'Tis the Season:
Victorian Christmas Fashions
The Victorian era was a
time when etiquette books—which were some of the best–selling books of the
day—stressed the importance of pleasing others by the simple act of being
thoughtful. From the smallest kindnesses like “never pointing at a person,”
to the basic rules of society, such as not “indulging in ridicule,” men and
women in the 19th century enjoyed, and even prided themselves upon, being
considerate and polite. This way of thinking and living was perhaps most
poignant during the Christmas season. Though there were those who simply
purchased gifts at the nearest department store, just as many of us do
today, a great many people were able to put more time and heart into their
gift–giving. Ladies’ magazines, in particular, praised women who chose to
create gifts for their loved ones—whether or not it was necessary for lack
of funds.
“Some people content themselves with the
thought that they have nothing to give,” a McCall’s writer opined in
1908. “In fact, they have scarcely enough to satisfy their own wants and
desires—but if we would take the matter into consideration fairly, we will
find that there are indeed very few of us who cannot afford to give
something of the trifle we possess. Many noble women have practically
nothing of this world’s goods to spare, yet each year, as the time for
Christmas rolls round, they will be found busy with needle and thread making
dainty little trifles which will not only please the recipients, but make
useful little gifts as well.”
Another magazine of the turn of the century
echoed similar thoughts: “A woman who had little money to spend for
Christmas, but whose gifts were always received with pleasure by her
friends, said she always put in time what she lacked in money. The result of
this wise plan is hand–made gifts which, if bought in stores, would cost
plenty of money, but when manufactured during odd moments are cheap for the
giver.” Many magazines even pointed out that while the woman of average
means—lacking the time of skill to create her own gifts, and consequently
forced to purchase them—was limited in what she could find and afford that
would be appropriate, the woman who took the time to make her gifts had
nearly unlimited ideas available to her.
Though thoughts of pin cushions, aprons,
and tea cozies may immediately come to mind when we think of home–made
Victorian gifts (and indeed, they were painstakingly created and presented
to many loved ones), women who has some skill and put some real thought into
their gift–giving often came up with more exciting and fashionable choices.
“Last year [a] wise woman showed me a nightgown that was a dream of
loveliness,” another McCall’s writer related. “It was made of a
remnant of organdie that cost just sixty–five cents, but its duplicate could
not have been purchased for ten times that sum. The bride–to–be for whom it
was designed was a small person, and, as the garment had short sleeves, the
task of getting it out was not so great as one would suppose. The groundwork
was white with blue bow–knots sprinkled over it, and the pattern selected
was one to be slipped over the head. After all there was not much work on
it, but the dainty stitches, heading with blue ribbon run through, and gauzy
sleeves, made the recipient scream with delight on Christmas morning. As she
is a stenographer in an office, it is safe to say that it was the only
hand–made gown in her bridal finery, and it will be treasured long after the
day of its usefulness is past.”
Though McCall’s admitted “every
woman knows just how difficult it is to get anything that is quite suitable
as a gift for a man, they offered many suggestions. Since the 18th century,
slippers (first worked out in “Berlinwork,” or needlepoint, and then sewn up
into the correct shape) had been popular gifts for daughters to their
fathers and sisters to their brothers. Needleworked “braces” or suspenders
were also favorites for wives to give husbands, and needleworked garters and
smoking caps—not to mention hand–decorated cuff links, smoking jackets, and
embroidered vests—were also frequently given to male relatives.
A needlework pattern for slippers.
Children, too, were often the recipients of
home–made gifts; store–bought toys were unheard of for the vast majority of
children in the U.S. until the turn of the century. In the 1870s, one woman
who’d been raised on the prairie recalled that as a child, as far as
Christmas gifts were concerned, “if we ever had any they were homemade. No
toys to buy if we wanted them, and nothing to buy with. Our stocking was
always hung up, faith of childhood Santa, an apple or popcorn ball or wooden
doll or rag one, all homemade. We always found something and how happy we
were.” Beside homemade toys, both boys and girls often received articles of
clothing, including homemade hats, knitted sweaters, decorative petticoats,
purses, and wallets.
For other girls and for grown women,
fancy collars were a favorite gift—something few women troubles to make for
themselves, and yet something that wasn’t cheap to buy. “There never was a
season when Milady has such a chance to make what old–fashioned people used
to call ‘neck riggings’ of all sorts,” one fashion magazine noted. This was
a particular suitable approach for those who didn’t have the time or skill
to do special beading or lace treatments. By simply purchasing the fairly
inexpensive pre–ruched fabrics, ribbons, and beading available at most dry
good and department stores, any woman could easily create a copy of a
Parisian model for her friend.
Other women relatives and friends might
receive sachets for their corset drawers, fancy needlebooks complete with
news pins and needles, embroidered or beaded reticules, cardboard fans
covered with pretty fabrics, and needleworked garters—all easy to make from
scraps of silks and cottons left over from other projects. “Happy is she who
is able to ornament these with a spray of flowers or an initial, or some
equally effective piece of embroidery, for this not only enhances their
value, but their beauty as well,” McCall’s noted.
But gift ideas were far from depleted.
“There are bits of embroidery for tables, dressers, collars and everything
else under the sun,” an article titled "More Time Than Money" pointed out.
“A busy mother shed tears of joy one Christmas when Santa Claus brought her
embroidered linen covers for for her dresser and washstand. ‘I am so tired
of plain towels I don’t know what to do,’ she [had] said.” In fact, little
bits of handiwork were extremely popular gifts throughout the Victorian
era—but never more so than at the turn of the century, when machine–made
laces and clothes were the norm on the retail market. “There never was a
time when handwork was in such demand as now,” McCall’s proclaimed,
“and, therefore, never a time when it was so expensive. A hand–made infant’s
jacket, with ribbon ties, cost just twenty–two cents, but the cheapest
garment shown in the store was marked one dollar and twenty–five cents, and
it had only crochet strings. You will find the same to be true of infant’s
boots, shawls, sweaters and all goods made of yarn. A speedy worker can make
a little jacket in less than a day...Pretty undergarments are always
appreciated by women, and so are dainty white aprons. Baby caps made of
sheer handkerchiefs, with several sets of ties, delight the hearts of
mothers, as well as pillow covers with hemstitched ruffles...” The
possibilities were nearly endless.
Though gift–receivers were doubtlessly
delighted with such thoughtful and personal hand–made gifts, the gift–giver
sometimes benefited in more ways than just pleasing their friend or
relative. “I know one housekeeper who makes all her Christmas money, and
more too, by manufacturing such things as stocking bags, sweeping caps,
pincushions, pillow covers and other articles that usually sell at from
twenty–five cents to half a dollar. All through the warm weather she is
quietly getting them ready, and during the weeks preceding Christmas [she
sells them to ladies with less time and] reaps her harvest.”
And so, with this
Christmas season upon us, perhaps we, too, might try our hand at this style
of gift–giving. Handmade gifts don’t necessarily have to be elaborate—and
even those with modest needle–skill can create a gift that will be treasured
for many years to come. The mother of a new baby will swoon over a simple
quilt made of two different colored squares stitched together, layered with
quilt batting and a backing, edges bound with store–bought binding, and tied
with yarn. A little girl will delight in a box of make–believe clothes,
whether you sew simple styles from scratch or merely add colorful ribbons,
beads, and rhinestones to garments you pick up for a few dollars at a thrift
shop. Your male relatives might appreciate a pair of slippers, purchased at
a department store, with their initials added on in simple cross–stitches
across the front. Ladies will enjoy store–bought vests, blouses, or jumpers
with buttons, appliqués, and other decorative trifles added on by hand. Or
try a more quintessentially Victorian gift: a rich, wine–colored smoking
jacket or robe for your husband, a lace–trimmed Victorian–style petticoat
for your sister, or a beaded and braid–trimmed wall pocket for your
neighbors with a Victorian house.
And as the New Year approaches and the
uncertain economy comes to mind, perhaps we should also heed what
McCall’s pointed out in Christmas of 1908: “If you have plenty of time
don’t let your thin purse discourage you. Make out your list early in the
season and then set diligently to work. You will be astonished at the
collection of pretty things on hand even before the snow flies...”
(c) 1998, 2001 by Kristina Harris
04/21/2006