Victorian Secret

I have an interest in the past, especially domestic service and male fashion. I'm also a huge dork. This blog is a weird amalgam of the two. Andrew, he/him, queer feel free to tip me (or not) here: https://ko-fi.com/victoriansecret

[victoriansecret]

Victoria’s Secret? Never heard of it.

[artschoolglasses]

Gentleman's Embroidered Blue Silk Frock Coat, 1780s

From Kerry Taylor Auctions

[larosebisou]

A still from the lost 1917 film, The Amazons.

[clove-pinks]

Young Man Holding Jacket Lapel, daguerreotype with applied color, 1840s. Unknown photographer, American.

[victoriansecret]

How the doose does one manage a miwackulous tie?

I have recently purchased a delightfully gaudy paisley silk bow tie at the thrift store, it delights me so. Do you have on hand any antique instruction manuals for tying bow ties or other miwackulous neckwear of the sort?

I don't immediately, and I am out of town without access to my computer so I can easily do research. But I'm sure somebody does. Perhaps @rowzien or @so-i-did-this-thing ?

[rowzien]

@reptilerex

The Art of Tying the Cravat is the only historical text on cravat tying I know of on tying cravats, however if you're trying to do a truly miwackulous tye out of a modern bow tie you're not going to have a ton of luck with this. I tried to do some searching in archive.org and library of congress on later 19th century texts but found nothing. There may be some things out there but probably not good how-tos.

Zach Pinsent made a pretty good video on early 19th century cravat tying mostly using this book.

I will say you're probably best off looking up modern bow tie tutorials online if you've gotten a modern bow tie. If you want a miwackulous tie I would recommend getting a scarf. Early 19th century cravats are generally large 35"-45" squares folded up to fit the neck. By the end of the century they do start to become more rectangular. I would look for second hand scarves. If you want a historical one Burnley & Trowbridge have fantastic kerchiefs. It is good practicing with a modern bow and then you can apply that to a scarf/cravat to get a truly miwackulous bow (it just a normal bow but the scarf/cravat changes the size and apparence).

1840s cravat

1870s cravat

[clove-pinks]

The real-life miwackulous tyes that I find for my posts are largely an 1850s affectation, like the comic by John Leech, but 1840s-1860s are tye territory (especially something like a fringed joinville—1840s style, not the later 19th century-style tie confusingly called a joinville as well).

Clearly, men of the time had a thing for oversized neckties in a fairly rigid material.

[clove-pinks]

Ninth-plate daguerreotype portrait of a young man by James P. Weston, c. 1852-1856.

[clove-pinks]

Miwackulous Tye Monday

HOW THE DOOSE DOES HE MANAGE IT ?

[oldenglishtextposts]

been struggling with this scribe's handwriting but i do love their super curly ds

[oldenglishtextposts]

ok this feels excessive

[blakesghost]

one day you're a normal gay and the next day you're a not normal gay who gets excited about 1800 ships. you can seek help.

[deckhanddandy]

A night in after a night out

[victoriansecret]

Personally I think he deserves to be addressed as Nosferausted. Nosferavous.

[victoriansecret]

How the doose does one manage a miwackulous tie?

I have recently purchased a delightfully gaudy paisley silk bow tie at the thrift store, it delights me so. Do you have on hand any antique instruction manuals for tying bow ties or other miwackulous neckwear of the sort?

I don't immediately, and I am out of town without access to my computer so I can easily do research. But I'm sure somebody does. Perhaps @rowzien or @so-i-did-this-thing ?

[rowzien]

@reptilerex

The Art of Tying the Cravat is the only historical text on cravat tying I know of on tying cravats, however if you're trying to do a truly miwackulous tye out of a modern bow tie you're not going to have a ton of luck with this. I tried to do some searching in archive.org and library of congress on later 19th century texts but found nothing. There may be some things out there but probably not good how-tos.

Zach Pinsent made a pretty good video on early 19th century cravat tying mostly using this book.

I will say you're probably best off looking up modern bow tie tutorials online if you've gotten a modern bow tie. If you want a miwackulous tie I would recommend getting a scarf. Early 19th century cravats are generally large 35"-45" squares folded up to fit the neck. By the end of the century they do start to become more rectangular. I would look for second hand scarves. If you want a historical one Burnley & Trowbridge have fantastic kerchiefs. It is good practicing with a modern bow and then you can apply that to a scarf/cravat to get a truly miwackulous bow (it just a normal bow but the scarf/cravat changes the size and apparence).

1840s cravat

1870s cravat

[reptilerex]

Oh wonderful, thank you so much! Ill give these a try and report back! My tie is pretty floppy and shaped like the 1870s cravat so i have high hopes...

[periodinteriors]

Wilhelm Bendz (Danish, 1804-1832), Artists in Finck's Coffee House, 1832, oil on canvas.

[clove-pinks]

An undated portrait of Richard Mentor Johnson, likely c. 1830s from the references to Johnson's support of abolishing imprisonment for debt and Sunday mail delivery.

"In war, the undaunted soldier—in peace, the enlightened statesman."

[clove-pinks]

Paris fashions, Spring 1832.

[clove-pinks]

Portrait de l'artiste by Eugène Delacroix, c. 1837.

[clove-pinks]

I hope you guys are ready for