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VICTORIAN
1840-1900
The Corset
This period gave life to the corset most people think of when they hear the word. It was heavily boned, had a busk down the front, and laced up the back. It may, or may not, have had shoulder straps. After 1828 it might have had metal grommets, which allowed for it to be tightened much more than previously, and they then began to be used to severely alter the natural figure. The fashionable waist dropped, and got smaller and smaller during this time period (with crinolines and bustles used to accentuate this). In extreme cases (towards the end of the century) some women even had their floating ribs removed to allow their waists to be made even smaller. In 1829 the 2-part metal busk was introduced and by the mid-Victorian era had become nearly ubiquitous. For the first time corsets did not have to be completely unlaced to be removed, only loosened enough for the busk to be popped apart. But do not imagine that these are now an “easy in/easy out” garment. Getting back in was a chore. In the late 1870s and early 1880s the Emancipation Waist has its heyday, mostly among the suffragettes we all love to write about (use it!). There are lots of films to look at, in fact, there are so many films (and fashion changes so much by decade) that you really have to pay attention to exactly when the film is set. What Emma Thompson is wearing in Impromptu (1830s) is a far cry from what Angelina Jolie has on in Original Sin (1870s). Both great examples, but of totally different undergarments.
To view a large collection of corsets from this era visit
Laura'sAntique Corset Collection, or go to Demode from the homepage or the Georgian page.
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Full undergarments, c. 1860s
Corset, crinoline, camisole, and pantalettes.
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Corset, c. 1865
Note how much this pulled in the waist, and the 2-part metal busk.
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Bustles, c. 1870s-1880s
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The Rest
During the long period which is the reign of Queen Victoria, fashion changes A LOT. There is always going to be some kind of garment under the corset. Early on it will be a shift. Later it might be a camisole and slip, or a “combination” cami-bloomer onesie. Over that will go one or more petticoats (some 10-14 pounds of them by the 1840s!). In 1856 the crinoline (hoop skirt) is invented, and women trade in their heavy petticoats for this lightweight cage of metal, bamboo, or stiffened horse hair. A women might still wear a petticoat or two under the crinoline for warmth. As the century wears on a whole line of different kinds of crinolines (hoops, bustles, and tonnures) come in and out of fashion. Luckily this era is heavily documented, and easily researched. Pantalettes went out early on (certainly by the 1840s) and fell into the purview of little girls. Women will all be wearing crotchless bloomers, and knit stockings of cotton, wool, or silk (oddly enough red and purple were favorite colors!). These were held up with garters tied or buckled above the knee, and than later (post 1878) with suspenders and clips from the corset (like a modern garter belt).
Suggested Viewing: 1840s, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996 version), Jane Eyre (BBC 1997 version), Cousin Bette; 1850s, Angels and Insects, The Piano, Madame Bovary (1992 version); 1860s, Great Expectations (BBC 1999 version), Little Women (1999 version), Mrs. Brown; 1870s, Age of Innocence, Original Sin, Portrait of a Lady; 1880s, Camille Claudel, Jude (1996 version); 1890s, An Ideal Husband, Tipping the Velvet, Topsy Turvey.
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Full undergarments, c. 1874
Corset, combinations, and bustle.
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