Late Victorian British Fun (and not-so-fun) Facts
I thought others might be interested in my list of little things I've learned while researching the 1890s for my fics. This is by no means a list of things you should do when writing! Even I don't follow absolutely every single thing—I like to think wizarding society deviated quite a bit from muggle society, after all. If you wanna use this list as a reference, go ahead, but you should write whatever makes you happy. This is just for fun, and I'll probably end up writing down more stuff as I remember it—this is all just the stuff I could think of from the top of my head. :)
Basics
The Victorian Era was from 1837 to 1901. The era before was called the Regency Era (think Jane Austen) and the era after was the Edwardian Era (think Downton Abbey).
Love and Marriage
Even though the marriage age was lowered significantly in 1823, most girls still got married between ages 18 and 23.
The social season refers to the summer months from May to August in which the middle and upper classes left their country homes and stayed in London to attend social events, following the royal family. The main purpose was finding someone to marry.
Courtship, the part of a relationship that was most like dating today, only lasted a few months before progressing to being engaged. But it was common for engagement to last much longer. Dating as we know it today wasn't really a thing until after 1900.
Courtship "dates" that weren't in public often consisted of dinner at the woman's house with her parents (private time between the couple was sometimes afforded after dinners).
There was a paradigm shift in attitudes towards marriage; marrying for love became much more common in this era. But marriages were still pragmatic, too! Marriages based purely on love while ignoring the economic and practical aspects were scandalous.
Queen Victoria popularized white wedding dresses as we know them today.
It wasn't until the late Victorian Era that evening weddings became acceptable.
Snakes were a popular motif for engagement rings in the Victorian Era.
Pregnancy and Children
Victorian women were expected to hide all signs of their pregnancy, as it would imply participation in the act required for pregnancy (yeah, lol).
Husbands weren't allowed to be around for the actual act of childbirth, and it was advised he only stay around for 5 minutes afterward.
Anesthesia was first administered in the mid-1800s.
Fathers were often very involved in their children's lives, contrary to popular opinion.
Teenagers haven't changed much since the Victorian Era—our MCs weren't the only troublemakers. :)
Clothing, Personal Care and Fashion
Eyebrows came in all shapes and sizes; no one style appears to have been particularly coveted. The only exception was an aversion to unibrows.
Natural beauty was the name of the Victorian game. As such, makeup was very un-virtuous and was reserved for prostitutes and actors.
That doesn't mean people didn't use any products, however! Salves for the lips, as well as powders and rouges, started becoming popular towards the end of the era.
Perfumes and colognes were kept subtle, but floral scents were very popular amongst both men and women. Again, emphasizing the natural state of the body was seen as very virtuous.
Shapewear was just as popular back then as it is today. Adding or taking away layers of women's undergarments depended on the effect one wanted to have.
Men's undergarments were much simpler, usually consisting of cotton drawers and a long-sleeved undershirt.
Shorter skirts were appropriate for young girls, but as a girl got older, her skirts generally got longer.
School was still relatively uncommon for girls through the end of the era, but school uniforms for girls generally included aprons to protect their clothes.
Very long hair was desirable for Victorian women and was considered very feminine, but wearing that hair loose was not respectable. Bangs (fringes) weren't very popular.
The 1890s introduced the Gibson Girl look that would carry through the Edwardian Era.
Women wearing trousers was not as uncommon as one might think!
Bathing at least once a day was considered essential, but showering was not yet a thing.
Games, Leisure and Sports
Parlour games were very popular with adults at parties. Charades was an especially prevalent game.
Board games were also very popular for both children and adults.
Football (not American football!) became very popular in the Victorian Era amongst men. Croquet was the game of choice for women.
Cemeteries were popular picnicking spots and were more like sculpture gardens than grim reminders of death.
Food and Cooking
Honestly just go watch English Heritage's Victorian videos for an idea of the recipes and foods that were common back then lol. Mrs. Crocombe is a gem.
Breakfast was often a major event for wealthy Victorian Britons.
Ok that's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there's way more I'm missing. If I can come up with enough, I'll do another post at some point lol. Enjoy!
