Victorian Era Influences – Back With A Bang

The Victorian fashion was often considered priggish or way too proper for one’s taste for the longest time. However, we gradually became so comfortable with our cropped jeans and t-shirts that the essence of ‘dressing up’ was somewhere lost. But no more! Thanks to the renewed interest in Victorian fashion, we are back to dressing up like ladies of yore!

But don’t worry about tight corsets or iron cages – this time around it is not so extreme, and your comfort still is the primary concern for designers. Following are the best fashion trends that have taken inspiration from Victorian times.

The Victorian Silhouette

Each fashion era is known by its silhouette. Any fashion student can identify a dress by just looking at its waistline and cuts. And that’s where the current crop of designers took their inspiration from too, when going through Victorian fashion pages. Wondering how to give your dress this wedding season a Victorian flavor? Look around for the right silhouette and try spicing things up a little by wearing a corset with a lehenga.

Puffy Sleeves

We had all bid farewell to puffy sleeves; partly because of our hatred for them due to marked childhood memories and partly at simply how “fluffly” they were. True, we’ve all been there. However, you have nothing to worry if you think you’re going to look like a fool; the runways were filled with puffy sleeves this season, which means your favorite brands would be stocking them soon enough too, and in extremely fashionable silhouettes

High Collar Necklines

High color necklines are quite hard to get right. You either end up looking very classy or very uptight. Hence, this is one risky style borrowed from the Victorians. However, designers showcasing their works at fashion weeks this year did their homework well to incorporate high necklines in the most stylish of ways. A little tip for designing your own high collars tied with bows neckline – keep the materials soft. Use chiffons, nets or laces in order to provide some softness to the look. Following are top three looks from the runways for some inspiration.

Ruffles

How could any conversation about Victorian fashion possibly end without ruffles? Ruffles were a staple of Victorian fashion and they too have made their way into today’s Victorian era influences. Ruffles are usually created with satin or lace or both, and can easily be added to shirts for work or for something formal. Ruffles add femininity and flair to a dress. This soft pink ruffled shirt below is a good example of how soft ruffles could ideally be paired with trousers to make for office wear, or with a pleated skirt for evening wear.

White Lace

We have mentioned lace before but this popular essential requires another mention, particularly in the color white. Look at any period film from the Victorian era and you’d notice a lot of white lace elements, that’s because that’s just how much they loved lacey whites. You can opt for a lacey short dress or something sleeker like a dress shirt paired with dark pants or jeans to complete the look. If you have to select one element from the Victorian era, it is best to select this, as white and lace never really go out of fashion.

So with all these amazing trends doing the rounds now, you can choose from a variety of options available. Happy trending!

Picture courtesy – gorgeautiful.com, fashionisers.com, fashiongonerogue.com and vogue.com