5 Ridiculous Victorian Etiquette Rules | What the Stuff?!

Summary

The Victorian era, named after Queen Victoria, was steeped in strict etiquette and social customs that might seem ridiculous today. From strict dress codes and social ranking hierarchies to meticulous courtship rules, these norms governed the everyday lives of those in the British Empire. Women's fashion was dominated by corsets and crinolines, dictating a cumbersome day-to-day existence. Social interactions were regulated by an order of precedence, making introductions a complex affair. The era also dictated stringent courtship practices, with matchmaking heavily influenced by social class and wealth.

Highlights

• Did you know women wore corsets even while working in prisons or as maternity wear? 🤯
• Victorian etiquette demanded you know everyone's social rank for proper introductions 😂.
• Victorian courtship was highly structured, ensuring suitable matches based on class 👰🤵.
• If a woman didn't find a husband after three seasons, spinsterhood was expected 🕰️.
• Fashion Police dictated not just what to wear, but when and how long to mourn 😬.

Key Takeaways

• Victorian etiquette was strict and often bizarre, with complex social rules 🧐.
• Women's fashion required corsets and crinolines, constricting their movements 🤦‍♀️.
• Social interactions demanded adherence to a strict order of precedence 🤝.
• Courtship was an elaborate affair, influenced by social status and wealth 💍.
• Violating these norms meant risking social ridicule or isolation 🚫.

Overview

The Victorian era is often remembered for its over-the-top etiquette rules that now seem ludicrous. Imagine wearing a corset so tight it restricted your breathing—not just for fancy dances but even in prisons or while pregnant. Corsets and crinolines were the norms, affecting women’s abilities to move freely, essentially dictating their day-to-day lives. Plus, there were guidelines about what to wear to different occasions and how long to mourn a deceased family member's loss.

Social activities in Victorian England involved a lot more than just attending parties. Social interactions were a complex dance governed by rank and title. If you wanted to talk to someone, you first had to be introduced properly, which depended on everyone's social standing. Even young women walking in public couldn't do so alone without an escort and had to carefully manage who they interacted with—making spontaneous chats or friendships nearly impossible.

Courtship, like everything else, followed strict rules. Young people couldn’t choose their partners solely based on affection; social class and wealth took precedence. Events like presentations at court or levies were set up for young men and women to announce their availability for marriage. The process was so rigorous that if a woman didn't find a partner after a few seasons, she risked being labeled as a spinster. In all these ridiculous etiquettes, one had to also consider the prevailing laws of inheritance which influenced marriages heavily, making Victorian courtship a highly strategic affair.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Victorian Etiquette This chapter serves as an introduction to the concept of Victorian etiquette. It begins with a seemingly trivial yet telling custom from London—avoiding putting the knife in the mouth, which highlights the importance of understanding cultural norms in etiquette. The narrative then shifts to discuss the period from the 1830s to 1901, known as the Victorian era, named after Queen Victoria. This era is noted for its strict and sometimes overwhelming standards of behavior and social expectations imposed on individuals across the British Empire.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Victorian Fashion Expectations The chapter titled 'Victorian Fashion Expectations' discusses the stringent and formal etiquette rules associated with Victorian fashion. It highlights the societal expectations, especially for women, to conform to a specific manner of dressing which often included wearing constricting and cumbersome clothing. The narrative also touches on the relevance of such rules in modern times, implying that certain norms remain obsolete unless someone still practices them, offering sympathy to those who might still feel pressured to adhere to these outdated standards.
• 01:30 - 03:00: Social Hierarchy and Introductions This chapter delves into the pervasive culture of corsets during the Victorian era. It explores how the obsession with tightly laced corsets extended well beyond high society settings, infiltrating everyday life for women, including those in workhouses and prisons. Surprisingly, even maternity corsets were a reality, illustrating the extreme lengths to which this fashion trend was embraced across all strata of society.
• 03:00 - 05:00: Public Interactions and Manners The chapter 'Public Interactions and Manners' explores the historical context of fashion and societal norms, focusing particularly on the Victorian era. It highlights the use of crinoline—a stiff, domed cage worn under skirts to expand them outwards—and discusses the physical limitations and societal expectations associated with wearing such garments. The chapter also touches upon the detailed etiquette surrounding appropriate attire for different social occasions.
• 05:00 - 07:00: Courtship and Marriage Expectations This chapter delves into societal expectations and norms regarding courtship and marriage during the Victorian era. It highlights the importance of social rank and propriety, illustrated through the example of wearing black as a mourning color. The narrative suggests a focus on the pressures of maintaining social decorum and navigating the intricacies of hierarchical relationships, as exemplified by references to Mr. Bingley and the careful social positioning relative to figures of high status, such as the queen and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Conclusion and Viewer Engagement The chapter discusses the social etiquette and hierarchy in Victorian England. It emphasizes the importance of introductions in social interactions, where one had to adhere strictly to a system of precedence based on social ranking. Lower-ranking individuals, such as Barons, needed to be introduced to higher-ranking individuals, like Dukes. This protocol required a thorough understanding of each person's rank within the social circle to avoid any faux pas. The chapter highlights the complexities and rigidness of Victorian social structures as well as the potential pitfalls for those who were not well-versed in these customs.

5 Ridiculous Victorian Etiquette Rules | What the Stuff?! Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 more of Miss ah yes Miss havisham but let me introduce the topic by pointing out that in London it's not the custom to put the knife in the mouth for fear of Exodus all cultures have their own unique customs for etiquette and protocol they usually seem strange from the outside but normal on the inside but from the 1830s to 1901 the culture of Great Britain and the British Empire came under the influence of victorianism named after Victoria the reigning Queen at the time the Victorian era is Infamous for exhausting expectations of
• 00:30 - 01:00 Ky and mannerly behavior that it's not usually considered necessary to fill the mouth to its utmost capacity so interested you'll be glad that nobody cares if you follow these five Victorian etiquette rules today unless they do in which case you have our [Music] sympathies are you a lady well hope you like wearing lots of constricting and cumbersome gear because yes it's it's
• 01:00 - 01:30 totally expected of you you probably know the Victorian era was a high time for corsets it may give you the shape you desire tighter please misson tighter but you might not realize how far this tight laced Obsession went corsets weren't just for High Society ballrooms and Royal Court they were everywhere corsets were so common that you'd find women wearing them in workhouses and prisons and believe it or not the word maternity corset refers to a real thing
• 01:30 - 02:00 that real pregnant ladies put on their torsos also popular during the Victorian era were cralin which were stiff domed cages designed to hold women's skirts out in a wide radius away from their legs you can probably imagine a loss of agility you experience when wearing a 6ft wide steel bird cage under your dress in other words you can't fight crime in a kralin and of course there were plenty of rules about what to wear and when such as which kind of dress you wore to each different occasion and how
• 02:00 - 02:30 long you had to wear black after the death of a family member Fashion Police like these made you want to call a lawyer Mr Bingley Mr Bingley oh my goodness everybody beh naturally and whatever you do do not appear overbearing quick think of all your friends do you know exactly how many levels below the queen and the Archbishop of Canterbury each one resides in terms of social rank no such ill Grace would never fly in Victorian
• 02:30 - 03:00 England see in Victorian times you couldn't just like walk right up and talk to somebody you had to be introduced first and who got introduced to whom depended on the order of Precedence a system of social ranking so you'd introduce a lower ranking Baron to a higher ranking Duke and not the other way around you fool and you can't do this flawlessly unless you know the rank of every everybody in your Social Circle
• 03:00 - 03:30 and frankly that just sounds exhausting constantly comparing your acquaintances like their poker hands just to see what beats what and then there's the issue of how to address everybody I forgot is Jimmy the right honorable or the most [Music] noble so imagine your unmarried lady out
• 03:30 - 04:00 for a stroll in 19th century London well first of all you better not be alone that's right you need an escort but what happens if you see a man you recognize well first of all he is not allowed to talk to you unless you make a gesture of recognition first which okay I can kind of see the appeal of that you don't have to pretend to be doing something on your phone to avoid making eye contact Etc but let's say you really want to stop and talk to this guy well you can't or
• 04:00 - 04:30 at least you shouldn't if you want to talk to him instead of stopping you can offer him your hand which he can take but only after lifting his hat using the hand farthest away from you then once he takes your hand he has to walk along with you but even then you can't just gab away according to Castle's household guide strict reticence of speech and conduct must be observed in public and that means no loud talking or animated discussions and if you see a gentle gentlem you'd like to speak to but he's
• 04:30 - 05:00 smoking a cigar tough luck sister it's amazingly rude for a man to smoke in the presence of a woman so if you acknowledge him he'll have to put out his cigar and for all you know it might have been a really expensive cigar and now you've just ruined his morning nice work [Music] Myrtle I cannot I cannot be your wife do you ever have that problem problem where you want to date the
• 05:00 - 05:30 neighbor's daughter but you don't know if she's technically on the market yet or if her parents still consider her a child will you marry me are you looking me no good because that's amazingly creepy fortunately the victorians had a formalized system for avoiding this problem presentation at court if you are a respectable family who wanted to announce that your son or daughter was ready for courtship you could do this at a specialized event Young young men could be introduced at
• 05:30 - 06:00 events called levies which were held several times a year young ladies could be introduced at presentation events held at St James's Palace and these events did not skimp on the Pomp and protocol either men had to wear buckled shoes and swords ladies had to stick feathers in their hair and drag three yard trains behind their dresses but once the kids are ready to start dating that's when the etiquette fangs really sink in I imagine that since your change of Fortune you have naturally changed your
• 06:00 - 06:30 companions oh yes naturally lots of parents get weirdly strict and judgmental when their kids start dating thanks a lot mom and dad but Victoria and England really took it to another level first of all etiquette manuals of the time advise young lovers that technically you're supposed to look for partners only within your own social class because we all know how awkward it is when you're a baroness and you're trying to chat up a nice Viscount and his mother is just right there on the
• 06:30 - 07:00 fainting couch looking at you with eyes that say trash now even if you can't get a nice courtship going you're going to have to deal with the elephant in the room which is let's face it people marry for money and social status you think you're better than me n Victorian England operated under the law of Prima genitor which meant that when all money bags passed away his entire
• 07:00 - 07:30 estate went to the oldest son so it was just kind of expected that eligible ladies would seek oldest Sons meanwhile young noblemen with troubled assets would try to court Rich arises sometimes from a lower social rank say the daughter of a highly successful kralin Merchant on top of all these awkward expectations the courtship itself had more chaperones in a middle school dance and young couples could never expect to be left in privacy basically until they
• 07:30 - 08:00 were married oh and here's another one pop quiz what do wild turkeys mule deer and marriageable young ladies in Victoria in England have in common they all have a season for hunting young men looking for ladies to court would search its social events during the season which lasted from January through June if a lady didn't find a husband after three seasons everybody knew it was spinsterhood for Agnes
• 08:00 - 08:30 what's one etiquette custom you hate being expected to follow or what's one that you wish people would pay more attention to and does anyone have a suitable match for Agnes let us know in the comments and if you like this video would you kindly click on y button and then subscribe and if you want to learn more about Victorian Customs check out 10 ridiculous Victorian etiquette rules at howstuffworks.com [Music]
• 08:30 - 09:00 courtship picut somebody say courtship pette