Women’s clothing from this era was defined by structured silhouettes, elaborate details and strict guidelines for modesty and decorum. With corsets, high collars and voluminous skirts, every aspect of fashion carried meaning, often symbolizing a woman’s status and place in society. As the century progressed, the trends shifted, but the intricate designs and craftsmanship remained a constant throughout the Victorian period.
In the 1840s, Victorian women embraced wide skirts supported by crinolines, while bodices were fitted to emphasize a narrow waist. But by the 1870s, the bustle came into vogue, creating an exaggerated shape at the back of the dress.
Corsets, essential for shaping the torso, were commonly worn, though debates over their impact on health began to surface. Despite these changes in silhouettes, attention to detail in trims, lace and fabric textures stayed consistent across decades.
Outerwear also played a key role, especially during the colder months. Capes, cloaks and fur-trimmed coats became essential pieces, designed for warmth but constructed with care to maintain style. The fabrics chosen were heavier, like wool and velvet, making them practical for fall and winter while still aligning with the era’s elegance. Victorian outerwear displayed the period’s balance of necessity and fashion.
Today, Victorian fashion continues to influence modern styles, with elements like lace collars and tailored jackets making appearances in contemporary wardrobes. Studying this era’s clothing offers a peek into the past, revealing how fashion adapted to social expectations and the environment.
Take a look back here at antique women’s clothing from 1890, courtesy of the old Bloomingdale’s and H. O’Neill and Company catalogs. These images provide a look at the rich textures, layering and details that defined women’s outerwear in the late 1800s, showcasing the timeless appeal of Victorian style.
Victorian fashion: Ready-made wash suits
Neat suit, latest pattern in Scotch gingham, very tastefully trimmed with plain combination on skirt and waist, a decided novelty.
Stylish dress, elegant pattern of Scotch gingham, skirt and waist trimmed with silk ribbon.
Handsome sateen suit, skirt and waist handsomely trimmed with silk ribbon.
Ready-made white suits: Victorian dresses for women in the 1890s
White lawn suit, skirt with two rows of embroidery on front and sides, straight back, waist trimmed to correspond.
“Coquette,” our newest imported design, all embroidered suit, fancy shawl front and high puffed sleeves, trimmed with rich moire ribbon.
Fine embroidered suit, two ruffles all around skirt, embroidered waist, with fancy sleeves.
MORE: Vintage parasols: The functional, fashionable sun umbrellas women used to carry
6 antique Victorian dresses for women (spring/summer 1890)
Calling dress of cashmere, trimmed with Persian brocaded silk in all popular shades.
Young ladies’ straw toque, to match any costume, stylish Alsatian bow of ribbon
Latest style English riding habit, tailor-made, skirt longer on one side, waist similar to men’s vest, bound with braid or stitched all around.
Fashionable costume of brilliantine, skirt plaited in front, trimmed with velvet ribbon, waist made to correspond, black only .
Elegant afternoon toilette costume, of albatross cloth, sides of skirt covered with fishnet, trimmed with ribbon, waist made to correspond, in light shades.
Seaside or mountain dress of flannel, waist with Fedora front, of lighter shade, and tight-fitting back, plain skirt with a lighter shade of flannel set under the plaits.
Ladies’ fancy straw poke hat, for seaside or mountain wear, faced with lace, trimmed with handsome spray of flowers $4.50, 5 60
Visiting costume of cashmere, skirt plaited at the side, and trimmed with silk, waist shirred at the neck, forming V in front, all colors,
Young ladies’ round hat of fancy straw or lace, handsomely trimmed with spray of flowers and lace.
DO NOT FAIL TO STATE COLORS, AND SEND MEASUREMENTS ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS
Victorian clothes for cooler weather: Wraps, cloaks and circulars
Plush in rich qualities is largely used for wraps this season. There are beautifully figured plushes on blush in ball wraps and other set designs. These are shown chiefly in black and the darkest shades of brown and blue, rather than in more pronounced colors.
Matalasse goods are also shown in black, colors, shades of colors, and Persian effects. They are made up into comfortable long coats or Russian circulars, with trimming of fur or moss trimming of sewing silk, and linings of satin or corded silk.
Evening wraps are especially gorgeous this season with color and embroidery. There are short jeweled Henri Trois clocks, which are caps with high shoulders and flaring Medici collar embroidered in gold and Parisian gems.
There are many luxurious long cloaks lined with white Mandarin lamb in the circular shape, which are so easy to put off and on, and do not crush a handsome dress beneath them. Some of these circulars are made of heavy royale armure silk, others are of white and gold brocade.
All white cloaks of heavy silk are liked with the high, large collars of Mandarin lamb at the throat, and extending down the front, forming their only trimming.
Victorian style: Colors for the season
There are a few distinctively new shades in evening silk. Jewel colors, turquoise blue, amethystine purples, sapphire blue, topaz yellow, are all evening colors.
Ficelle, or natural flax color, is a popular gray huge, and vizier, a dull shade of purple copies from the royal robes of the Oriental Minister of State, is another color.
The bluest blues shown in silk this season are the same as the cornflower blues of a few years since, and are a strong, pronounced, and trying color, but one always producing a striking effect combined with coquelicot or poppy reds.
It has been the aim of dressmakers to secure colors that will produce the most brilliant and beautiful effects when embroidered with the gold and jeweled work on the season.
All varieties of Parisian gems, topaz, turquoise, sapphires, opals, and emeralds are used in these embroideries on mousseline de soie or fine Brussels net, which is used to veil silk in colors harmonizing with the gems.
ALSO SEE: Elegant Victorian dresses from 1859, from antique fashion magazines – with authentic color schemes
Victorian’s women’s clothing styles for fall/winter of 1890-1891
Victorian fashions shown below: English seal plush wraps, and other seal plush wraps
Antique women’s clothing from 1890: Stylish English seal plush wraps
Victorian clothes shown below: Imported wrap of fine beaver cloth, Handsome beaver cloth wrap, Elegant cloth wrap, Stylish Berlin beaver cloth wrap, Berlin cloth wrap
Victorian fashions shown below: Stylish Newmarket in English beaver cloth, Very pretty Newmarket, Imported beaver cloth Newmarket, New design in French beaver cloth, English Newmarket
Victorian fashions shown below: Sicilian silk circular, Hamster fur-lined circular with Sicilian silk covering, Fine Ottoman silk circular lined with muskrat, Ottoman silk circular with squirrel lining, Handsome Sicilian silk circular with Siberian squirrel lining
ALSO SEE: Antique stickpins & scarf pins: Jewelry from the Victorian & Edwardian eras
Victorian fashions shown below: Fine grosgrain silk suit, Stylish suit of fine gros grain silk, Elegant costume of fine gros grain silk, Pretty costume of gros grain silk, Handsome costume of fine quality grosgrain silk
Victorian clothes shown below: Pretty cashmere suit, Pretty serge cloth suit, One of the leading styles in a fine cashmere suit, Stylish suit of ladies’ cloth, Handsome suit of fine cashmere
