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Keara Megann
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 06, 2004 - 6:04 pm: |       |
Hello, my name is Keara, and I'm doing some research on Jack for a project. I was wondering if anyone knew of any links, photos, or costume renderings of Victorian Prostitute clothing, so I will have a costume to work with. I know the general style of the Victorian Era, I just don't know if the prostitutes would be wearing something the noble women would be. Thanks a lot! |
Phil Hill
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 7:22 am: | |
As I have said on another thread, my understanding is that clothing tended to pass down a chain starting with better off people and ending with rags.
The poor in the 1880's East End could have bought cast-offs from second hand clothing stores or flea markets; or received hand-outs from churches, missions and workhouses.
In the Victorian period many servants were given a new suit of clothes/dress each year. Their old ones would then have been worn for occasions when they needed to be less smart, but I suppose they might have passed on even older suits/dresses to less-fortunate friends or family members.
Cloth and stitching was generally more durable than today, so clothes could have lasted a long time and passed through many hands.
I would assume that the victims of JtR would not have been fashionably dressed. There is a sketch of Eddowes' body which shows her clothing quite clearly.
Underwear was NOT worn (the eddowes sketch shows this, but many layers of petticoats etc were - in the case of East End ladies of the night, for warmth as much as anything else I think. But would discount bustles and crinolines - though dresses might have been CUT to accommodate these.
It was a common practice for women to decorate older clothes with ribbons or braid. This might add colour or revive a worn and dingy dress and could have been quite cheap. Bonnets and hats were often decorated at home in a similar way.
MJK is reputed to have worn cross-over shawls, so some knitting may have been done, if these were not secondhand too.
Aprons were common, and I would take this to refer to quite large and enveloping garments that covered most of the dress and bodice, much as worn by female domestic staff, but there may well have been many variations.
Finally, as the Eddowes' saga confirms, boots (rather than shoes) would have been a major concern - both seeking the best available within cost/ saving up for new ones, or ekeing out the life of old ones.
Oh! and bonnets. Both Nichols and Coles had acquired new bonnets (at least to them) shortly before their deaths. Note how proud Polly was of her's, and that Coles had retained both old and new.
Hope this helps
Phil |
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