Victorian Fashion + Dressing, A Quick Guide to the Silhouettes of the Victorian Era

I was browsing through different vintage blogs here and there and noticed a trend... girls mistaking Edwardian for Victorian fashions. While I do not claim to be a Victorian era expert of any sort, I am familiar with the silhouettes differentiating a Victorian dress from an Edwardian dress.


The Victorian Era spanned from 1837 to 1901 during the reign of Queen Victoria. During her 64 year reign womens' dress styles changed every decade it seems. The above image quickly illustrates the differences in Victorian dress change, most notably the shape of the skirt. Towards the end of the Victorian era we enter into the style sometimes referred to as Gibson Girl fashion. (I'll do a post on that another day). The Edwardian Era followed the Victorian era during the reign of Prince Edward.


The dresses started off quite full with caged crinolines (1840s-1850s) and dresses were bell shaped, and towards the end of the Victorian era the dresses became more narrow with cuirasse bodices and bustles (1870s-1890s).


Victorian fashion plate dating from 1874


Victorian Afternoon dress c.1864 + Claude Monet's 'Women in the Garden' c. 1866

Image Credits: Silhouettes from Enchanted Serenity Period Films. All other images from Historical Fashion and F Yeah Victorians. Victorian afternoon dress via Defunct Fashion, Claude Monet 'Women in the Garden' from Musee d'Orsay via Historical Fashion

Additional Resources for Victorian Fashion:
Abiti Antichi - Brief History of Fashion (Italian site)
Early Victorian Fashion - Fashion-Era.com
Victorian Fashion - Wiki

Dating Vintage: Vintage Sweaters, Twin Sets, + Cardigans from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s

There is something about rainy cloudy days that makes me wish I had more sweaters in my closet. Particularly vintage sweaters and to get even more specific, vintage sweaters from the 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s.

I never seem to spot them on my many vintage adventures, or perhaps it's because I am not really sure how a sweater prior to the 60s should look. So, to help me, and to help you I hope, here are some advertisements, vintage knitting patterns, and other wonderful images of vintage sweaters from the 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s.

/// Vintage 1950s Sweaters


One of the things I noticed about sweaters in the 1950s are the popularity of dolman sleeves and towards the late 1950s into the 60s the shapes got a bit more boxy. (But that's another post!) Cardigans and twin sets were also very popular in the 1950s especially embellished styles with fur collars and sleeves or delicate embroidery or fancy beading.

/// Vintage 1940s Sweaters


Sweaters and knitwear in the 1940s were a lot more fitted usually with puff sleeved details and ribbed waistlines. Most of the advertisements and catalog images and knit patterns I have seen for 1940s sweaters they almost always are fitted at the waist and broader along the shoulders. Vintage 1940s sweaters also were cropped shorter in comparison to later versions. A popular sleeve length for 1940s sweaters appears to be right above the elbows.

/// Vintage 1930s Sweaters


One of the aspects I noticed about vintage sweaters from the 1930s was the looseness in shape along the bodice. Most of the knitting pattern images I found were more blouson in shape and there were definitely a lot of bow and sailor tie inspired details on the neckline (which I love love!)

Dating Vintage: Vintage Lingerie Advertisements from the 1940s, 1950s and the 1960s

How to date vintage lingerie: If you need help dating vintage lingerie, studying vintage lingerie advertisements and catalog scans will be your best bet. Advertisements for vintage slips, nightgowns, and peignoirs can be usually be found in vintage magazines for women which are always marked with a date.

For alternate options on dating vintage lingerie, you can also view photos of Hollywood starlets many of which did glamour photoshoots in maribou feather trimmed robes, silk evening gowns, and chiffon night wear.

Vintage Vogue 1955 | Mary Jane Russell Cover | Vintage Coats + Furs Advertisements

The September 1955 issue of Vogue is filled with advertisement for luxury coats most notably fur coats. I never realized how prevalent fur was in the 1950s!

Dating Vintage Tip: Browsing vintage advertisements is a fantastic way of dating vintage especially if you know the source of the advertisement! For instance, these vintage coat ads were all featured in 1955, therefore you can gather that coats of similar shape and style were probably popular the year before and the year after. And if the ad/editorial is in VOGUE you can pretty much guarantee similar styles made of less luxurious materials were common several years after. (Remember, Vogue was one of the pioneers of forward thinking fashion... therefore it took awhile for the styles to trickle down to the masses...)

10 Vintage Sewing Patterns from the 1940s & 1950s by Simplicity

One way to date vintage clothing is to peruse old vintage sewing patterns. You can find many of them on sites such as Flickr or search for them on Etsy. You will have a better understanding of what real women wore in comparison to what the Hollywood starlets wore. You can also find out what the trends were for that year. So if you're trying to learn more about dating vintage clothes, be sure to research vintage patterns!

Simplicity vintage sewing patterns are the most helpful in my opinion only because each envelope was stamped with a date! I mostly view Simplicity patterns to get a better date range for a vintage dress or blouse.



Descriptions: 1.} Rockabilly Vintage Blouse Pattern circa 1957 2.} 1940s Skirt Pattern 3.} Vintage Teen Dress Sewing Pattern circa 1949 4.} Low Back Blouse circa 1954 5.} 1950s Sundress Bolero Playsuit 6.} 1953 V Neck Summer Dress Sewing Pattern 7.} Vintage Blouse Patter circa 1947 8.} Cocktail Dress Vintage Pattern circa 1956 9.} 1954 Vintage Skirt & Petticoat 10.} 1940s Pinup Front Knotted Midriff Top With Shorts & Skirt

Image credits: All patterns are from Flickr from the Vintage Patterns group

Dating Vintage Tip of the Day: Acrylic & Lucite on Handbags

Here's a great tip on dating vintage purses! It's usually easier to date a vintage dress as most vintage collectors and sellers can recognize the silhouettes and pinpoint the decade, but what to do about vintage accessories? So without further ado...

{ Dating Vintage Tip of the Day... }

In the 1940s lucite was used for purse frames and handles usually for crocheted or corde bags.

In the 1950s lucite and acrylic were used to create entire purses usually in boxy geometric shapes with hinged lids (like a bucket). These clear purses were popular for only a short time in the 50s and therefore highly collectible and sought after today fetching prices from $150 to $400.

Lucite and acrylic were used in later years, but were not as common as they were in the 40s (frames/handles) and 50s (entire purses).

So, now you know! ^_^

How to date vintage clothing, a study of silhouttes, Part I

Today's "How to Date Vintage Clothing" lesson will be a quick guide through the different decades and the popular clothing trends from each era.

The other day I received a question from { Dani Red } asking how to date vintage clothing as she was quite new to collecting. So, I hope this simple guide will be useful!

I don't come across too many clothes from the 1910s-1920s, they are rare finds these days (considering they're nearly 100 years old!) and it is even more rare to find a dress that is in mint or excellent condition. Therefore, most vintage clothes dating in the earlier part of the 20th century can garner a pretty high price. All that being said, here are a few patterns and illustrations to give you a better idea of the silhouttes of the earlier portion of the 20th century.

{ The 1910s & the 1920s }

Notice the waist bands and waist locations of the dresses from the 1910s... then notice the disappearance of said waist bands in the dresses of the 1920s. In the 1920s the "Flapper" girl was born. But, more on that another day.

{ The 1930s }

Notice the difference in the skirt silhouttes? The waistline has returned! I love many of the evening dresses from the 1930s, mostly cut on the bias, so they skimmed the female form in the most elegant way.

{ The 1940s }

One of the biggest changes in fashion in the 1940s was the length of the hemline for day dresses. Hemlines gradually got shorter in the first part of the 20th century, but in the 40s, they took huge cut mostly to war shortages. Skirts became a little fuller, eventually leading to the voluminous poufs in the later part of the 40s and into the 50s. Notice also that dresses had far less decorations and details as previous decades.

{ The 1950s }


Hemlines continue to rise in the 1950s, but not by that much. Skirts and dresses became much fuller usually with the help of crinolines and ruffled slips. The waist was an important focal point, waistbands and belts were very common in fashion. Towards the end of the 1950s the sheath and wiggle dress became popular shapes. This also marked the beginning of 60s fashion.

Part II of "How to Date Vintage Clothing, A Study in Silhouttes" will be posted later on this week!

5 Books for Vintage Collectors & Sellers

Here are 5 vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessory books that I think every collector, seller, and buyer should either own or be familiar with.

As a vintage seller, collector, and buyer, I am still learning so much every day about the wonderful world of vintage. I first spotted these books at B&N (Barnes & Noble) and I've been back a few times now to browse through them and decided I might as well just purchase them because they are great for reference and great just to look through.



Antique & Vintage Fashions, 1745 to 1979: A Collector's Guide by Barbara Johnson


The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping: Insider Tips, Helpful Hints, Hip Shops by Melodie Fortier


Virtual Vintage: The Insider's Guide to Buying and Selling Fashion Online by Linda Lindroth


Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: The Basics of Starting, Building and Upgrading by Julia C. Carroll


Vintage Fashion Accessories by Stacy LoAlbo


Once I get these in the mail I will offer thorough reviews and some snippets so you can decide for yourself if they are worth getting :)