To Twelve Oaks for BBQ

I finally got the picture of me in the 1860’s day dress edited to a smaller size and I thought I would share it. I worked hard on it so I could wear it for Christmas. The fabric is a dark blue with small purple flowers. It is really pretty. Without the layers of petticoats and such, I can wear it year round. Can you imagine, back in 1860, the women wore 12 or more layers of clothing.

They started with their socks and shoes. They had to put those on first, because after they put their corset on, they couldn’t bend to put the rest of the clothing on.

The first layer would be their bloomers (underwear) and the second layer was a chemise. The chemise would protect the corset from body oils, and from the corset sticking to the woman.

The third layer was the corset also called a stay. They were strung as tight as they can get it. The corset was what gave Victorian women their fasionable figure.

The next layer, layer number four, would have been a corset cover. Corsets were

expensive, and they would wear a cotton cover to protect the corset from wear. They could make another cover more easily than get another corset.

The fifth layer would be a petticoat. The petticoat acted as a protective layer against wind, cold, and also worn for modesty.

The bustle would be layer six, and was worn to emphasize their bottoms.

The seventh layer, a hoop skirt, or crinoline gave the Victorian women their bell shape.

To the crinoline, they added the eighth layer, an over petticoat. The over petticoat went

over the hoop skirt to smooth out it’s appearance.

One or two overpetticoats would have been used. This would make layers nine and ten.

The eleventh layer would be her daydress, or bodice and skirt.

Sometimes an overskirt was worn, such a a lace covering. This would be layer twelve.

The thirteenth layer would be a jacket or cape. In cold weather, she would also add a layer or two of petticoats, and a instead of a jacket she would wear a wool coat.

The Victorian women always wore a hat when she was outdoors. It could be a bonnet, straw hat, or a fancy ladies hat for balls and special occasions. She was expected to keep her head covered at all times.