Skirts in the Victorian Era by Talia Kohai
The first mechanical sewing device was invented by Charles Fredrick Wiesenthal in 1755. Over the next 74 years, many innovations were made to the sewing machine, yet the first widely used machine was created in 1829 by Barthélemy Thimonnier. This was only a year before the Victorian era had officially begun, during which the common use of the sewing machine had increased greatly.
The majority of the Victorian skirts were part of a two piece set, accompanied by a corset or extremely tight bodice. Many details of the skirt were changed throughout the years, yet the general style of a cinched or gathered waist and a full skirt remained popular. The desired hourglass shape and small waist led to the initial design of the Victorian skirts; in the 1830’s the skirt was long and underneath were layers of horsehair petticoats, accompanied with a corset. During the 1840’s, length and fullness were added to the skirt, as well as the horsehair crinoline. To comply with the extra fabric and the small waist, the skirt was attached pleated to the bodice. The pleats, which were organ style, were an embellishment to the skirt.
In the 1850’s, rows of extra fabric used as flounces were added to skirt. With the creation of the artificial cage crinoline, the large amount of petticoat layers was reduced. In the 1860’s, the shape of the cage crinoline changed- it had become flatter in the front and fuller in the back. As the emphasis was now on the back of the skirt, the trains were longer and draped. The importance of the back of the skirt continued in the 1870’s when the tournure was introduced and created an exaggerated back skirt. In the 1880’s the drapes on the skirt were moved towards the sides of the skirt. During the last decade of the Victorian era, the crinoline was abandoned and the fullness of the skirts was due only to the smaller waist of the wearer.
Embroidery was a way of distinguishing wealth among society: wealthy women would have expensive embroidery and trimmings on their skirts. Middle class women would have less extravagant embroidery, while the lower class would have none. Another characteristic of wealth that was visible on the skirts was the fullness. The wider and fuller the skirt was, the wealthier the family of the woman was.
With the layers of petticoats, crinoline and tournure, the Victorian skirt was very restricting. In the early decades of the era, the status of women in society was low, and they were treated only as decorations. The evolution of the Victorian skirt is a metaphor to the progression of women rights- as the skirt became more freeing and less restricting, so did the status of women in society increased.
The emphasis of the desired “perfect” female body is still valid today. In recent years, there has been an increase of women (and men) that desire to have the so-called “hourglass body”, specifically a larger rear-end. Where in the Victorian era, the larger the skirt meant the wealthier and more prestigious the family, today this hourglass shape is commonly associated with less suitable figures (e.g.- the Kardashian family).
The use of the sewing machine in the making of the skirts during the Victorian era led to the reduction of the line between haute couture and prêt-à-porter. The easier making of the garments, led designers to broaden their clientele and collections. With the sewing machine being able to replace complex hand stitching, the traditions of fashion design were immensely changed; changes still present today.
Bibliography:
- Fashioning the Nineteenth Century : Habits of Being 3. Minneapolis, US: University Of Minnesota Press, 2014. Accessed September 4, 2016. ProQuest ebrary.
- Sobel, Sharon. The Focal Press Costume Topics Series : Draping Period Costumes: Classical Greek to Victorian : (The Focal Press Costume Topics Series). Oxford, GB: Focal Press, 2013. Accessed September 4, 2016. ProQuest ebrary.
- Goldthorpe, Caroline, curator. “From Queen to EmpressFrom Queen to Empress : Victorian dress 1837-1877.” (December 15, 1988-April 16, 1989) An exhibition at The Costume Institute. http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15324coll10/id/69547
