The Boudoir

Darling,

have you been? You simply

tell me all about your adventures! Fancy this - an interview with King Auberon himself... You certainly have been going places!

Etiquette

Welcome to the elegance and thrill of New Europa. To thrive in this refined society, you will need wits and charm, breeding and connections. You will need to be comme il faut; this is The Test of a Lady and Gentleman. You cannot hope to succed without at least some basic knowledge of the rules of etiquette, in Polite Society, at Home and Abroad :

Why good Manners are important.
Even Behind Closed Doors, Familiarities Between Relations are permitted, but subject to rules of taste and delicacy.
How does one perform proper Introductions ?
The subtle but telling Calling Card Etiquette
The importance of the proper Dress - tips for every occasion.

This leads us directly to the topic of fashion.

Fashion: Feminine Dress

Starting in 1869, the well-dressed lady must wear a bustle. The typical silhouette is decried (not unfairly) by several critics as making women look like camels, but will remain for two decades, thinning a bit in the 1880's. Ladies who want to be at the height of fashion will not miss the valuable advice found in The Victorian Fashion Pages: An informational page for the Living History re-enactor . One may wish to see all the layers that go into Dressing the Victorian Lady, one by one, albeit in a slightly outmoded style (1850's) .

A little shopping tour? Remeber that accessories, as usual, can make or break the fashionable lady. An elegant shawl, for example, or saucy garden hat, hoods and gloves or a pretty Parasol can transform a simple walking dress.

Victorian Readings

My dear, have you read the latest installment of Lady Audley's Secret yet? And The Woman in White ? I daresay it made me cry! And then there is this governess, and her Letters from India and Prussian & Greek Royalty ...

Return to the Salon
Return to the Rules section

Much of the Etiquette section comes from Ms Sylvania's beautiful Victoriana On-Line Web page. (Be warned, though, the site is on GeoCities - cads and bounders all!)
Beautiful costume pictures can be found at La Couturière Parisienne Costume and Fashion Site
A lot of additional material comes from Victoriana, Resources for Victorian Living
The lurid literature comes from Victorian Sensationalism Online