Re: [h-cost] re wardrobe size, middle class
Great references!! Another Holmes fan! Yours in costuming, Lisa a On Tue, 14 Oct 2014 10:44:38 +0100 Kate Bunting writes: > Another point: some of Sherlock Holmes's deductions depend on the > fact that > lower middle-class Victorians owned fewer clothes than most of us do > today. > Even after the textile industry was mechanised, before the invention > of > synthetic fibres clothing was comparatively expensive. So, the > typist in "A > Case if Identity" wears the same dress to work every day, and it has > marks > on the cuffs where her wrists rest on the table edge which give a > clue to > her occupation. The pawnbroker's assistant who is secretly digging a > tunnel > to the bank vault across the street in > "The Red-headed League" has mud on the knees of his trousers; he > hasn't > changed them or put on overalls. > > Kate Bunting > Librarian & 17th century reenactor > ___ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] re wardrobe size, middle class
Another point: some of Sherlock Holmes's deductions depend on the fact that lower middle-class Victorians owned fewer clothes than most of us do today. Even after the textile industry was mechanised, before the invention of synthetic fibres clothing was comparatively expensive. So, the typist in "A Case if Identity" wears the same dress to work every day, and it has marks on the cuffs where her wrists rest on the table edge which give a clue to her occupation. The pawnbroker's assistant who is secretly digging a tunnel to the bank vault across the street in "The Red-headed League" has mud on the knees of his trousers; he hasn't changed them or put on overalls. Kate Bunting Librarian & 17th century reenactor ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] re wardrobe size, middle class
Hi Cassandra, Long time, since I"ve heard from you. Lizzie Borden, according to my research, would have been dressed in a normal way on the day of the murders. Every movie I"ve seen about her is a fantasy, as well as most if not all of the documentaries. We know: * that she was wearing a "wrapper" in the morning, and then was fully dressed because she went out of the house, to at least the yard and possibly out for an errand early in the day, then was at home, and testified she had been "ironing handkerchiefs" *HEr favorite color was blue, and the trial deposition and transcripts remark that she wore a blue dress that day. *We don't know how many dresses Lizzy had, but we do know her father was very frugal and "thrifty" and she was unlikely to have been permitted a large wardrobe, or fancy outfits *Even though it was August, she likely would have worn a normal dress with long sleeves and a high neck for modesty, since that was the fashion *When the police were at the house much later, her dress was remarked to be "bloody" and the police encouraged her to change into something clean. The story at the trial was that she then changed into a "pink wrapper" (uncertain whether this is a house dress or a robe, but it is likely it opened fully down the front, whereas a one-piece dress would only open down the bodice and maybe a short placket in the skirt). *The blue dress then disappeared--Lizzy apparently had a neighbbor lady come over, who later testified that she and Lizzy had burned the dress in the stove. Yours inc ostuming, Lisa A On Sun, 12 Oct 2014 10:51:28 -0700 Cascio Michael writes: > Hi All, > I've given some thought as to how I would describe middle class > for my research project since you're all correct in that middle > class covers a wide range. > I'm looking at people who had enough that they could grow or > purchase enough food to not worry about having food, farm families > would be included since even if the women didn't work outside the > home as in more recent centuries they definitely contributed, maybe > afford to throw the occasional gathering or party and had a special > outfit or two for funerals or special occasions such as holidays. > I'm thinking yeoman or burgher class for earlier centuries. People > with enough not to feel threatened financially on a daily basis but > not so much that the adults were idle. I hope I'm making sense. > And on a another note I just saw Lizzie Borden Took an Axe with > Christine Ricci in it and the outfit she's wearing through most of > the movie's day of the murder just seems wrong to me. Is it > supposed to be an underdress because it's hot or a housedress or a > fantasy? > > > Cassandra > > ___ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] re wardrobe size, middle class
Sounds like you are looking at the lower middle class. As for parties, everybody had them, at least on holidays, weddings, and other special occasions. The issue is how fancy the parties were. Note that judging from period fiction, women of the Victorian lower and middle-middle classes were often financially anxious. Unmarried women had few alternatives but to marry, but not all that many opportunities. Until they were "settled," they had to strive to look as good as possible and attend as many parties as possible, even on a small budget. They also had to work to acquire "accomplishments," such as singing, dancing, and playing the piano, to be more popular at parties and more attractive to potential husbands. If they were widowed, the anxiety started all over again, unless their husband had left them a comfortable amount of money. If they were matrons, they had to worry about marrying off their daughters. Even grandmothers, aunts, married older sisters, and family friends lent a hand. Women put an incredible amount of effort into achieving marriages for themselves and their relatives. Fran Lavolta Press www.lavoltapress.com On 10/12/2014 10:51 AM, Cascio Michael wrote: Hi All, I've given some thought as to how I would describe middle class for my research project since you're all correct in that middle class covers a wide range. I'm looking at people who had enough that they could grow or purchase enough food to not worry about having food, farm families would be included since even if the women didn't work outside the home as in more recent centuries they definitely contributed, maybe afford to throw the occasional gathering or party and had a special outfit or two for funerals or special occasions such as holidays. I'm thinking yeoman or burgher class for earlier centuries. People with enough not to feel threatened financially on a daily basis but not so much that the adults were idle. I hope I'm making sense. And on a another note I just saw Lizzie Borden Took an Axe with Christine Ricci in it and the outfit she's wearing through most of the movie's day of the murder just seems wrong to me. Is it supposed to be an underdress because it's hot or a housedress or a fantasy? Cassandra ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] re wardrobe size, middle class
Hi All, I've given some thought as to how I would describe middle class for my research project since you're all correct in that middle class covers a wide range. I'm looking at people who had enough that they could grow or purchase enough food to not worry about having food, farm families would be included since even if the women didn't work outside the home as in more recent centuries they definitely contributed, maybe afford to throw the occasional gathering or party and had a special outfit or two for funerals or special occasions such as holidays. I'm thinking yeoman or burgher class for earlier centuries. People with enough not to feel threatened financially on a daily basis but not so much that the adults were idle. I hope I'm making sense. And on a another note I just saw Lizzie Borden Took an Axe with Christine Ricci in it and the outfit she's wearing through most of the movie's day of the murder just seems wrong to me. Is it supposed to be an underdress because it's hot or a housedress or a fantasy? Cassandra ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
