the colonists–had created a tremendous debt for the French state. The people who owned most of the property in France, such as the Catholic Church (the “First Estate”) and the nobility (the “Second Estate”), generally did not have to pay taxes on their wealth; ordinary people, on the other hand, felt squeezed by high taxes and resentful of the royal family’s conspicuous spending.

Louis XVI and his advisers tried to impose a more representative system of taxation, but the nobility resisted. (The popular press blamed Marie Antoinette for this–she was known as “Madame Veto,” among other things–though she was far from the only wealthy person in France to defend the privileges of the aristocracy.) In 1789, representatives from all three estates (the clergy, the nobility and the common people) met at Versailles to come up with a plan for the reform of the French state, but noblemen and clergymen were still reluctant to give up their prerogatives. The “Third Estate” delegates, inspired by Enlightenment ideas about personal liberty and civic equality, formed a “National Assembly” that placed government in the hands of French citizens for the first time.

At the same time, conditions worsened for ordinary French people, and many became convinced that the monarchy and the nobility were conspiring against them. Marie Antoinette continued to be a convenient target for their rage. Cartoonists and pamphleteers depicted her as an “Austrian whore” doing everything she could to undermine the French nation. In October 1789, a mob of Parisian women protesting the high cost of bread and other goods marched to Versailles, dragged the entire royal family back to the city, and imprisoned them in the Tuileries.

In June 1791, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette fled Paris and headed for the Austrian border–where, rumor had it, the queen’s brother, the Holy Roman Emperor, waited with troops ready to invade France, overthrow the revolutionary government and restore the power of the monarchy and the nobility. This incident, it seemed to many, was proof that the queen was not just a foreigner: She was a traitor.

Marie Antoinette: The Terror

The royal family was returned to Paris and Louis XVI was restored to the throne. However, many revolutionaries began to argue that the most insidious enemies of the state were not the nobles but the monarchs themselves. In April 1792, partly as a way to test the loyalties of the king and queen, the Jacobin (radical revolutionary) government declared war on Austria. The French army was in a shambles and the war did not go well—a turn of events that many blamed on the foreign-born queen. In August, another mob stormed the Tuileries, overthrew the monarchy and locked the family in a tower. In September, revolutionaries began to massacre royalist prisoners by the thousands. One of Marie Antoinette’s best friends, the Princesse de Lamballe, was dismembered in the street, and revolutionaries paraded her head and body parts through Paris. In December, Louis XVI was put on trial for treason; in January, he was executed.

The campaign against Marie Antoinette likewise grew stronger. In July 1793, she lost custody of her young son, who was forced to accuse her of sexual abuse and incest before a Revolutionary tribunal. In October, she was convicted of treason and sent to the guillotine. She was 37 years old.

Marie Antoinette: Legacy

The story of revolution and resistance in 18th-century France is a complicated one, and no two historians tell the story the same way. However, it is clear that for the revolutionaries, Marie Antoinette’s significance was mainly, powerfully symbolic. She and the people around her seemed to represent everything that was wrong with the monarchy and the Second Estate: They appeared to be tone-deaf, out of touch, disloyal (along with her allegedly treasonous behavior, writers and pamphleteers frequently accused the queen of adultery) and self-interested. What Marie Antoinette was actually like was beside the point; the image of the queen was far more influential than the woman herself.

Bustle Dresses/Skirts

三月 29th, 2016

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There were three distinct fashion trends during the Victorian era, and all are considered “Bustle Dresses”. These were the Early Bustle period (1869-1876), the Natural Form period (1877-1882), and the Late Bustle period (1883-1889). The combination of a tight bodice and a very full skirt with bustle and drapery was thought to enhance the look of a tiny waist. A 15-inch waist was considered ideal, and fashion plates of the day always illustrated women with impossibly small “wasp waists”.

The Early Bustle period (1869-1876) is characterized by tight-fitting bodices, which were worn with separate skirts. The bodice usually had a very high neck, and long closely-fitted sleeves. The sleeve was “dropped” from the shoulder a bit more than we are used to seeing today, and there was very little fullness at the sleeve head. A bustle was worn under the skirt, as well as two or more petticoats. There was usually an overskirt as well, either in the form of an apron-like drape across the front of the skirt, and/or an elaborately draped and pleated overskirt which covered the back of the skirt. The skirt itself was usually embellished with layers of ruffles, rouching or other trims.

The Natural Form period (1877-1882) dispensed with the bustle entirely. However, elaborate draping and pleating at the rear of the skirts still kept some of the bustle silhouette intact. Skirts during the natural form period were flatter in the front, and fullness was carried toward the back of the skirt. The “cuirasse bodice” which was based on a military style, dipped below the waistline at the front and back of the bodice, and was cut higher over the hips. Overskirts were still popular, but the fullness of the skirt was often drawn toward the back of the skirt using hidden tapes, which were attached to the side seams and drawn tight across the backs of the legs to keep the front of the skirt flat and narrow.

After several years without them, bustles made a fierce comeback during the Late Bustle period (1883-1889). Bustles were larger and higher than before, and it was said that you could place a dinner plate on one. Drapery over these larger bustles became very fanciful, with elaborate layers, pleats, bows and other embellishments, often arranged in an asymmetrical manner. Skirts were still flat at the front, and had less pleated embellishment, which left room for embroidery or other flat designs on the front panels. Necklines were lower for evening events, and sleeve heads had a bit more fullness than before.

Victorian Bustle Dresses

三月 29th, 2016

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The skirt bustle is the lesser known but equally beautiful Victorian skirt. When most people think of the Victorian era, they think of the hoop skirt. However, the hoop skirt went out of style in the 1870s, and was replaced with the bustle dress. Although this dress isn’t the definitive style of the Victorian era, it is nonetheless a major contributor to the overall style of the era.

The bustle dress style went through three distinct periods. The first period was the Early Bustle Period, which lasted from 1869-1876. In this period, a separate bodice and skirt were worn, and the bodice was characterized by a high neck and a tight fitting sleeve. The skirt bustle had petticoats underneath it to still give it volume.

The Natural Form Period lasted from 1877-1882, and did away with the bustle completely. However, pleats and draping still gave the effect of a skirt bustle although there was no physical bustle present. Fullness in the skirt was usually drawn to the back so that the silhouette in the front was flat.

The Late Bustle Period appeared in 1883 and lasted until 1889. A true bustle became popular again, and was much more extreme than the previous ones. The bustle skirts were higher and larger than previous bustles, and many times drapery similar to the Natural Form Period was seen.

Deluxe Champagne Weddin Dress Satin White Lace Trailing Victorian Bustle Period Dress
Blue and Black Cotton Vintage Victorian Skirt

Purple Satin Victorian Bustle Skirt Black/White Cotton Victorian Bustle Skirt

Edwardian Era

三月 28th, 2016

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The Edwardian Era is named for Queen Victoria’s son Edward, who ascended to the throne upon her death in 1901. This was to become an age of unparalleled luxury as the bustles, stiff silks and wools of the 1890’s gave way to the new decorative Art Noveau style. The French termed this period la Belle Epoque (the beautiful era), and the description certainly seems apt as we see the lovely styles that emerged during the years between 1901 and 1914.
As ever, the small waist was admired, but instead of using bustles and elaborate skirt drapery to emphasize the contrast, the new slimmer silhouette featured a bodice that often draped over the waist in front, and all manner of elaborate belts and sashes. Slimmer skirts now skimmed over the hips, and then flared at the hem, giving an inverted lily effect. Blouses became very elaborate in decoration, often featuring embroidery, tucks, and lace inserts all at once. Lighter fabrics, often very fine linen or cotton, were elaborately embroidered and embellished with lace. Softer colors that suited the lighter fabrics became more popular, and white especially was worn for afternoon events, although jewel tones were still admired and often worn. Clothing became so very light that new terms like pneumonia blouse and lingerie dress were coined. Many ladies magazines were published at the time, and several included patterns that could be taken to the local dressmaker, or if the lady was talented, could be made at home. New styles were always touted as coming from France, as this was considered the leading fashion center of the day.

Of course, all this lightweight clothing would never do for a New England winter, and warmer garments had to be worn. The Edwardian era saw the rise of the suit as a fashionable garment for ladies. Perhaps the greatest proponent of this new style of dress – thought mannish by some – was the “Gibson Girl”, who emerged athletic and independent, from the cocoon of gauze and lace of a few years earlier.

No discussion of this era would be complete without mention of the signature accessories of the day. Don’t we all love those incredible Edwardian hats? As the overall silhouette became slimmer, hats (and the hairdos under them) became increasingly larger and wider. Feathers were used extensively; to the point that certain species of birds were hunted to near extinction, and the first-ever laws were passed to protect them. The “picture hat” was a must-have accessory for any lady venturing out of her home. Gloves were worn at all times in public, often of washable leather, but for special events they would be made of suede or lace. A parasol was often carried, and in the summer this accessory also dripped with ribbons and lace, adding to the overall frilly, feminine effect of the outfit.

Clothing and Fashions of the Edwardian Era

三月 27th, 2016

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With shows and movies like Downton Abbey making a splash in pop culture, Edwardian clothing has soared in popularity. However, there is an important history to Edwardian clothing that is sometimes forgotten. Edwardian clothing allowed women to stray away from the constricting and unhealthy Victorian corset. This style offered more comfortable, versatile clothes that let women remain active.

The Edwardian era began in 1901, and its styles strayed away from the previously established norms of the last 100 years. More so than in the Victorian era, it was common to see Edwardian women sporting blouses and skirts instead of full ensembles. Women also commonly wore natural-waist dresses that didn’t require hoops or as many petticoats as traditional Victorian clothes. In fact, some were completely straight sheath dresses that required few (if any) petticoats. This was incredibly important to note as women’s fashion continued to change and skirts eventually became shorter in the 1920s.

Wholesalelolita.com will be able to help you with any Edwardian clothing that you may want for your next Downton Abbey party, Somewhere in Time gathering, or historical reenactment. No matter the kind of dress you’re looking for, Recollections will have it in stock or will be able to create it for you. We even have the Edwardian accessories, like fans, gloves, and parasols, to make your look as accurate as possible. We even have the flamboyant hats complete with feathers and bows that will make your look authentic. Begin searching here for your next Edwardian clothing look and then complete it with accessories from all over our website!

Victorian Fashion – Dresses and Skirts of the Victorian Era

三月 25th, 2016

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The Victorian Era is named for Queen Victoria, who reigned in England from 1837 to 1901. As you might imagine, fashions changed dramatically over this 60-year span, but the changes didn’t happen as quickly as you might think. During the early years of the Victorian era, travel and communication were much slower than today, so a particular style might stay in fashion for many years. It wasn’t until faster methods of travel and communication were possible, that popular styles began to change more rapidly, causing fashionable women to bemoan the cost of keeping their wardrobes up with the current trends.

The entire era reflects a certain romance and gentility, fostered in great part by the beautiful and much adored Queen Victoria for whom the entire era is named. In the early years, and throughout the period, the image of a woman was one of fragile beauty and domestic enterprise. It was the man’s responsibility to provide a home and income, and the lady was to make that home a place where the family was nurtured and prepared for the future. Clothing for women was utterly feminine, and was designed to emphasize the much-admired small waist. Ladies wore as many as seven petticoats under their voluminous skirts, and bodices were high necked, long sleeved, and tightly fitted to the body.

The invention of the sewing machine in 1844 meant that clothes could be more lavishly trimmed than ever before. About the same time, lace machinery was developed to make lace at a fraction of the cost of hand-made lace. This meant that elaborate trims and flounces soon appeared on nearly every garment. Chemists developed new dyes that were cheaper than before and were much more vibrant than the old animal or vegetable dyes, which popularized clothing in bright colors.

Toward the end of the era (about the 1890’s) women’s fashions became simpler and less extravagant and bustles fell out of fashion. The new, looser dresses gave way to a more flowing look. Corsets were still worn, but became slightly longer to provide the slimmer shape that was coming into fashion. Fabric became thinner to the point of being sheer, and lavish embroidery and lace inserts were a preview of the lacy lingerie dresses that would soon come with the Edwardian era. Clothing sets which included a skirt, blouse and jacket emerged as a practical and acceptable way to dress.

Find The Perfect Civil War Dresses For You

三月 24th, 2016

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Are you ready to look like a regular Southern Belle at your next historical event? You would look stunning wearing one of Wholesalelolita’ Civil War dresses. The Civil War was an incredibly important moment in America’s history. Almost every person living in the United States knew someone fighting or who had passed away during the war. The style of Civil War era clothing is one of the most quintessential looks of the entire Victorian period because it happened right in the middle of the era and because it embodied many of the fashions seen throughout the area.

Civil War dresses were characterized by hoop skirts. In fact, Civil War ball gowns had some of the widest hoop skirts of the era, and the skirt itself could take up more than five yards of fabric. Along with a hoop skirt, most Civil War dresses were worn with a corset, which cinched in the waist. Finally, crinolines were also a necessity for Civil War dresses. Crinolines were stiff petticoats that helped support the skirt of the dresses. For as extravagant as the Civil War dresses were, wealthy women would change sometimes five times a day as a way to demonstrate their wealth.

Browse our collection of Civil War dresses below to find the one that is perfect for you. We sell separates like skirts and jackets as well as full Civil War ball gowns. We also have all the accessories you need, like gloves and jewelry, so that your look can be complete. Our Civil War era clothing will have you looking like you just walked off a plantation in no time.

Yellow Victorian Southern Belle Period Costume Dress 4X 5X

三月 23rd, 2016

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Yellow Victorian Southern Belle Period Costume Dress 4X 5X

Here is a custom made dress in the style of around 1859

It is two pieces

There is a lot of wide ruffled wide lace

An accent of striped satin ovals circle the bodice top and overskirt hem

The red flowers are pinned on, so you can change the look of the dress

Two matching red floral hair clips are included

The bodice is boned and fastens in the back with hooks and eyes

It is a flat corset style

There are sleeves that have an elastic top so they can either be on top of your shoulder or slipped down onto your arm

The skirt has a white satin ruffled underskirt and a soft yellow overskirt

It fastens with two buttons for extra security

All seams are neatly finished and all elastic is hidden or soft so it won’t hurt your delicate skin

Hand made with love by Aunt Debbie

That is me in the picture. I am too short for the dress, so the skirt is actually longer

The drawing is the inspiration for this dress from Paris in 1859

Shown over a full hoop crinoline, which is not included

Note – Color shown may vary due to a variety of factors (lighting, monitors, etc.)

Size:

These are actual dress measurements For best fit, your chest should be exactly 55” This dress can be worn without a bra
Bodice – Chest	55”
waist	58”
Shoulder-waist	17”

Skirt length	47”
Skirt waist	58”

Victorian Purple Satin Day Dress Costume READY TO WEAR

三月 22nd, 2016

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Victorian Purple SatinDay Dress Costume READY TO WEAR

This is your chance to have a fabulous Victorian Bustle Costume ready-made off the rack, and ready-to-wear by stellar Victorian seamstress, Christine Hall!

Note :

“This Victorian Costume consists of 3 pieces: underskirt, overskirt and bodice. It is made in beautiful dark purple Satin, purple and black brocade and black rose brocade. Trimmed with yards of Venice lace in various places throughout the dress.”

Description:

The Day bodice is made in the brocade fabric with a purple Satin vest inlay and buttons lining down the front with eight ornate black buttons. The collar, cuffs and entire hem of the bodice has been trimmed with a small black Venice lace. The bodice is fully lined and underlined entirely with 100 percent cotton fabric and is very lightly boned with steel boning.

The underskirt is made in the black rose brocade trimmed with a 6″ knife pleated trim at the hem. The skirt closes at the back with hooks and eyes.The overskirt is made of the purple Satin trimmed with lots of Venice lace along the outer edges of the skirt. Also, a large black lace applique’ adorns the center front of the apron. The back is bustled and can be adjusted with ties on the inside of the skirt for different looks and for easy ironing.

Shipping and insurance will be added to the total.

Any questions you might have regarding this outfit are all welcome, and she will get back to you right away.

Condition:

Newly made and Mint condition.

Jewelry not included, unless otherwise stated.

This item is sold and no longer available.

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