Tag Archives: cap

History Of The Nightcap – Victorian And Edwardian Hair Care

1900s - Edwardian, , , , , , ,

Nightcaps or sleeping caps were worn while sleeping to keep the hair tangle-free and – especially silk nightcaps – to make the hair glossy. Nightcaps have a long history and even today silk caps are recommended for long or curly hair. Read on to find out why and how Edwardian and WW1 women wore nightcaps and how to make a vintage silk sleeping cap for yourself!

Related: 200+ Historical DIY Natural Beauty Products

History Of The Nightcap - Victorian And Edwardian Hair Care

 

History Of The Nightcap

In the Victorian era, nightcaps were worn by all women, young and old. Continue reading History Of The Nightcap – Victorian And Edwardian Hair Care →

1850s Sheer White Muslin Dress

1840-60 - Victorian, , , ,

1850s Muslin Lace Dress Victorian Sheer Cotton Summer Dress Lace Inserts

For summer I made a Victorian sheer cotton day dress. I used sheer white cotton muslin from the UK. Unlike US muslin, UK muslin is a very sheer, lightweight cotton fabric – perfect for summer dresses!

I love how my Victorian muslin dress turned out: It looks so elegant. And at the same time, it’s comfortable and cool to wear in summer despite the tons of underwear! Continue reading 1850s Sheer White Muslin Dress →

1840s/ 1850s Underwear – Dressing The Victorian Lady

1840-60 - Victorian, , , , , , , ,

Dressing The Victorian Woman

The right underwear is very important for historical costuming – even more important than the dress – because underwear provides the structure for the dress. Without the correct underwear, the dress looks cheap and shabby.

Victorian women wore many layers of underwear: chemise, drawers, corset, petticoats – to name just a few. Mid-Victorian underwear was usually very plain – unlike late Victorian or Edwardian lingerie with their lace frills and flounces.

Here I’m showing you how a middle or upper class woman would’ve dressed in the 1840s or 1850s. Continue reading 1840s/ 1850s Underwear – Dressing The Victorian Lady →

Edwardian Maid Dress – 1900s Pink Gingham Wash Dress

1900s - Edwardian, , , , , ,

Edwardian Maid Dress 1900s Pink Stripe Gingham Cotton Wash Dress

In the mornings, Edwardian maids wore striped cotton dresses – usually blue & white striped or pink & white striped. They only changed into the today’s known black & white maid costume – a black wool dress with white cotton apron & cap – in the afternoons.

Cotton dresses were much more practical than wool dresses for housework. They were lighter, cooler and could be washed in contrast to Edwardian wool dresses. That’s why these type of dresses were usually called ‘wash dresses’ or ‘tub frocks’ in the 1900s. Continue reading Edwardian Maid Dress – 1900s Pink Gingham Wash Dress →

1850s Plain Cotton Day Cap

1840-60 - Victorian, , , ,

Dressing The Victorian Working Woman Victorian Apron

This is a simple and plain Victorian cotton day cap, such as in this Victorian painting or this 1855 painting. ‘This shape is particularly liked by the poor, from the ease with which it is made up and washed, as, upon undrawing the string, it […] lies quite flat to be ironed.’ (The Workwoman’s Guide, 1840) Continue reading 1850s Plain Cotton Day Cap →

Handsewn Victorian Cotton Sunbonnet

1840-60 - Victorian, , , , , ,

Victorian Working Woman Black Wool Stays

In the Victorian era, sunbonnets were worn outdoors to protect the face and dress from the sun. Because a white complexion was fashionable, subonnets were worn by ladies in the garden (straw hats were only worn at the seaside, in the country, or by young girls), as well as working women during field work. The brim of sunbonnets was often corded or strengthened with slats. Sunbonnets could be made either from printed or plain fabric. Continue reading Handsewn Victorian Cotton Sunbonnet →