}
Dresses and dressmaking
Many Victorian women made their own clothes.
Home sewing machines, available from the mid-1850s, made it easier to copy professionally made dresses. The only ready-made items that could be bought in shops were hats, corsets, shoes and some mourning wear such as cloaks.
Home sewing machines, available from the mid-1850s, made it easier to copy professionally made dresses. The only ready-made items that could be bought in shops were hats, corsets, shoes and some mourning wear such as cloaks.