Victorian 19th Centuary

Early:-
Fabric and details
Lots of the fabrics from the Regency stuck around during this time because industry and import from other countries were heavily used in this time; silks, tweed, cottons, linens, velvet, demask, woollen blends, muslin, tafftas etc. The same kinds of print were used however in much more fregent such as small check in small, bold print fabric and stripped fabric which is used as a design detail for contrast colour fabric collar, revers, cuffs and now linings as well. The details used on most garments were very sutle until the other eras before them, less was more in this time. Different types of pockets became the detail piece of this period; bound pockets, slanted flap pockets,breast pocket with button and flap pocket. Again the decorative braid was in and used on hats but also to make a strip down the side of trousers. Buttons again were also used large buttons and button trim on jackets such as at the back or on the cuff.

Shirt
Shirts were made of linen and were often coloured either white, grey or black. One of the key items worn by men were cravat tied in different ways with a turn-down starched wing collar. Shirts started to have pleats inserted into the button stands and removable stiff fronts (bibs) started to be worn for formal occasions with high stand collars to be worn with bow ties. Bibs were reversible to allow a man to hide any unsightly stains which allowed them to keep a neat appearance without requiring the shirt to be laundered.Victorian shirts were cut much more fully than modern shirts but the general shape of modern shirts was starting to show for example things like button cuffs, wing collars (either attachable or detachable), fitted shoulders and no gathered sleeves.

Jacket
All jackets in this era had a centre back seam and one other curved seam into the arm holes which helped to shape the waistline in. Sleeves were close fitted with often a cuff and a gathered sleeve head.This centenary was heavily dominated by the frock coat which was a man’s coat with full skirt both front and back that reached just above the knee.  It was common for both day and evening wear through the 1880’s, making it the most versatile coat of the Victorian wardrobe. Often these coats would have a box pleat or normal pleat at the back to help with fullness in the back of the jacket. Tailcoats which were coats similar to the George high front jacket which swooped back to a vent at the back as seen in the picture bellow in the middle. This was the most popular jacket worn for parties and formal events.  Like today, the styling included single and double breasted as well as straight and pointed fronts.
Please note that with straight cut coats, gentlemen often wore vests that were cut longer, allowing the bottom of the vest to show beneath the coat.
In the 1870’s the sack suit briefly grew in popularity.  The suit was cut in a large box like shape and no middle seam, which allowed the suit to hang loosely on the body. This jacket was quickly replaced in 1880 to became more fitted and a middle seam directly above the coat pockets, there edges started to round off instead of being angled.
Another jacket which grow in popularity and stayed for many years was the smoking jackets. They are short, made of velvet or silk, and feature a shawl collar and turned up cuffs. They fasten with toggle buttons. The jackets were quilted and, in a nod to their dressing-gown origins, can be fastened with rope ties. The jacket looked more like a jacket and less like a silk bathrobe however with its tight-fitting sleeves, velvet collar and buttons.

Waistcoat
Waistcoats started to cut on the bias and began to have an array of collar types as should in the picture. For formal wear cummerbunds were introduced to stop the gap appearing between the trousers waistband and the shirt. Cummerbunds are a strip of wide fabric often pleated t provide shape which are clasped at the back with a hook and bar. This also helped to nip in the waist which was one of the main aspects of men's fashion at the time. Waistcoats had often a great deal of embroidered or were made of damask fabric for contract with the outer jacket. Waistcoats during this time were either single or double breasted depending on the occasion and time of dress. Formal wear waistcoats started to have a pointed front to draw the attention of the eye in and down thus making the wearer appear slimmer. Pockets started to appear on waistcoats as a practical aspect and a decorative, flap pockets being the most popular for this. The more pockets on the waist coats outside the more casual the occasion you were going to. For example waist coats with two longer lockets were often used as evening or formal wear whereas waistcoats with three or four were for day to day wear or work.

Trousers
The biggest difference between the trousers of today and those of the 1800’s is the waistline.   Men wore their pants higher with the top of the trouser or just below the belly button.
Men wore trousers that were either stripes or checks which they often paired with different jackets which was sometime patterned also. Men did not wear their trousers pressed with a crease, but rather with a flat front.  Lengths of trousers  did vary slightly over the decades, from the shortest cut that caused the trousers to hang completely straight to the longest, in which the trouser hung to the bottom of the heel of the boot and in some cases were coat under neither, they were all however slim fitted. Loads of the trousers at this time refactored a decorative strip down the side of the leg in either fabric, embroidery or braid. To help shape these high-waisted trousers tucks or pleats were introduced at the waist to give more shape. Another shape that was introduced to trousers was the fly-front fastening which to start with used buttons to seal the opening. Belts weren’t used however suspenders or braces of leather or canvas were commonly used to hold up the trousers over the shoulders.

Hat
The two most common types of hat worn during this time were top hat which varied in high depending of the decade and occasion. The brim of the top hat also varied sometimes curling up at the edges were as others remained flat. Tall top hats were worn for formal occasions also with tail coat, white bow tie and waistcoat. Another hat that started to appear later in this era was the bowler hat sometimes called The Derby.

Shoes
Shoes of this time were now all made in soft leather or sued. They were often boots with flat heels often with a toe caps detail at the front or a flat pump shoe also made of leather which was worn for formal dress.

Accessories 
Accessories of this time included things such as walking sticks, leather gloves (later becoming driving gloves),  fur collars sitting of a jacket during winter , shoulder cape for evenings, silk hankie in a pocket. 

Late:-
Jacket/Waistcoat
The general shape of waistcoats didn't alter however some of there features changed over the decade. Flap pockets were replaced by patch pockets on the more casual waistcoats. The backs of the waist coats became more fitted thanks to curved seams on the back wile falling straighter at the front. White waistcoats however were still widely worn for evening events.
The three-piece lounge suit grew in popularity and regularly worn from the 1890s onwards. Frock coats were still worn, but generally by older or more conservative men. Straps started to be worn on jackets much as at the cuffs and the top of vents similar to the trench coats of today, there were often paired with buttons. Side pleats at the backs of jackets started to turn into centre back vents so that the jacket wouldn't become creased when men sat down. Long coat of heavy wool tweed became popular and  astrakhan collars with wool trim became widely worn as seen in the picture. Shorter jackets started to come into fashion with darts to pull in at the waists paired with wide rounded roll collars and revers.

 





















Hat
Shallow bowler hats like Porkpie Hats were widely worn by working class to work. Deer-stalker hat started to be worn in the country side or during traveling. On the streets straw boater and felt trilby started to make an appearance.

Shoes
Felt spats started to be worn over boots to protect them from dirt as keeping shoes clean wasn't easy. Leather boots with dark suede toe-caps or shiny when worn for formal wear were worn more frequently. The classic work shoe of today started to a peer with its pointed toe and lace up front.

Accessories
Cravats started to be knotted like the ties of todays often with a tie pin. Pocket watches were worn attached at the button of the waistcoat and into the pocket of the coat or waistcoat as time was very important now because of working and industry. Walking cane with silver knob were used for the higher class members of sociality.

References:
Fashion in Detail: 1700 - 2000 by Claire Wilcox

Nineteenth Century Fashion in Detail by Lucy Johnston

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-fashion-1840-1900/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_suits
http://www.costumegallery.com/1882/Etiquette/
http://mens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/Smoking_Jacket_for_Men 
http://www.periodclothing.co.uk/Victorian_Fashion.htm 
http://www.victoriana.com/Mens-Clothing/
http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/victorian-clothing-guide.php
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/0-9/reading-list-19th-century-fashion/
Amazing attractions for the Victorian era:- http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/g/great-exhibition/
http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/i/industrial-revolution/