In the Victorian period, every item of clothing bought had to be made especially for the person buying it. Seamstresses and tailors were responsible for making clothes.
Victorian men often wore a waist coat. Most wealthy Victorian men wore a top hat whilst poor men wore flat caps. Victorian gentlemen used a walking stick or cane and carried a pocket watch with them.
Victorian women wore long dresses which were colourful and flowery. Crinaline, a wide frame of flexible steel hoops, was used to hold the skirt away from the legs. It was unheard of to see Victorian ladies' legs. Many women also wore a woollen shawl wrapped around them and a bonnet hat. Maids would sometimes help them get dressed.
Poor Victorians bought their clothes from second-hand shops. They were often made from wool or cotton in dark colours because this was cheaper and the dirt didn't show as much. They looked ragged and would have been mended and patched for as long as possible. Many couldn't afford to buy shoes.
Children usually wore miniature versions of adult clothes. Boys wore dresses until they were about five years old.
