BETTER NOT SOAK UP THE SUN!
Yes, the Victorians were obsessed with fresh air (Queen Victoria herself never saw a window she didn’t want to open!) and they were pretty fond of sunshine, too. But they were not at all interested in what a day out in all the light and air would do to a lady’s skin. In the late 1800s, there were no reliable sunscreens, and no really good ways to deal with the after-effects of a sunburn beyond home remedies like buttermilk to ease the pain or lemon juice for the freckles and discoloration. Not to mention the fact that the idea of a status suntan was still several decades away.
In the Gilded Age, we are still very much in the era of fashionable pallor (and all of that whiteness carries plenty of its own issues). For all of what we’d now consider the wrong reasons, the ladies were absolutely determined to avoid sun damage with any means they had. Problem was, they didn’t have very many.
So it was umbrellas and parasols. Big, serviceable ones for the beach, and cute little ones for the promenade, but always something. Fashion plates always show ladies walking with them, and it seems like a spiffy fashion statement. Indeed it was, but before sunscreen and a fast way home, a lady needed to be prepared for anything.
Not just with the parasol, either. I recently posted some lovely vintage postcards on social media, and the first thing one friend said was, “Wow, look at all the clothes!” As in – all of the layers of clothes! Now it’s true that on any given day, a respectable woman would have at least four or five layers on (combinations – that’s underwear to you, a couple of petticoats, shirtwaist, jacket and possible coat), but back then the beach required one to add to the ensemble, not delete!
On a very hot day, the layers would be lightweight and white, but they’d still be there. Long sleeves and high necks were modest, of course, and that was important for a respectable lady in daytime…but they were equally helpful in protecting exposed skin from the sun.
Then, come the accessories.
A hat, of course, and even if the current fashion was for a frilly little nod in the direction of millinery, sun protection required a serious hat. Broad-brimmed straw hats never really went out of fashion in the summer; they might be trimmed up differently, depending on the colors and preferences of the moment, but it was hard to argue with a style that did such a good job of covering the face, and often the neck and decollete as well. Veils, too, were often part of the picture, whether full face (popular when driving) or just tied around the hat to be pulled out for more cover as needed.
Don’t forget the gloves. Almost as important as the face were smooth hands. While the amount of work involved in running any basically clean and decent home was mind-boggling, most ladies weren’t doing that much of it. And they certainly weren’t willing to risk their dainty hands in the sun. So gloves it was. Long with a short-sleeved dress, short for a wrist-length sleeve, often with sweet little buttons at the wrist, and various adorable trimmings.
Pretty, and ready for the sun. Now if we could just find a good book to read on the beach…
Got a #ThrowbackThursday idea? Drop it in the comments!
In the Gilded Age, we are still very much in the era of fashionable pallor (and all of that whiteness carries plenty of its own issues). For all of what we’d now consider the wrong reasons, the ladies were absolutely determined to avoid sun damage with any means they had. Problem was, they didn’t have very many.
So it was umbrellas and parasols. Big, serviceable ones for the beach, and cute little ones for the promenade, but always something. Fashion plates always show ladies walking with them, and it seems like a spiffy fashion statement. Indeed it was, but before sunscreen and a fast way home, a lady needed to be prepared for anything.
Not just with the parasol, either. I recently posted some lovely vintage postcards on social media, and the first thing one friend said was, “Wow, look at all the clothes!” As in – all of the layers of clothes! Now it’s true that on any given day, a respectable woman would have at least four or five layers on (combinations – that’s underwear to you, a couple of petticoats, shirtwaist, jacket and possible coat), but back then the beach required one to add to the ensemble, not delete!
On a very hot day, the layers would be lightweight and white, but they’d still be there. Long sleeves and high necks were modest, of course, and that was important for a respectable lady in daytime…but they were equally helpful in protecting exposed skin from the sun.
Then, come the accessories.
A hat, of course, and even if the current fashion was for a frilly little nod in the direction of millinery, sun protection required a serious hat. Broad-brimmed straw hats never really went out of fashion in the summer; they might be trimmed up differently, depending on the colors and preferences of the moment, but it was hard to argue with a style that did such a good job of covering the face, and often the neck and decollete as well. Veils, too, were often part of the picture, whether full face (popular when driving) or just tied around the hat to be pulled out for more cover as needed.
Don’t forget the gloves. Almost as important as the face were smooth hands. While the amount of work involved in running any basically clean and decent home was mind-boggling, most ladies weren’t doing that much of it. And they certainly weren’t willing to risk their dainty hands in the sun. So gloves it was. Long with a short-sleeved dress, short for a wrist-length sleeve, often with sweet little buttons at the wrist, and various adorable trimmings.
Pretty, and ready for the sun. Now if we could just find a good book to read on the beach…
Got a #ThrowbackThursday idea? Drop it in the comments!
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Although there was no comparison to the uncomfortable layers women endured Victorian men's clothing was also disagreeable.
A Victorian men’s outfit consisted of high waist pants held up by suspenders having solid wool, plaid, or dark stripes—next, a loose shirt of white having high upstanding or turnover collars or actual colour for working classes. But a middle to an upper-classman used to wear a suit and matching vest. A mismatched vest and jacket were worn by poor class. Cravat or ascot was in use instead of a necktie. Men wore a top hat, bowler or cap and lace-up or button-up boots. Straw Boaters, a cool summer style had specific dates (which varied regionally) when they could be worn.
Mercury used in the production of top hats is poisonous with symptoms including dementia and hallucination giving rise to the phrase "mad as a hatter."
A frock coat, cutaway, or morning coat (tailcoat) were also worn. Men’s accessories included gloves and a pocket watch.
Thank you for sharing, my friend.