Alice in Wonderland ----- a Feast of Gothic Victorian Clothing

The 2010 movie Alice in Wonderland directed by Tim Burton and starred Mia Wasikowska as well as Johnny Depp is a real feast for the audience, but a vintage dress maniac like me, I could only see it as nothing but a feast of gothic victorian clothing. As the general setting for the story is the victorian era and in order to achieve a sense of fantasy, as usual Tim Burton add something gothic into the movie which symboled by the clothing designs for the characters, the music as well as the framework of the plots.

First of all, the colors of the costumes in Alice in Wonderland are mostly scarlet and black which have a strong sense of gothic. Secondly, the dresses are all in the frame of the victorian style dressing. Thirdly, as those costumes are for movies, they all have to be a little more unique than the traditional normal dresses.

Elegant Red and Black Bow Gothic Victorian Dress

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Purple Lace Princess Gothic Victorian Dress

Black and Blue Ruffled Gothic Victorian Dress

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Wearing Gothic Victorian Dresses for Vintage Look

Vintage look has been one of the popular pursuit made by people. Other than the normal wear, the vintage clothes could give a totally different look. Among the so many styles that have relation to the vintage feel, the victorian style is one of the greatest.

Black and Red Bow Gothic Victorian Dress

Red and Black Ruffled Gothic Victorian Dress

In a more modern way, people like to add gothic element to the victorian style which comes to the gothic victorian style. For women, the dresses are always the mostly chosen because they place much emphasis on the elegance and femininity.
The colors serve as an factor to achieve the gothic element in the gothic victorian fashion and clothing. The style and the pattern show the victorian part. A women’s dress is usually in the ball gown silhouette which is the most representative for victorian style.
In a word, it is a trend for women to dress for a vintage look. Within the so many choices, the gothic victorian style dresses are great. You can achieve both vintage and also a alternative gothic look.

The Elegance and Comfort of the Victorian Outfits

As the choices of clothes become more and more various, buying clothes of any sort has become a lot more challenging. As the vintage clothing has been favored by a lot of people, the victorian style is emerging back to clothing field. In the following part, I will mention mainly the two key characteristics in victorian clothing which include the elegance and the comfort.

Purple Ruffle Victorian Bustle Dress

The victorian clothing which was first created in 19th century is represented by its elegance and style. With more people looking to stand out from the rest, victorian outfits have gathered popularity among people from all over the world. The carefully crafted designed used by this range of clothing makes them ideal for several social occasions and ceremonies.

Black Lace Victorian Bustle Dress

One of the reasons why people favor Victorian style clothing is its comfort to the wearers. Unlike several outfit options made from weirdly uncomfortable materials, clothes from the Victorian range are usually made from fabrics made from natural fibers, making them one of the most comfortable lines of clothing the market has to offer.
In one word, it is the characteristics that make the victorian clothing unfailing in the clothing field. Among these characteristics, the elegance and comfort play essential part in it.

Facts about Victorian Dresses for Women

Clothing in two hundred years ago was both similar and very different from the 21st century. During the victorian period, the fashion or clothing patterns changed near 10 years. And the clothing facts during this period reflect societal norms, people’s thinking and material available etc. So read on to get some facts about the victorian dresses for women.

Vivid Colors
Gowns during this period were often made from two vivid colors chosen from among such colors as deep red, royal blue or bright green, and some of these combinations. It might be considered strange by today's people but not at that time.
Skirt Length
Skirt length only varied for ladies with different ages. Dresses for young ladies during the Victorian period were in the length to knees or calves. And women always wore gowns in floor length. Though women love to show beauty, but the social restriction made them to follow conservativeness.

Red Off-the-Shoulder Princess Gothic Victorian Dress

Gorgeous Fuchsia Short Sleeves Gothic Victorian Dress

Materials
For the under development of the victorian period, the material were limited in women’s dresses. There are satin, lace, taffeta and cotton. The first three were always applied into dresses for women with higher status and cotton for normal ones.
Above are some facts about the victorian dresses for women. We can see through clearly the societal norms and people’s thinking at that time.

Use of Fabric in Victorian Dresses

The Victorian Era which was named for England's Queen Victoria was a period with a brief but interesting period in fashion history. Many distinct styles, from the bell skirt to the bustle, were created during this era. To make the clothes and costumes in victorian style more authentic, we need to know the traditional fabrics used in victorian clothes.

Spaghetti Straps Bow and Ruffle Gothic Victorian Dress

Silks and Dyes
It is until the late 1850s, the dye colors became available and soon fashion followed suit. Bright blues, vivid purples and other bold colors were used on silk fabrics that picked up the power of the colors. The bright dyes were not used as much on cotton, linen and muslin, as they often looked too brash and harsh. They are always applied into the silk fabric.

Red and Black One-Shoulder Victorian Evening Dress

Satin
For centuries, satin fabric has been used in all kinds of clothes. During the victorian period, it was also a prevailing fabric in women’s dresses. Tailors loved to use it for its luxurious feel and look.
Cotton
Cotton is another fabric that used in the victorian clothes. It was seen in normal persons’ dresses or the wealthy ones’ Undergarments. It had a more comfortable feel than a gorgeous and attractive look.
Fabrics are one important aspect in victorian clothes. Using the right fabrics will make victorian style clothing look much more realistic than the other kinds.

Classic Silhouette Pattern in Victorian Dresses

White Flower Printed Victorian Dress

The victorian age is famous for its queen vicotia and the clothing fashion for women. And the fashion for women is known for the ball gown. Ball gown with fitted bodice design was extremely popular in the victorian era. They are indeed beautiful, but there are so many more to see! Attention that was paid to the smallest of details was the hallmark of an expert seamstress or dress-maker; often it took anywhere from 5 months to one year to complete a single evening gown. For its hard work to make the dress, only wealthy women could afford to have a ball gown in their wardrobes in the old times. Ball gowns are perfect to reveal the wearers’ full figure especially in the down part. And with the fitted bodice design, the dress sends both the slim and full figure. The slim figure is synonym to the femininity; and the full figure is the symbol of wealthiness. The clothes are one important element to see whether one live with a high status or not.
In a word, the ball gown design is the classic silhouette in the victorian style dresses. It can show the full figure and the high social status.

Early 1900 Fashion for Women

Women’s fashion in the early 1900 enjoyed an period of elegance. It was true that the peak of fashion during the early 1900 belonged to the wealthy women who were aristocracies. It was an era of grace , dedicated to time-honored values and traditions. Woman at the time were above all slender in their fashion. The silhouette of women’s dresses was curved, flowing and extremely feminine. Maturity, sophistication and superiority were well known traits for these extremely well bred ladies.

Iridescent Green Victorian Evening Dress

The long dress with elegant lines from 1890s fashion had continued into early 1900. People in this period were so conservative that it was believed to be improper fashion for a woman to show her ankle. That is the reason why the long dresses were popular.
If you wanted to be considered even remotely good looking in early 1900, it was important for you, as a woman, to follow the fashion expected at the time. And the fashion expected in early 1900 meant tiny waists, emphasized hips, and protruding posteriors.
Corsets were an absolute must throughout early 1900 and earlier. Assorted corsets offered various series of folds, curves, and contortions for new and upcoming silhouettes. The timeless elegance of the corset, was true to fashion as it reduced the waist with beautiful tight lacing.

The Significance of the Victorian Style Clothing

Victorian period is one of the most well know and successful period in the history. So does the victorian style clothing. The technological invention did not only do good to the development in the technology but also in the clothing field. The result of this era of technological innovation is more plentiful textiles, the growth of cities, and with modern conveniences the time for yet more technological innovation.

Black and Blue Lace Gothic Victorian Dress

Purple and Black Puff Sleeves Gothic Victorian Dress

There are recreations of clothing in the long span of history other than the victorian period, but we see far more echoes of the styles of the victorian era in current fashion and fascinations than in the times that went before.
So many styles absorb the elements and inspirations from the victorian style clothing. Take the lolita style for example. The new trend of the lolita clothing is started from Japan. And we can clearly see the elements of Victorian details in ball gowns. The steampunk creations, both real and fictional, take from the style and technologies of the victorian period.
The clothing in the victorian style is gorgeous and special. It sparkles so many ideas in today’s clothing world. So we should not neglect its significance.

Mourning Dress in the Victorian Age

In the long history of the mourning dresses, the Industrial Revolution affected the practice of wearing mourning dress. It created the new rules of fashion especially in the middle class which was brought by the technological advances. By the mid 19th century, the wearing of appropriate mourning dress was a sign of respectability.

Navy Blue Victorian Mourning Dress

Queen Victoria had an influence on this fashions of mourning dress from the mid to the late 1800's. After the death of her husband, Queen Victoria wore clothes in black color until her own death in 1901. During Victorian times, the type of mourning dress and the length of time one wore it was circumscribed by etiquette instead of sumtuary laws. A widow wore mourning dress for more than two years.
Full mourning lasted a full year and consisted of clothing made of dull black fabrics without embellishment or jewelry. A women in full mourning wore a veil to cover her face when she left the house. She avoided balls and frivolous events during that time.
After a year had passed, the widow added small trimmings and simple jewelry. Later, that second year, the widow would add some color. Gray, mauve, and duller shades of purple and violet were suitable at that time. But in most cases, the mourning dresses are in the black which would show the solemnness and the respect.

How to Dress as a Modern Victorian

The clothing style in the victorian period could be classified into the vintage clothing style. There exists a way for the people in the modern world to dress in the vintage style and also be modern: to modernize the vintage clothes to suit your fashion needs and personal style. During the victorian period, the women’s dresses were fitted on the waist and bust, and flowed throughout the length of the skirt. Victorian dresses were heavy and uncomfortable due to many layers and the material of choice. Victorian dresses are characterized by their feminine appearance with ruffles, lace and ribbons.

Pink Victorian Ball Gown Prom Dress

Red and Black One-Shoulder Victorian Evening Dress

The first step is to choose a ball gown. This silhouette is most classic in the victorian style. Brighter colors are perfect to match the victorian style. You can also choose a petticoat in a contrasting color under your Victorian dress. White will look dramatic, but brighter colors such as red and pink can be used by those who are brave enough.
The second step is to accessorize your outfit with jewelry. Gold jewelry will work best for a Victorian look. Wear a large locket around your neck or pearl beads. Loose and long curls or a small bun at the nape of the neck will complete your look. Any shoes will work, since a Victorian dress is long. However, the shoes should be elegant.
Some people may love the vintage clothes but will not wear it. Here I just focus on how to dress both in the vintage and modern style.

Wedding Dresses in the Victorian Style

There are a large amount of wedding dresses in nowadays. Different styles, different silhouettes and various decorations make the wedding dresses vary in a large scale. In the most part, the bridal gowns are in the modern style. However there are some brides that favor the wedding dresses which are unique and different from the one people can always see. And here I am glad to show you the wedding dresses in the victorian style.

White Off Shoulder Victorian Wedding Dress

The bridal gowns in the victorian style here is not similar to the classic victorian style bridal gowns. It shares most features with the victorian style dresses. It is in the ball gown silhouette which is most classic in the victorian dresses. Some of them have the trumpet sleeves and the exquisite floral printed accents. The additional decoration makes the dress much more gorgeous. And when it comes to the color that applied into the wedding dress in the victorian style, it is not limited to the pure white color. The bridal gowns could be in any color if the bride want to have.
To conclude, the the wedding dress in the victorian style is setted. And the brides could choose the neckline, the sleeves, the color and the decoration other than the silhouette. It will be a good try to have a wedding dress in the victorian style.

Victorian Women and Women's Clothing

Women in the victorian age were totally different from women in nowadays world. Women’s social status at that time was very low. And it was a striking illustration of the discrepancy for that the Britain at that time was powerful and wealthy and the social conditions were appalling. Women did not have the suffrage rights, the right to sue, or the right to own property. There was a concept called “pater familias” which meant that the husband as head of the household and moral leader of his family. Women was to love, honour and obey her husband, as her marriage vows stated.

Though the status was not high, the victorian clothing had been a prevailing and significant milestone. The clothing trend in the victorian period were focus on the elaborate dresses, skirts with wide volume created by the use of layered materials and heavy fabrics. Through such clothing designs, women could show their wealth and elegance to the other people. Besides, the fitted waist design at that time was one of the most prominent characteristics in women’s clothing. And this narrow waist was achieved by constricting the abdomen with a laced corset. While the silhouette was striking, and the dresses themselves were often exquisitely detailed , the women really had to suffer a lot. This is one aspect that they are different from women in today’s world. Because the dresses in modern fashion keep the good designs of the victorian clothing and discard the bad ones. The dresses still look great but women do no have to suffer when wearing the dress any more.

Elegant Copper Victorian Masquerade Dress

Elegant Champagne Victorian Masquerade Dress

Victorian Christmas and Victorian Dresses

When we celebrate Christmas with family and friends, we have the Victorians to thank for many of its joyful festivities and delightful customs. It is the people lived in victorian age that revived the old traditions to Christmas, such as caroling, and invented new ones such as decorating the Christmas tree and sending Christmas cards. Most of all, the Victorians made Christmas a family celebration, with its primary focus on the Christ Child and children. A Victorian Christmas entailed the exchange of gifts between parents and children; attendance together at Church services; a multi-course family dinner; and visits with friends, relatives, and other families.

Royal Red and Gold Victorian Costume Dress

The normal Christmas may make people even children feel boring for the setted form of the Christmas. What about a victorian Christmas? It is not only a Christmas that family getting together, but also a themed party that everyone may wear a victorian costume. This may make the Christmas much more fun and leave a much deeper impression to the family and friends.
Sometimes, people forget the tradition and just follow what most people will do. The Christmas is a good example. Anyhow, people should know what the traditional Christmas is and may change some bit to a more impressive celebration for Christmas.