Welcome steamers for a new Steampunk article on fashion this time, since we are going to take stock of steampunk dresses. Stilted outfits are a little scary because of their reputation inherited from the past. Have the bustiers, corsets, dresses and other waist cinchers of the 19th century evolved? Let's go back to basics and demystify the steampunk dress.
The Steampunk Dress, a garment from the Victorian era.
The first image from the film "Gone With the Wind" sums up the vision many people have of Victorian women - clinging to bedposts while their maid pulls and tugs at the corset strings to achieve the desirable, very narrow waist. The woman struggles against the restriction of her underwear but to no avail. She is condemned to her position in society: a slave to fashion, pampered and striving to please men, no matter the cost.
Of course, there is no genre of fiction without facts. Women clearly suffered for the sake of fashion, just as many do today with high heels and the results of plastic surgery. Ridiculously large crinolines, protruding busts, and corsets with their underwires often limited the movement and range of choices of activities women could participate in. But that is only one aspect of the story's details.
This article traces the evolution of the silhouette throughout the Victorian period , which was facilitated by new attitudes and technologies. From crinolines to bustiers to corsets that tightened the upper body, these are the ways in which these garments were worn under clothing, which gave Victorian fashion its shape and form. Devices invented to compress the waistline made skirts appear fuller and helped the dress to project at the back.
Much has been written about the role of the corset and crinoline in Victorian society, with articles largely focusing on the corset and its detrimental effects on the body. This article will therefore explore how these undergarments actually affected the women who wore them, with the aim of dispelling popular rumours and opening minds. It will focus primarily on fashionable clothing, as this is where the collections of steampunk corsets and dresses are concentrated.
To talk about steampunk dresses; a little history about the Victorian dress
In 1837, Victoria ascended the throne. The court looked to this young queen to endorse new fashions and become an icon despite her young age. Contrary to popular belief, Queen Victoria was keenly interested in fashion, at least until the death of Prince Albert. After this period, traumatized, she would influence the court towards the Gothic style, indulging in mourning and its celebrations. But she was not a frivolous royal ruler and her belief in simplicity and sober elegance is reflected in the sketches and paintings of the period.
The Queen's Mourning Period and These Recommendations
Gone are the flamboyant fashions of the mid-1830s with their huge balloon sleeves, large bonnets and back ribbons. In the late 1830s and 1840s, the dress was characterized by its dropped shoulders, long sharp angles and low darted waists. These low-waisted dresses required long, heavily boned corsets to give them their shape. Steampunk and Gothic dresses are thus linked by this dark period.
Corsets separate themselves from dresses.
The 1840s Women's Corset was cut from separate pieces sewn together to give roundness to the bust and shape the hips. A plate-like frame, made of wood and sometimes steel, was inserted into the center front of the corset which provided a smooth line to the bodice of the dress. Strips of bone (a type of steel rod) were also inserted along the back and sometimes the sides and front, to give more structure.
Corsets also had to be rigid to conceal the layers of undergarments, including the chemise and petticoat, that were worn underneath. Contemporary photographs give an idea of the daily discomfort of these long corsets, making them difficult to wear for days on end. In this illustration, the woman's body is held in a stiff and unnaturally inclined position by a narrow-waisted corset that emphasizes the precise tailoring of the bodice and the line of the low waist.
The Steampunk Dress, or the Victorian dress revisited.
Victorian skirts and dresses presented their own problems. They increased in size and had to be supported by layers of heavy petticoats that were very hot and unhygienic - especially in the summer. Bulky structures made of down or whalebone pads and stiffened petticoats helped provide additional support. The most popular type of stiffened petticoat was made of crinoline and linen, earning it the name crinoline ("crin" is French for horsehair and "linen" for the linen thread it was woven from). This type of crinoline should not be confused with the 1850s version made of steel hoops, which will be discussed later.
It is not hard to see, then, where the archetypal image of the docile, subservient Victorian woman, with her waist drooping and shoulders hanging low, kept at home, confined in her restrictive undergarments and layers of heavy petticoats, comes from. It is important, however, not to exaggerate. The photography and colours of the paintings are very sedate and the details often depict people in their Sunday best. Although corsets and heavy petticoats were clearly worn, the corset lacing was probably loosened and the petticoats discarded in favour of more ordinary clothing.
The industrial revolution democratized clothing and fashion.
Technological developments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries gave rise to a selection of new underwear designs that often made women's lives easier, while also making them more difficult. At the same time, new attitudes toward health, comfort, and participation in sports made women more aware of their bodies and the harm that could result from restrictive underwear.
The development of the sewing machine in the early 1850s was one of the most important innovations of the 19th century, as it led to the mass production of men's and women's clothing and undergarments. Although many corsets in the 1850s were still hand-sewn, the speed of sewing on a machine allowed manufacturers to produce corsets in much larger numbers and to increase the variety of colours and designs. Corsetry and undergarment manufacturing thus became a major industry with a turnover of several million pounds per year, but in the 1850s it was not so much the waistline that was the focus of attention as the skirts.
Skirts were becoming wider and wider, and the lace ruffles and lightweight materials they were made of meant that they needed more and more support. Layers of petticoats, including crinolines, were no longer sufficient, and were very heavy and uncomfortable. Something more structured was needed. So steampunk dresses take up these designs, trying to lighten and modernize the Victorian style.
The Crinoline or the golden cage.
The crinoline, a type of artificial cage, appeared in June 1856 as a more practical alternative. It was made of spring steel hoops, increasing in diameter towards the bottom, suspended from cotton ribbons. This design was strong enough to support skirts and create the desired bell effect of the Victorian dress. The fashion was so popular that the press dubbed the craze for the crinoline Crinoline-mania.
The spring steel structures were also very lightweight, so instead of imprisoning women in cages (as some reports and images suggest), they had a liberating effect. They freed women from layers and layers of heavy petticoats and were much more hygienic and comfortable. The press of the time extolled the virtues of a crinoline (probably a product very similar to the one pictured above).
The undulating bands are so perfect that a lady can climb a steep staircase, lean against a table, throw herself into an armchair, settle down in her box at the opera, and occupy an extra seat in a carriage, without disturbing herself or others. And this without provoking the rude remarks of observers, thus modifying in a great measure all those peculiarities tending to destroy the modesty of English women.
Contemporary photographs show that many women wore smaller versions of the crinoline, as opposed to the enormous bell-shaped creations so often seen in illustrations of fashion accessories. Large crinolines were probably reserved for balls, weddings, and other special occasions.
The crinoline craze peaked in the late 1850s and early 1860s styles. After about 1862, the silhouette of the crinoline changed and instead of being bell-shaped, it was now flatter in the front and flared out towards the back. This very Victorian style is often echoed in today's steampunk skirt and dress for a delightfully vintage style and look.
Victorian Dress: A Guide for the Refined Woman
There you have it vaporists, I hope I have brought a clearer vision of the Victorian dress and less dark of this exciting period that is the Victorian era. Now you know that comfort has been favored since then, no need to suffocate to wear a corset or a steampunk dress .
Please share the article if you liked it and see you soon for a new article on the captivating world of Steampunk.