Late Victorian Men's Clothing

As I indicated last month, my current book is set in Galveston, c. 1895. So far, I have researched settings, trolleys (streetcars), a Valentine's Day blizzard, and women's Victorian fashions. No, not cowgirls. Julia, my heroine is a big city gal, the daughter of a wealthy Houston businessman, so she dresses like a lady. Well, most of the time. She might end up riding a horse or sailing the ocean, not sure yet.

Corsario (Privateer) painting and photo by Mauricio García Vega; wikipedia

Now I'm researching men's clothing in the late Victorian era. My hero, Raphael, is a time traveling privateer (a pirate commissioned by his country) from 200 years earlier. He's used to wearing knee breeches and loose shirts that tied at the throat. Seeing the strange attire worn in 1895 is shock enough; being stuffed into such a monkey suit threatens his masculinity, but he will have to get used to his new duds, like 'em or not.

So, what did Raphael end up wearing? A question I finally found the answer to today on a wonderful site, the Historical Emporium. This is a retail site selling authentic Victorian and Old West apparel, but it also offers terrific descriptions of individual articles of clothing. I would love to copy and paste what I found in the men's Victorian section, but I'd rather not be sued for plagiarism. So I'll summarize.

For more details, go here: https://www.historicalemporium.com/

First, by the late Victorian era, clothing was being manufactured in factories and sold in stores and via mail-order catalogues. Men’s attire no longer had to be expensively tailored or sewn at home, although wealthy gentlemen still preferred custom tailored garments for better fit and exclusivity.

During Queen Victoria’s long reign, her son and heir Prince Edward, nicknamed “Bertie” and known as a playboy, was in modern terms a fashion icon. He traveled the world and popularized new styles. The newly rich middle classes, wishing to climb the social ladder, followed these styles, displaying wealth through clothing and possessions.

Frock coat, Victorian ers; public domain

Coats: Although the old-style frock coat gave way to the sack coat for informal day wear, the cutaway was revived in the 1880s, again becoming the choice for businessmen and gentlemen. For formal events, the tailcoat still dominated. The daring Tuxedo Coat was introduced in 1886, causing a shakeup in high society. (Raphael will likely wear a tailcoat to a formal ball.)

Cutaway coat, waistcoat, trousers & top hat; public domain

Vests: Usually called waistcoats, vests remained a staple for all classes. Shirts were basically considered undergarments and a man should not be seen in "bare shirtsleeves" by anyone other than his wife or close family.

Shirts: Since ready-to-wear clothes had become available to the public, a new shirt was quite affordable, but frequent laundering could be difficult. Detachable white collars and cuffs were vital. A proper gentleman stocked at least six collars and sets of cuffs to last a full year. They were the only part of a shirt that showed, thus hiding a dirty shirt from view. I keep thinking how nasty the man might smell. Eeuw!

Trousers: Black was the basic color for trousers, although other colors did appear. The zipper wasn't yet invented; pants featured button flies and suspender rivets. Belts did not become popular until the 1920s. For activities such as hunting, woolen breeches were worn, and knickers for sporting events. And as you western lovers know, Levi Strauss introduced denim jeans in 1873.

Hats: Tall black hats still prevailed for evening wear, but many different hat styles were available for other occasions. Derby hats remained popular; the stiff Homburg found favor during the 1880s among gentlemen and businessmen. Straw boaters might be worn during warm weather months.

Ties: Bow ties were popular during the late Victorian era, but the four-in-hand and ascot also gained popularity. Other types of ties were also mentioned in the article. Neckwear was a way to express individual style.

The article concludes: “As Victoria's reign ended and Edward ascended to the throne, men's fashion began to reflect his style even more. His preference for tweedy Norfolk jackets and Homburg hats figure prominently in men's fashion at the turn of the century.”

While we love our cowboys, it’s helpful to remember not all westerners lived on ranches, prospected for gold and silver or robbed banks and trains. A number lived in towns and cities, and they enjoyed keeping up with fashions just as we do today.

Lyn Horner is a multi-published, award-winning author of western historical romance and paranormal romantic suspense novels, all spiced with sensual romance. She is a former fashion illustrator and art instructor who resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” - with her husband and a very spoiled cat. As well as crafting passionate love stories, Lyn enjoys reading, gardening, genealogy, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-legged children.

Amazon Author Page: viewAuthor.at/LynHornerAmazon (universal link)

Newsletter:  Lyn’s Romance Gazette http://eepurl.com/bMYkeX

Website:  Lyn Horner’s Corner 

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Life in the Old West—Cooking in the Victorian Kitchen

Life in the Old West - Cooking in the Victorian Kitchen

When writing My Heart Will Find Yours I learned a lot about nineteenth-century kitchens.

Very few homes had an ice box, the kind where a block of ice was delivered to sit in an insulated reservoir in the top of the wooden structure. They were invented for home use in the 1840s, but it wasn't until the 1870s that the U.S. had ice plants that produced artificial ice. In the model seen here, the block would go in the unopened door to the left. As the ice melted the cold water flowed down the sides and kept the contents inside cool. Note the pan on the floor. Of course, in hot weather, the ice didn't last more than a couple of days. Owners had a sign with 25 lbs, 50 lbs, 75 lbs, and 100 lbs on each side. You'd prop the side up with the amount you needed out front so when the iceman came by he'd know what size block to bring in for you. This picture can be found in an online article titled Early Days of Refrigeration at www.lclark.edu/

I found an advertisement for a model almost identical to this one. No date was given but the price was $16.98.

My mother-in-law said that even in the early thirties they kept their perishables in a spring house, a small shed built over a spring. Food was covered with dish towels or cheese cloth to keep out flies and other pests, and the flowing water kept the room cool. Some homes had a larder which was a room on the coolest side of the house or in the cellar. None of these solutions would make modern homemakers happy, but folks back then didn't know any difference and the system worked for them.

No kitchen was complete without a cupboard or Hoosier. Here kitchen utensils were stored. Many had a flour bin (see above right in cabinet), a built-in sifter, a granite or tin top for rolling pie crusts and biscuit dough, and drawers for storage. Note the meat grinder attached to the left and the butter churn on the floor to the right with a wash board behind. Hopefully the homemaker had a sink with a hand pump with room to the side to stack clean dishes to dry. A shelf below would hold pails and a dish pan.

This picture was taken at the East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore, Texas, and dates somewhere around the 1920s or 1930s. The design in these cupboards didn't change much over time so earlier models looked much like this one. Today cupboards or Hoosiers have become popular decorative additions to modern kitchens, as have old ice boxes. I have one though it's not a genuine Hoosier but a generic type of which there were a lot. It's a nice decorative piece.

Last, but not least, in importance to the homemaker was the wood cook stove. Before the cast iron kitchen stove was invented, women cooked over hearths with ovens built into the wall, if they were well-off, or outside in a fire pit. Both methods were hard on the back due to bending over to stir food in pots suspended from iron hooks. Cast iron pot bellied stoves, used mainly for heat, could be used for some cooking, but lucky was the woman who had a genuine kitchen cook stove like the one pictured here.  

This is a restored model pictured at http://www.bryantstove.com/ Many models such as this one had a copper lined reservoir on the side to keep water warm for beverages, dishwater, or bathing. The smart homemaker never let it go dry. In my reading I noticed some even had a kick plate to open the oven door when hands were full. Some of these models were designed to use either wood or coal oil. Restored wood stoves are popular and being added to homes of individuals who like antiques and love to cook. They aren't for the person who wants to pop something in the oven and go about their business as the product must be watched carefully to make sure oven temperature is maintained. Also, they're quite expensive, 
between two and three thousand dollars.

Managing a house hold during this era wasn't for the weak. Just lifting those iron cooking vessels took a strength many modern women don't possess. But, I guess carrying buckets of milk from the barn, doing the wash in the yard using a scrub board, and their other daily chores built muscles. And don't you just love the old bath tub?

My time travel heroines face multiple challenges when learning to live and take care of a home in the nineteenth century. Though it’s never easy, their love for their hero gives them the perseverance to adjust to a past way of life.

A Law of Her Own, A Marshall of Her Own, and A Love of His Own released today from The Wild Rose Press are all set in the nineteenth century town of Prairie, Texas. In this last story, the individual to travel back in time is the hero and though he doesn’t have to adjust to cooking in a Victorian kitchen, he does have to adjust to many other aspects of life in the past.

Thanks for reading,

Linda

Linda LaRoque
Writing Romance with a Twist in Time
A Marshal of Her Own, Feb. 2012 Book of the Month at Long and Short Reviews
www.lindalaroque.com
http://www.lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com

Writing Time Travel Romances and Birdie's Nest

Why I Like to Write Time Travel Romances set in the Old West

While growing up, like most children, I watched Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Rawhide, Have Gun Will Travel,  and other western television programs in black and white. Life in many ways was romanticized and fodder for a young girl’s imagination. I’d daydream. If I lived back then, would I be the banker’s wife, a poor farmer’s wife, the schoolteacher or one of Miss Kitty’s girls. Of course I had no idea what saloon girls did other than pour drinks and sit on men’s laps.

So, this love of things past carried over into my adult life. I went to college and trained to be a teacher, but loved my history courses. We learned interesting tidbits about politics and living in the white house. President Rutherford B. Hays, to the delight of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union banned wines and liquors from the White House. To get around the President’s decree, some staff and visitors injected oranges with vodka. It wasn’t uncommon to see people sucking on oranges. This ruling led Prohibitionists to vote Republican in the coming election.

I became a Home Economics Teacher (now called Family Consumer Sciences) but often regretted not getting a degree in history. Yet, studying Home Economics gave me the opportunity to learn about the history of dress, furniture styles and housing.

I digress here, but wanted to share my love of history which led to writing time travels that are set in the old west. The first one I wrote, My Heart Will Find Yours, I struggled with how I would make travel through time and space possible. A writer friend suggested I read up on ley lines, energy fields and ancient artifacts (ex. standing stones). While reading I also ran across data on spin torsion fields, a method used in the sequel Flames on the Sky. Oh boy I had fun with these.

It is hard, however, to make the methods believable. There has to be a key to make it possible. For example in Outlander, there were the standing stones. I've read stories where gateways open at different phases of the moon. I'm sure each of you could list an example of a method you've seen used. If you would, please list them in the comments below.

I hope I’m successful in making my methods of time travel believable. And I want life in the past to be factual and credible when I send my heroine back in time to a prior time period. Oh, the fun I have writing these stories. We are so lucky to live in this modern time where things are so easy. Imagine, learning to cook on a wood stove, churning your own butter, wearing a corset and being restricted from what men considered unladylike pursuits. The hardest thing for my heroine, Texas Ranger Birdie Braxton, to cope with in 1890 is not being allowed to participate in unladylike pursuits—mainly police work.

An idea for a new time travel is perking in my mind, but I'm having difficulty coming up with a method. It is to be set in Waco again sometime in the late 1800s. I'm stuck on the Victorian era as I love the styles.

I hope this gives you a little insight into why I like to write time travels. Thanks for stopping by today. Please take a look at my other books on my website. Birdie’s Nest is available at Amazon.com     

 

Blurb:

Texas Ranger, Birdie Braxton boards the Brazos Belle to attend a costume party, gets tossed into the Brazos and when she's pulled from the river she's told the year is 1890. A fact she can’t accept … until she looks across the river to see Birdie’s Nest, her ancestral home, no longer exists.

Tad Lockhart is a content man—a prosperous rancher with a ladylove in Waco. He's not interested in marriage and family, yet … until he pulls an unconscious woman from the Brazos who insists she's a Texas Ranger from the year 2012.

As romance blooms between Tad and Birdie, she struggles to earn enough money to build Birdie’s Nest, and Tad strives to mold Birdie into a Victorian lady suitable to be his wife. Can Birdie give up dabbling in police work and other unladylike pursuits yet stay true to herself? When faced with an indiscretion from Tad's past, is Birdie's love strong enough to support her man and be the woman he needs?

Excerpt:

His mother, Olivia Lockhart, listened intently as Tad talked. She enjoyed a good story and his tale of saving Miss Braxton titillated her interest.

                  “You say she thinks it’s the year 2012?” She fanned her face with her napkin. His mother wasn’t overly large but her face was often red, and she complained about the heat. “The poor dear. Do you think she’s crazy, son?”

                  “No, ma’am. Her blue eyes are clear as a bell and she talks rationally. If I didn’t know it was impossible, I’d believe her.” He took another bite of roast beef and swallowed. “She had a gun holster strapped to her leg and a Texas Ranger’s star pinned to it.”

                  She paled and the fanning increased in intensity. “You looked under her skirts?”

                  “No, Mother. The nurse who undressed her found it and turned it over to the detective in charge of the case. He showed it to me.”

                  “Well, thank goodness. All we need is another scandal to tarnish our good name.” She shot him a heated look. “If you’d just settle down, you’d --”

                  “Mother, don’t start that again or I’ll take my meals in the bunk house.”

                  She sniffed. “Well, I’m just saying, you’re not getting any younger.”

                  He laughed. “I’d hardly call thirty-five old.”

                  Her mouth turned down at the corners and she sputtered. “Well, I’m not getting any younger, and I’d like to dandle a grandchild or two on my knee before I die.” She fanned her face again. “At the rate I’m going, it may not be that far off.”

                  Tad blew out a breath. “Mother, you are not that old. I’ve seen you run up and down these stairs like a woman half your age.”

                  She pursed her lips and glared.

                  “When I find a woman who can keep my interest for more than a day, then I’ll marry.”

                  “What about that woman you’re keeping time with in town. What if she turns up pregnant and expects you to marry her?”

                  Thank goodness his sister was visiting with friends tonight. He didn’t want her impressionable young ears to be privy to his private affairs, which his mother considered scandalous.

                  “She’ll be sadly disappointed because I’ll not marry someone I don’t love. Plus, I’m not sure she’d be faithful.” As far as pregnancy, Doc Floyd kept him in a supply of condoms. Odd how the Comstock Law allowed a man to have access to them to prevent disease, but wouldn’t let him use them to prevent his wife from getting pregnant. Didn’t make a lick of sense to him. If he fathered a baby out of wedlock, he’d see the child was well taken care of.

                  “It’s a sinful relationship. God is going to strike you dead one of these days.”

                  “Let’s drop the subject, Mother.”

                  “Mark my words, your clandestine affair will come back to haunt you.”

                  He didn’t know how secret the relationship was, but if it bit him on the butt, so be it. He was ready to call it quits anyway.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll leave a comment, especially if you have an idea for a mode of time travel. All help is appreciated.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda

www.lindalaroque.com

http://www.lindalaroqueauthor. blogspot.com

  

History of American Rodeos

History of American Rodeos 

I’ve only been to a few rodeos in my life. They were different than I expected (not really sure what I did expect—probably something like the movies or on TV), different in my lifestyle since I’m a city girl, and if that’s not bad enough, I’m an east coast southerner, and the rodeos were different from each other.

The first rodeo I ever went to was when I lived in Nebraska. It was quite a production with a beginning parade of cowboys, American Indians, cowgirls, and Fes Parker who played Davy Crockett from the TV series way back in the 1960’s. It was more of a western show than it was an actual competition. There was lots of fancy riding and sparkly outfits, but not much down and dirty competition. Sorry to say, it was my only western rodeo. When my friends and I traveled into Wyoming, we didn’t attend a rodeo, but now I wish we had. I think I would have experienced what a real competitive sport it is had we done so.

I have gone to a few local rodeos here in North Carolina. I was as surprised as you might be to learn there actually are rodeos here in my state. A friend of mine owned a western store where they sold everything in western wear, horse gear, saddles, and, believe it or not, horses, too. Anyway, those rodeos were very different from my Nebraska experience. No glitz or glamour to speak of, just cowboys in blue jeans riding on crazy horses and bulls, cowgirls racing on horses around barrels, and kids trying to wrangle animals like lambs and calves. Scary action, tension, hurt cowboys, and hysterical crowds added up to a climate of real excitement. I liked it.

Although I don’t have any stories with rodeos in them (maybe later I might), but I was impressed and excited enough about rodeos to dig up some history and facts about them. You know, maybe someday I might need the information to get down and write a story with a rodeo or a rodeo star in it. Who knows? Anyway, here are some things I found out about this American sport.

The first thing I learned surprised me; rodeos originated with Spanish wranglers called Vaqueros who had competitions amongst themselves back in the early 18^th century to see who was the best wrangler was. They called these competitions simply cowboy tournaments or cowboy competitions. The word rodeo, which came from the Spanish word meaning ‘round-up’ to describe the gathering of cattle before a cattle drive, didn’t come about  until 1916.

These competitions included activities such as climbing up on the back of an angry bull and tying down runaway cattle. These affairs were usually impromptu gatherings of friends and family to brand cattle, to gather in the cattle to prepare for a drive, or some other necessary activity on the ranch and then they would celebrate with food and fun after the job was done.

Well that was okay for a while, but you know they had to find ways to up the ante because it seems the cowboy way is to see how hard they can make that competition. So, after the cattle were rounded up and branded, motivated vaqueros would put their roping and horseback riding skills on display. The tough vaqueros would climb onto the largest bull in the herd, and, with the aid of a thick piece of rope, see who could stay on the longest. The fastest horses and most skilled riders would race from one end of the pasture to the other, with the winner earning praise and applause from the cheering crowd. These primitive tests of skill set the foundation for all modern-day events. Of course these gatherings were free for whoever showed up.

In the mid 1800’s rodeos came to America. Pioneers looking for land and opportunity began to move west. Cattle ranching was the perfect occupation for new landowners and many of them began to hire the experienced Vaqueros to help them. Some ranchers had financial dilemmas trying to raise and sell cattle, so they had to find other ways to make money to support their families. Some innovative ranchers like Buffalo Bill Cody began to organize rodeo-type events to help supplement the income of many cattlemen who were willing to put their skills on display. These early rodeos included displays of roping and riding prowess, which would become the rodeo events we know today.

These early rodeos were fun, but they lacked consistency. Even the most popular rodeo organizers disagreed on how to promote events and pay the winning competitors. In 1936, a small group of cowboys formed a group to protest these inconsistent and unfair practices. Known as the Cowboys' Turtle Association, this group of expressive cowboys championed for fair prize money and safe treatment of both riders and rough stock. They changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1945, eventually becoming the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1975. The PRCA is the go-to organization for rodeo in the United States, hosting more than 650 sanctioned rodeos every year. The year-long battle to the top culminates in the National Finals Rodeo, the Super Bowl of the rodeo realm. The top 15 competitors in each event compete for millions in awards and prize money, along with the prestige of being crowed "World Champion" cowboy or cowgirl for the season. Plenty of blood, sweat and tears go in to making it to the top, and winning competitors wear their titles with all the honor and grace of the vaqueros that set the foundation for the rodeo events we know and love today.

The following is a list of organized events that take place during a rodeo:

Pro rodeos are composed of rough stock and timed events.

Timed events in a standard pro rodeo include:

◾Tie Down Roping

◾Team Roping

◾Steer Wrestling

◾Barrel Racing

Rough stock events include:

◾Bareback Riding

◾Saddle Bronc Riding

◾Bull Riding

Other events not seen in every rodeo but recognized by competitors as rodeo events include:

◾Breakaway Roping

◾Goat Tying

◾Pole Bending

◾Steer Roping

Other events not seen in every rodeo but recognized by competitors as rodeo events include:

◾Breakaway Roping

◾Goat Tying

◾Pole Bending

◾Steer Roping

Cowboys that participate in the Rough Stock events are referred to by competitors as “Roughies,” similarly, cowboys that participate in timed events are called “Timies”. Roughies and Timies do not usually compete in the other category. A Timie will normally hang with other Timies and vice versa.

Breakaway roping and goat tying for the ladies is a broken up version of the tie down roping for men. The calves used in the tie down roping can be a great challenge for a woman to flank; so they break up the event into two separate ones for the girls.”

So, there you have it, everything I’ve learned about rodeos and my own, although sparse, experiences with rodeos. I know you western ladies probably know a whole lot more, but I have to say it was fun digging into this bit of history. Now I think I’ll go corral a couple of dogs and a cat.

Sarah McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery, Victory Tales Press, Prairie Rose Publications and Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press, imprints of Prairie Rose Publications. She welcomes you to her website and social media:

Website 

My Amazon Author’s Page

Sweethearts of the West

Prairie Rose Publications Blog

Photographs courtesy of Wikipedia.

Helpful links:

http://rodeo.about.com/od/history/a/rodeohistory1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rodeo

http://www.sheridanwyorodeo.com/history.htm

http://www.jacksonholehistory.org/featured/a-brief-history-of-the-jackson-hole-rodeo/

http://cowboylifestylenetwork.com/in-the-arena/rodeo/