Surviving Victorian Garments: Museum Insights & Challenges

We are also fortunate that many original garments from the Victorian period survive. Museum collections hold a wealth of information and a whole range of unique objects preserved from the past. Care must be taken with some items that survive in museum collections. Many garments have survived because they were made for special occasions marking life events (such as wedding, christening and mourning outfits) or were favourite or best dresses.

These items are therefore not necessarily representative of the typical, everyday dresses which may have been more practical but which were worn to destruction. Museum collections also rarely represent costume from the working classes, or uniforms and working wear. Again, these are often not thought of as worth saving, or they were used, reused, mended and passed down to younger family members, prolonging the life of the garment as long as possible. There is less sentimentality attached to this kind of clothing, so whilst a best dress might be saved and treasured, everyday working outfits are not.

Fig. 1.12. Original garments are a useful resource for examining internal seams, stitching and how clothing was constructed

The great asset of examining original garments is that they show real dresses and how they were actually made, and what fabrics and methods of construction were used. In studying how these examples were made you can get a good feeling for the maker. In many cases these items were made at home, and it is reassuring to find quite large stitching, unfinished edges and errors hidden by trimming or bows. It is interesting to note that decoration is often only lightly sewn on with large stitches.

This could then be easily removed and swapped for a different, more up-to-date trimming if the fashions changed into the next season. No one saw the inside, and it would not have to stand up to the rigours of washing, as it was the underwear rather than outerwear which was more frequently laundered. Depending on the dress and the decade, garments can range from remarkably simple to incredibly complicated, with all manner of variation in between.

Whilst we are lucky to have these items saved in public collections, it is important to realize that many museums now are not necessarily able to facilitate access to private study visits, and there are restrictions on access to fragile historic collections. As a researcher with an interest in costume history you will not automatically be able to handle and measure museum examples of costume unless you are researching a specific project. While this might initially seem harsh, it must be remembered that many original garments survive in a fragile state, and museums have a duty of care to prevent over handling of objects they are trying to preserve. There are also increasing restrictions on staffing levels to provide access to collections, as curators and collections staff are stretched between multiple collections and tasks.

Despite what you might initially think, museums are dedicated to providing access, and in our digital age we have a great deal of accessibility to museum collections all across the country, and in fact the world, through the power of online catalogues. Furnished with object descriptions and photographs, you can virtually explore costume from museum collections. The internet in general is also very useful for image searches, providing a wealth of information and design inspiration.

Whilst virtual access is good, do not underestimate the power of seeing the real thing. Even if you are unable to book a personal study session, visiting a museum costume display is well worthwhile and gives you a different feel for the items from what can be gathered from a flat book or web page. Seeing how fabrics drape and fit on a three-dimensional shape is informative, and seeing them in the settings and context interpreted by a museum can greatly enhance your appreciation of the costume.