All Those Layers! “Polite” Victorian Costumes

Dangerous Liaisons be damned. Victorian costumes can be both spicy AND polite. It’s not a requirement that you become nasty when you don a Victorian costume, but you can become all kinds of nice and sexy.

Pulling off a Victorian costume isn’t the easiest thing to do. There’s a lot involved in getting the costume to look right – it’s about hair and makeup as much as it’s about polite and high-society clothing. But this is an attention-getting costume for sure, so it’s worth the effort.

Let’s start first with the costume. You could fashion one yourself, perhaps with an old prom dress that you add some petticoats to, or a homemade dress you make specifically in the style of a Victorian dress. You can also easily buy or rent such a costume, and some of the more elaborate ones can look quite authentic.

Anatomy of a Victorian Costume

Underneath your costume, plan for a corset. Not only will this also add to the authenticity of your costume, but it will help to add to your sexy Victorian allure.

Once you have the basic costume, it’s time to accessorize it. How you outfit your basic costume is pretty important. It’s what will make your costume go from promising liaison to dangerous liaison, though promising and dangerous together is an equation not out of the question!

Think about jewelry, hair and makeup. Your makeup is important. It’s what moves the luxurious dress into clearly Victorian territory. Makeup in the Victorian age focused on lips and overall face. White makeup was the norm for courtiers and the emphasis was on red cheeks and red lips. A Victorian from lesser society might not wear any makeup at all.

It’s not impossible but it is hard to create hairstyles similar to those popular in Victorian times. It might be best to buy a wig and use that instead of trying to create the style with your own hair. But if you do want to do your own hair in the Victorian style, think about curls and hair that’s either just to the shoulder (when curled) or about two inches below the shoulder. Dark hair was the norm.

Your jewelry? If you’re a courtier, you wear a good amount of authentic jewelry that’s also luxurious and decadent. Of course, there are many costume jewelry choices available that will work for these needs.

The Prim and Proper Victorian Couple

Going to a party as a couple and want to introduce the Victorian couple concept? The man in this day (if also from high society) would wear a suit with tails. Think about making it a light colored suit, though dark morning-style suits are also appropriate to the time.

Couples who head to a party together should both be in the same style. That is, you both might wear a Victorian costume that’s darker and simpler, or you might choose to think more royal and wear a dress or suit in a light, rich fabric. Whatever you choose, make sure that both of you are on the same page and costumes and styles are in agreement.

Want to end the night on a sexy note? Consider a striptease. Getting into all those clothes took some time, which was why servants were certainly vital. But getting out of them can be fun, as one piece after another comes off. The whole burlesque striptease came about due to the parodying of polite society styles with all those layers! You might need a little help getting some pieces off, but that’s hardly considered work after a hard day. That’s just the frosting on the (Victorian) cake.

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One Response to “All Those Layers! “Polite” Victorian Costumes”

prom makeup styles Says:
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:28 am
Hi I have visited you blog, It’s really nice information about fashion…Prom night is the occasion most teenagers look forward to. Prom marks the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another..your info is very helpful for teenagers, thanks for your sharing the info.