Last Updated on July 7, 2022 by Ellen Christian
As much as I love today’s fashions, there is still a part of me that would love to have been able to wear the fashions of the 1800s. I recently visited the Wilson Castle in Proctor, Vermont and I was fascinated by the different fashion items that were displayed there. I could just picture myself sitting in front of my dressing table while my lady’s maid did my hair. Can’t you just see it? Of course, with my luck I would have been a scullery maid but I can dream, can’t I?
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Fashion 1800 Dresses – Wilson Castle Vermont
The Wilson Castle is located in Proctor, Vermont and it was built in the middle of the 19th Century in the heart of the Green Mountains. The Wilson Castle sits on a 115 acre estate and the castle itself has 32 rooms with three floors. Only two floors are open at this time to the public.
How did people dress in the 1800s?
Several of the bedrooms have displays of fashion from the 1800s including dresses, masks, hats and bags. Of course, the dresses in the 1800s were generally worn over hoops to give them an elegant look and allow the woman to appear to glide as she walked or danced.
The wider portion of the hoop skirt along with a corset helped enhance the woman’s slim waist. A woman was also expected to wear gloves and a hat when she stepped out for the day and special occasions might have seen her wearing a fancy mask with feathers like this one.
If only I could have relaxed on this bench in one of those beautiful gowns! For a look at the rest of Wilson Castle, please visit Confessions of an Overworked Mom. For a look at entertainment at the Wilson Castle, please visit In Our Spare Time.
Open Daily – Including Sundays
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Late May through October
Ellen believes you can feel beautiful at any age and size. She shares healthy beauty and fashion information geared toward women over 40. She is a direct sales rep for several fashion and beauty businesses.
This looks like a neat place to visit! I don’t think I could have handled all of the corsets and long sleeves and dress lengths of this time period, I’m too much into my comfort hahah 🙂
I’m not sure I would want to wear them every day but it would be so much fun to dress up in!
I love 15-19th centuries clothes, maybe that’s why I love history so much. 🙂
I totally agree. It’s fascinating to look at how they dressed!
Beautiful! My daughter is currently really into fashion design. When we visited the Titanic Museum, she couldn’t get enough of the dresses.
I bet she’d have an amazing time here, Dede.
This looks like suck a wonderful place to visit! I love this era’s fashion!
I really had a great time, Beth!
I love that mask! It would be great for a Venice Carnival costume.
It would be amazing for carnival!