A Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty

This was the perfectly written, succinct yet thorough, fashion history of the Victorian Era. I adore Georgette Heyer and new authors who depict thier characters either during or during and post Victorian eras, like the Amelia Peabody Emerson series and it is interesting to know how they dressed and viewed hair and make-up as opposed to the Austen Era. Great read!!

The book is laid out sensibly and is very detailed and informative. It only suffers from having not nearly enough pictures to go with the descriptions

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was quite an entertaining, fascinating and sometimes cringe worthy (raw meat on your skin under a mask worn at night?! Ugh!) look at Victorian fashion, beauty products and regimes, social and societal mores, hair fashions and how they changed throughout the sixty year run of the Era. Well written and engaging, it was a great pleasure reading all about the various products, beliefs etc all of the Victorian Era and the good and bad changes it brought about both societally and socially in the lives of women of the Era. Although social history really isn't a subject I have reached for in the past, this book DEFINITELY was an EXCELLENT read! Recommend!

Interesting. Not sure I’d like the hoops and corset but that was the fashion. Did not realize all the beauty treatments women used then. Overall, a good read if one is interested in history of fashion.

This is a fun read that covers the customs, fashion and the makeup and cosmetics of the Victorian era. I found myself searching the internet for more images of the items discussed.

When I bought this book, I knew just a few things about Victorian clothing and costuming... mostly from John Peacock's book, "Costume 1066 - 1990s" (a newer version probably exists). I'd also read some Godey's Lady's magazines, and - of course - I've watched shows set in the Victorian era. "A Victorian Lady's Guide" fills in ALL the gaps. It's a high-quality book printed on almost-glossy paper, so you can see the details in the many (mostly b&w) illustrations from actual Victorian publications. This book is organized into three parts. The first takes you through the Victorian era, decade by decade. It includes specific details of clothing, jewelry, and general appearance down to the smallest details. Then you'll learn about dressing for every occasion, every season, and things like riding habits and wedding attire, maternity clothes, and so on. The third section provides almost excruciating details about haircare, skin care, and so on. Whether you're portraying the Victorian era in a book, in art, on the stage, or as a re-enactment, get your hands on this book. Ms. Matthews writes beautifully, with style and wit, and includes topics that had never crossed my mind... but now I'm glad I know about them. Fascinating!

This is a great primer for fans and authors of the Victorian Era. A great addition to my reference library.

I've always been fascinated by clothing of the 1800s and this work satisfied many questions I had in a way that was educational and interesting along with many illustrations of the subject matter. Thoroughly enjoyed this!