Inside Victorian whaleboned bodices and leg of mutton sleeves | Fashion Unpicked

Victorian fashion is not what you think! 💅 Dive into the more surprising side of Victorian fashion history and see some of the crazes from the 1890s – from voluminous layered skirts and tiny corseted waists, to outrageously oversized sleeves (known as ‘gigot’ or ‘leg-of-mutton’), and novelty umbrellas shaped like pug dogs. American heiress Cara Broughton was a style icon of her day, with some extremely bold and playful fashion choices. In this documentary, Fashion Historian Cassie explores two incredible surviving pieces from Cara’s eclectic wardrobe, and tells us about what is typical of women’s late Victorian fashion. 00:00 Who was Cara Broughton? 01:29 Bodice with leg of mutton or gigot sleeves 02:34 Victorian fabrics and trimmings 03:19 Victorian novelty accessories 03:42 Inside the orange bodice – baleen (whalebone) 05:24 Asymmetrical construction 05:53 Inside the giant sleeves 06:21 Victorian mourning dress? 08:35 Victorian bustle fashion and mystery stitch-marks 09:11 Inside the cream bodice 09:35 Victorian clothing label (designer branding) 10:15 Baleen under the microscope 10:33 Victorian skirt layers 11:04 Mystery pocket – what was it for? Find out more about our fashion collections: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion See more of our Fashion Unpicked films: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe2ihXndm5jvJsAP3AOHQz4FcgUki-nLx&si=iYycrR6KrCFBbgCZ