A MINI GUIDE TO VICTORIAN BEAUTY

by Adriana Kuběnková

This is a short guide to British beauty standards in the Victorian era. Just in case you ever travelled back in time and didn't know what to wear, you know. Queen Victoria ruled in the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901 and therefore the time of her reign is called the Victorian era.#

If you are a male, I apologize for I´ve focused mainly on women´s fashion. But just so that you have at least a little idea, here is a picture of a British gentleman of that time. A very long blazer or coat is a must-have and you shouldn´t forget to put a vest underneath it, the vest used to be the core of the whole outfit. Another staple piece that can´t be missing in your wardrobe is a classic hat and if you want to go all fancy, consider purchasing a walking stick or a pair of gloves. Oh, and I would also recommend growing a beard or a mustache if you are really about that classy look.

For women the criteria is a lot more strict and complex but since this is only a miniguide, I´m not going to describe all of it to you. But you should know that fashion of the Victorian era is all about femininity. This means a lot of lace, flowers, soft colours and teeny tiny details everywhere. This probably won't surprise you, but women are expected to only wear ankle-length skirts or dresses. But it's fine, at least you don't have to put up with shaving your legs in the summer.

On the other hand, most women of that time chose to wear a very tight tied corset to make their waist look as thin as possible. I mean, that alone might be bearable, but imagine also wearing a pair of shoes similar to these: As you can tell, comfort and practicality didn't play the main role in fashion of the Victorian era.

But to end on a more positive note, women weren't expected to wear as much makeup as nowadays. They were in fact encouraged to stick to a natural look and show their natural beauty. The few makeup products they used included blush and lip balm. Rather than covering up their flaws with makeup, they were focused on getting flawless skin with the use of natural creams and oils.