Section IX of 9
The Victorian world behind steampunk
Six guides to the real nineteenth century that steampunk borrows from: women's and men's fashion, London, the houses and their rooms, the Gothic Revival and mourning dress. Every fact is checked and its source listed.
Sixty-four years of dress
The changing shape
The outline of a woman's dress changed more in Victoria's reign than in almost any other. Choose a decade and the figure changes with it.
The 1840s
Narrow, sloping shoulders, a long waist coming to a point, and a full bell-shaped skirt held out by layer upon layer of petticoats.
About 1860
The cage crinoline, a frame of steel hoops first patented in 1856, replaced the petticoats at a stroke. It reached its largest by about 1860.
The early 1870s (from the side)
The first bustle: the fullness gathered at the back, often under an overskirt drawn up behind into a draped puff called a polonaise.
The late 1870s (from the side)
The bustle almost disappeared: long boned bodices over the hips, dresses cut in one piece from shoulder to hem, and long trains.
The 1880s (from the side)
The bustle came back around 1883, larger and stiffer, with steel strips that made it jut out almost at a right angle.
The 1890s
Huge leg-of-mutton sleeves, at their largest around 1895, high collars, and a skirt smooth over the hips that flares out at the hem.
Section IX
Every the victorian world behind it guide
In the order they are best read. Each one is long enough to answer the question properly, with every fact checked and its source listed at the foot.
- 48Victorian Fashion for Women, 1837 to 1901Victorian fashion for women from 1837 to 1901: early Victorian dress, the crinoline, the bustle, the big sleeves of the 1890s, corsets, bonnets, hats and gloves, and mourning dress.About 12 min
- 49Victorian Men's FashionVictorian men's fashion from 1837 to 1901: the frock coat and the morning coat, waistcoats, collars, braces, the top hat and the bowler, beards, and dress for work, sport and evening.About 14 min
- 50Victorian LondonVictorian London from 1837 to 1901: the railways and great stations, the first Underground, fog and the Great Stink, Bazalgette's sewers, rich and poor, and where to see it today.About 12 min
- 51Victorian Architecture and InteriorsVictorian architecture and interiors: Gothic, Italianate and Queen Anne styles, brick, iron and glass, the terraced house and parlour, wallpaper and tiles, and gas and electric light.About 13 min
- 52Gothic Revival ArchitectureGothic Revival architecture explained: Strawberry Hill, Pugin and the Houses of Parliament, Victorian churches and town halls, St Pancras, how to recognise the style and where to see it.About 14 min
- 53Victorian Mourning DressVictorian mourning dress explained: why grief was worn so openly, Queen Victoria's years in black, the stages of mourning, crape and jet, hair work, and how the custom ended.About 12 min
From the real to the invented
Then add the brass
Where the Victorian clothes and buildings turn into steampunk.
Everything on Steampunks
The contents
Nine sections and fifty-three guides.
- IWhat steampunk isThe meaning, the look, where it came from, and how it differs from Gothic and Victorian.
- IIFashion and costumeWomen's and men's outfits, a costume on a budget, Halloween, a steampunk wedding.
- IIIHats, goggles and accessoriesGoggles, top hats, masks, corsets, waistcoats, coats, watches, jewellery, boots.
- IVHome and decorLamps and lighting, clocks, furniture and ornaments, and a whole room in the style.
- VArt and makingSteampunk art and artists, how to draw it, robots and creatures, cogs and gears, props.
- VIFilms, TV, games, books and musicThe films, the animation, the games, Minecraft builds, the books and the music.
- VIISteampunk events in the UKWhere steampunks gather, with the dates from each organiser's own site.
- VIIIAirships and machinesSteampunk airships, and the real ones that went before them.
- IXThe Victorian world behind itYou are here. Victorian fashion, London, architecture and the Gothic Revival.