Concept
The roles of women were changing with the arrival of the Gilded Age in the United States (and the Belle Epoch in Europe); we were emerging from domestic spheres into the public context. Women were entering the workforce at greater numbers than ever before, were social activists and New Women, and were becoming widely interested in the sporting pursuits that heretofore had been dominated by men. We took up hunting and cycling (a fad of culture-shaking importance) and tennis and swimming. And the highly restrictive clothing of the mid-1800's had to change to accommodate.
The fun part, from the Steampunk point of view, is that the styles are very much in line with the Steampunk aesthetic. Considering that the Steampunk genre features Women of Action - explorers and tinkerers, scientists and airship pirates - our clothing naturally should represent the forms of active lifestyles. This means doffing corsets, adopting shorter skirts, and wearing clothing in which one can climb rope ladders and shoot bad guys.
Nigella in particular is one of these progressive women. Her butterfly-hunting excursions and mountain climbing adventures require a wardrobe of suitable attire. This Dress Diary will detail construction of a wardrobe of interchangeable basques and skirts, accessorized by Steampunk-inspired dress accessories. Since I describe my sartorial approach to this genre as "neo-Victorian", all forms and decoration are based on historical exemplars, and qualify as historically accurate. The dress accessories are where I tend to carry the Steampunk aesthetic.
