You know what I was thinking of? I never see historical fashion for fat people like me. It's all skinny flappers and small waisted Victorians. Unless it's someone who was famous or a man, it seems no one cares to show what the average fat person wore in the past.
Most fat people just wore a sized up version of skinny people’s clothing. For most of history a silouette was really the important part more than arbitrary unpadded measurements. Anything you’ve heard otherwise is a…hmm what’s the word I’m looking for, a miss representation. What I mean is, most people wore literal padding to achieve a look, they didn’t manipulate their natural bodies like we do now, they added material to achieve the silouette. Nothing about this directly excludes fat bodies. For most of history fat clothes was just like I said, skinny clothes sized up and capable of holding the same padding.
I hear about the 30 inch waist ideal for some time periods but that’s the thing, it’s the ideal, not a reality. Most existent surving dresses are “smaller” because fat people wore their clothes out, repurposed them into new fashions and decades, like most people did. Our survivors bias is weird like that. I was thinking about sharing some videos from some historical YouTube’s and this is a good a reason as any.
The funny thing is that the “small waisted Victorian” was actually a COMPARATIVE thing. The victorian (and Edwardian) ideal is a waist that’s 15-10 inches smaller than the bust.
If you look closely at a lot of Victorian imagery (esp the adult China dolls) you’ll find a LOT of double chins – at least for women. The ideal woman was (and this is sexist as hell but) a successful mother and a successful mother was rounded and plump from multiple pregnancies.
Anyway, a really cool image I have is an ad from the Victorian era that really shows how ideals have changed;
As far as the clothing goes: a LOT of what we have left are the garments of young, rich women (like, premarriage age) and garments from special occasions – so debuts, weddings, special parties – because, like how a lot of women now will put aside their wedding dress, a well off young woman may have a dress made for a special occasion and never wear it again whereas most daily wear (much like with fat folks now) was worn until it fell apart.
Anyway, here are also some images of fat Victorians (sadly mostly women, I couldn’t find like any men that weren’t like, freak show photos which are kinda demeaning so not included)
I included the image with the group of women because look at that body type variety!
Also, Enchanted Rose Costumes on YouTube is a LOVELY plus size historical costuber and I highly recommend her!
Lovely addition!
“My time has come” I whisper as I open my image folder.
Sadly none as cool as the lady balancing the teacups on her chest.
I wish I could remember which turn-of-the-century famous woman that I’ve read described as “at the pinnacle of beauty and health” at two hundred pounds. I thought it was the swimmer Annette Kellerman, but I can’t find the source for the quote.
