Victorian Edwardian Fashion Vocabulary Part 3 Quiz

Answer: Rouge and lipstick

In the late Victorian period, makeup was considered vulgar and represented people of a lower class. Moving into the Edwardian era, we saw the introduction of makeup into department stores with the emphasis on sales to women. Two adages defined the modern woman of the time, (1) women dress for the approval of other women, and (2) women do not wish to be left out (when a new fashion trend is introduced).

Department Stores on either side of the pond: Fenwick of Bond Street 1891, Harrods Liberty 1875, Selfridges 1909, all of London, England.
Arnold Constable & Co. was the first American department store. It was founded in 1825 by Aaron Arnold (1794?-1876), an immigrant from Great Britain, as a small dry goods store on Pine Street in New York City. After 150 years, it closed it's doors in 1975. In 1858, Rowland Hussey Macy founded Macy's as a dry goods store. Benjamin Altman and Lord & Taylor soon competed with Stewart as New York's earliest department stores.

Answer: Cheesecutter

Cheesecutter is the New Zealand term used for the Flat Cap which was generally made of tweed, although caps could be made with cotton or wool. The cap reminds me of the 1899 era depicted in the Broadway Musical, "Newsies".
The Ivy (American term) and Duckbill are hats of the same flat cap family often recognized as golfing caps and sometimes driver's caps. This style of hat was regionally named, such as the Welch Dai or Scotland's Bunnet (a bonnet, a name which the Scots still use today).

Answer: American Tuxedo

"Polite" Society found requirements changing in defining men's proper evening or dinner dress which was considered semi-formal after 7 pm attire. British fashion usually set the example; however, by the late 1880s you would see the same worn on both sides of the pond.

Answer: Ducktail

How to describe this beard? Modern images online are not a true ducktail. Imagine a nicely manicured mustache and goatee. Then starting with the sideburns a nicely groomed full beard that hangs 8-10 inches from the chin. Beginning with the beard section below the chin, separate hair down the middle and then roll each side inward like a duck's tail and the two ends come together to form a point.
I envision a confident man wearing this style who doesn't mind attention or being the butt of a joke.

Answer: Plaits

Plaits are the same thing as braids worn by little girls, young ladies, and women. Victorian young women of ages 15-16 were socially expected to wrap their hair in 'up styles' and plaits were one of the wrap designs. A Victorian debutante always wore her hair up when coming out, as well as to all balls and other formal affairs throughout The Season.

Answer: Coronet

It is also worn by peers and peeresses and is only worn on formal or special occasions. The coronet will never have arches and unlike the tiara, it completely encircles the head.

Answer: Paletot

The paletot style was worn by both men and women. Paletot is a French word meaning topcoat or overcoat. The more cinched look at the waist was worn by women.

Answer: Gladstone

A smaller deep two-sided leather bag that was designed in the late 1800s and often used lanyards to secure the hinged closure. Doctors often carried a Gladstone bag and it was also used as an overnight bag for toiletries. The Gladstone is named after William Ewart Gladstone who served four times as Prime Minister of the UK.
The larger sized bag was called a Portmanteau.

Answer: Pompadour

With the 21st Century life offering wigs, toupees, extensions, faux buns, and more - this is another example of fashion reinventing itself. In the late Victorian era, real human cut hair was often manipulated to form an aid for the most dramatic of styles like the Pompadour.

The lady's own hair would be brushed over to conceal the added hairpiece. I would imagine Gibson Girls used extensive aids with their pompadours.

Answer: La Belle Epoque

La Belle Epoque means "A Beautiful Period". In America, the time-period was called, "The Gilded Age" and Great Britain it was known as "The Edwardian Period".