I discovered soon that during the Victorian Era, "lady-like" clothing was in fashion rather than "rational" clothing. Hence the enormous fluffy dresses and corsets. As for the figures of these women, an ample bust, tiny waist, and wide hips was the most desirable. However, unlike the modern era, the bust and hips were not the center of male attention. Instead, women's legs remained the terra incognita of erotica. To achieve this preferable body, the use of corsets begun during the pre-pubescent times in a women's life, called reform corsets. Historians believe these corsets ranged from 21-80 pounds of pressure per square inch. This obviously had a large impact and created many healthy problems before the corset was soon protested against years later.
Women of this era, similar to most eras I've researched, desired pale skin. They painted their faces and used poisonous creams just as the other eras did so. However the women of The Victorian Era took this a step further and ingested poisonous materials, such as chalk, to achieve the a pale complexion.
As for makeup, the women refrained from wearing large amounts of makeup, as most women wore only cream, rouge, and powder. The youth, however, were encouraged to enhance their natural beauty, not through cosmetics, but through face masks instead.
The most beautiful aspect of a women during The Victorian Era was certainly her mind; wit and individuality. Now that is the best aspect of a women beauty ideal I have yet to find.
Works Cited
L, Caitlin. "On Beauty, Bathing & Being A Victorian Era Women." Xovain. Instyle, 24 Jan. 2015. Web. 09 May 2016.
"Fashion." Off the Pedestal: Images of Women in Victorian Broadsides, Ephemera and Fast Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2016.
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