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Most of the available information about Victorian clothing is based upon museum exhibits of the clothes worn by the wealthier classes. Unfortunately, the majority of the people interested in the Victorian period are associated with interests with Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, etc. They imagine themselves as little princelings or princesses, and in many cases are only interested in the dress of the wealthy. As a consequence, there is far less information available about the dress of the impoverished many. Thus, due only to the dearth of other information, this site is compelled to emphasize the clothing worn by the wealthy. However, some of the clothing for the unprivileged can be found when dealing with the coal miners and the spinners and weavers in the cloth manufacturing industry, such as at Manchester. Salute to the Chartists!
| Term | Definition |
| Bandeau | A handkerchief or wreath ornament worn by women to gather the hair. |
| Mule | A shoe without a back covering for the wearer's heel. |
| Pelisse |
A robe worn by women for warmth and ornamentation
(often with slits for the woman's arms).
|
| Redingote |
A full length coat (for women), for men this is
a double-breasted, military style coat with wide
flat cuffs and collar.
|
| Reticule | A woman's drawstring handbag; usually made of net or beading or brocade. |
| Revers | Lapels (often turned back to show the reverse side). |
| Rouleau | A strip of fabric loosely stuffed into a tube-like shape and used to trim dresses. |
| Ruffle or Ruff |
A ruff originally was about one inch high, one
inch wide (depth from neck). Used by the middle
and upper classes, it soon became rigorously
defined. In the beginning, the ruff was attached
to a "partlet" (dickey), but soon became
an entirely separate item. Ruffs were of linen,
gathered or pleated into figure eights (incorporating
embroidry, cutwork, or blackwork, and lace). Soon
multiple layers up to 5 inches in height, with cloth
starched. As the depth (width from neck) increased,
a "supportasse"or "underpropper" was
used, prompting the French to refer to the ruff as
the "English Monstrosity".
|
| Spencer |
A short "jacket" that effectively covers a woman's
chest and breasts, but doesn't extend too far
toward the abdomen.
|
| Stomacher |
A richly-ornamented, triangular piece, usually cloth, to
cover the chest and abdomen. Worn at the front of the upper
body by men and women. A stomacher could be part of a dress
(cloth or jeweled decoration over cloth), a corset or part
of a man's jacket.
|
| Tippet |
A narrow scarf, often of fur.
|
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The Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg Trust
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