5 Ridiculous Victorian Etiquette Rules | What the Stuff?!

These 5 Victorian customs might seem crazy by the standards of many cultures today!
Editor's Note: Some of the clips featured portray eras other than the Victorian and locations outside the British empire. These clips are used for visual reference to the type of customs discussed, which were not exclusive to the Victorian era or to British culture.
Article: www.howstuffworks.com/10-ridic...
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Film clips:
Great Expectations (1946)
An Ideal Husband (1999)
Topsy Turvy (1999)
Wuthering Heights (2009 miniseries)
Downton Abbey (2010-2015 series)
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Nicholas Nickleby (2002)
Tess (1979)
Jane Eyre (2011)
The Elephant Man (1980)
Sources:
Carpenter, Lucien O. "Universal Dancing Master." VictorianWeb.Org. 1880. (April 29, 2015) www.victorianweb.org/history/E...
Cassell, Ltd. "Cassell's Household Guide: Being a Complete Encyclopedia of Domestic and Social Economy, and Forming a Guide to Every Department of Practical Life." Cassell, Ltd., 1869. (April 23, 2015) books.google.com/books?id=L0s...
Goodman, Ruth. "How to Be a Victorian." Liveright Publishing Corp. 2013.
King, Greg. "Twilight of Splendor: The Court of Queen Victoria During Her Diamond Jubilee Year." John Wiley & Sons. June 4, 2007. (April 29, 2015) books.google.com/books?id=tNa...
Phegley, Jennifer. "Courtship and Marriage in Victorian England." ABC-CLIO. Nov. 30, 2011. (April 29, 2015) books.google.com/books?id=jYL...
Pool, Daniel. "What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew." Simon & Schuster. 1993.
Transcript:
* OK, imagine you’re an unmarried lady out for a stroll in 19th-century London. First of all, you better not be alone. That’s right: You need an escort. But what happens if you see a man you recognize? Well, first of all, he’s not allowed to talk to you unless you make a gesture of recognition first. Which, OK, I can kind of see the appeal of that one - you don’t have to pretend to be doing something on your phone to avoid making eye contact, etc. But let’s say you really want to stop and talk to this guy: Well... you can’t. Or at least you shouldn’t. If you want to talk to him, instead of stopping, you can offer him your hand, which he can take, but only after lifting his hat, using the hand farthest away from you. Once he takes your hand, he has to walk along with you, but even then you can’t just gab away. According to _Cassell’s Household Guide_, "Strict reticence of speech and conduct should be observed in public." That means no "loud talking" or "animated discussions." And if you see a gentleman you’d like to speak to, but he’s smoking a cigar, tough luck. It is amazingly rude for a man to smoke in the presence of a woman, so if you acknowledge him, he’ll have to put out his cigar, and for all you know it might have been a really expensive cigar, and now you’ve just ruined his morning. Nice work, Myrtle.
* Do you ever have that problem where you want to date the neighbor’s daughter but you don’t know if she’s technically “on the market” yet, or if her parents still consider her a child? No? Good! Because that’s amazingly creepy! Fortunately, the Victorians had a formalized system for avoiding this problem: Presentation at court. If you were a respectable family who wanted to announce that your son or daughter was ready for courtship -- which is basically dating, minus all the fun, plus a lot of conversations with chaperones to determine if young men were predisposed to “base amusements” -- you could do this at a specialized event. Young men could be introduced at events called “levees,” which were held several times a year. Young ladies could be introduced at presentation events held at St. James Palace - and these events didn’t skimp on the pomp and protocol either. Men had to wear buckled shoes and swords. Ladies had to stick tall feathers in their hair and drag 3-yard trains behind their dresses. But once the kids are ready to start dating, that’s when the etiquette fangs really sink in:
* Lots of parents get weirdly strict and judgmental when their kids start dating, but Victorian England really took it to another level. First of all, etiquette manuals of the time advised young lovers that, technically, you’re supposed to look for partners only within your own social class, because we all know how awkward it is when you’re a Baroness and you’re trying to chat up a nice Viscount, and his mother is just right over there on the fainting couch looking at you with eyes that say, “Trash.”

[@VictoriaLenora]

I like the "don't talk to a lady unless she acknowledges you" rule.

[@mark1811able]

No cat calling xD

[@carultch]

Do you want equality or not? If you have gender equality in that kind of rule, it would be impossible for anyone to talk to anyone else.

[@mir13acle]

yeah XD

[@rosethornne1539]

and no grabbing

[@ali_ozz1388]

yeah! make this rule again!

[@eirikmurito]

things havent changed much. high rank politicians and celebrities never talk to regular people unless u have been introduced to them..

[@brontiq]

but that's not due to etiquette rule. there's a completely different reason behind it. no comparison

[@eirikmurito]

l.xtasy no its because they dont wanna talk to us. which im pretty sure its the reason they made that etiquette rule back then..

[@sootherbs]

I was going to comment the same thing, and not just politicians and celebrities but wealthier people in general, the upper middle class and higher..some things have not changed much although it tries to hide behind the veil of democracy. Most of the wealthy class survived due to the wealth acquired by the past generations of wealthy families, it's no rocket science, and since that wealth was generally acquired by unjust and immoral methods, it's no wonder that it's referred to with dislike...

[@piroshi3rd]

It's probably the whole 1% thing. Most people in the US are poor now, and the rich probably has to be extra careful about gold diggers. I understand not wanting to open up to every person you meet or strike up conversations if you have a lot at risk if someone gets close to you. I bet it's lonely. If another rich friend though-- introduces someone poor to them-- then that means that poor person must be trustworthy, though, right? So it does work the same, in theory.

[@BlackMoonCrewFam]

true, and to get involved with those kind of people takes a lot of time and effort. Trust me I know the feeling lol. not ALL celebs are like that though but there are a lot who are.

[@AzaleaLuna]

Some of the rules are pretty crazy, but we could do with more manners and etiquette in today's society.

[@voodoomagic90]

Hear,hear!👏👏👏

[@itsmolly0074]

phennec no

[@lisaryherd4685]

phennec Yes, absolutely!!

[@juliet24440]

Yes I agree, most people are so rude and don't have manners. Especially some of the teenagers that I've met 🙄

[@thunderbird1921]

Amen to that!

[@Jaycee-he6su]

Everyone, mean EVERYONE should chew with their mouth closed. ://

[@truthmatters-jt5up]

i concur, but it is not a specific etiquette in every country.

[@Jaycee-he6su]

yes, but most Americans follow it. Except the few nasties XD

[@HawkinaBox]

I have to be around people who don't chew with their mouth closed and it is absolutely terrible. It was worse when I was younger, around 12, and had to sit at a table around younger kids who were six or seven. Disgusting.

[@truthmatters-jt5up]

@@Jaycee-he6su i normally eat quite a lot (high metabolism), but will literally lose my appetite if someone nearby is eating w mouth open. it is gross.

[@truthmatters-jt5up]

​@@HawkinaBox any child over 5 should have at least beginnings of good table manners.. when i have to be around young-uns who haven't been taught, yes it is GROSS.

[@VanJA2102]

Interesting fact concerning the corsets: Around 1900, Empress Elisabeth of Austria was killed by a man who stabbed her in the heart but her corset was so tight that it actually prevented bleeding and she was able to walk another 100 metres before collapsing. Just imagine how tight that corset must have been!

[@Hope-ih7wx]

Vanessa To be fair, Queen Sissy wore her corsets extremely tight, even for the era! Her lacing was of the extremist sort. She tried her best to keep it around 18-20 inches for the majority of her life. Even following her pregnancies. The tightness was certainly something remarkable!

[@GwynethSleuth]

Not unlike Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind".

[@starlinguk]

Exactly! Her "tight lacing" was considered to be unhealthy even in those days. It was basically a way to feel in control. A disorder. She didn't always tight lace, though, she didn't do it when she was happy.

[@alexchristison8780]

Vanessa The part about the corset is probably a myth but she was stabbed by an anarchist.

[@NurmaBP]

Corset is not as extreme as plastic surgery in modern era. We cut bones with some kind of mini chainsaw these days, in the name of beauty.

[@tylerpasop6770]

I like the rule about how a man has to put out his cigar before talking to a girl

[@TheRealAmythyst]

As well I.

[@TheRivrPrncess]

I also do.

[@sweetsugarystars2378]

That feels polite,and I'm American!

[@neahneah5113]

yes... i do agree with you...

[@sofiamonteiro9051]

That was one wonderful rule, in fact. I am very sensible to the smoke of cigarettes, and people just call me weird for keeping myself at some distance.

[@bethrichards9904]

They keep showing clips of regency era films when talking about the Victorians........

[@meowgaetan7159]

Pride and Prejudice is based near the Victorian era time period -_-

[@theducklinghomesteadandgar6639]

Likely the easiest and most abundant to find! Lol! Or she is getting her Barron and Viscount reversed, i.e. Regency and Victorian...lol! I love her sarcastic humor about it all!! 😋

[@dusty4502]

That bothered me too. I bet they were banking on people not knowing enough to care. It's not close enough to be valid though. The societal norms were no where near as prudish and stodgy.

[@pommom-cm1ej]

Yesssss! My thots exactly!

[@Tekirai]

Meow Gaetan uhh not really no it’s based in the regency era notice the laxed clothing and relaxed hairstyles. The Victorian errs didn’t start til 1837 and during that time clothing was starting to pick up being stuffy again

[@nickyoung630]

That table is driving me crazy

[@PrizAmezcua]

Just came all the way down to the comments to see if I wasn't alone. PLEASE straighten that table!!!

[@Yeiyn343]

@@PrizAmezcua I agree. It looks like it will collapse at any moment. Haha!

[@DizzyKizzy64]

Thank god it annoyed other people too.

[@theressomethinonyawface4581]

When my ocd comes in- FIX THAT TABLEEEEEEEEEE

[@TiffanyRusell]

Sameeee 😂

[@LovelyAbnormal_Art]

I cried at "TRASH."

[@czarenallyzamonisit4642]

because its very funny? Then YES

[@LovelyAbnormal_Art]

It was so funny.

[@rachelmackey9795]

I had to pause to give myself a moment to really laugh!

[@LovelyAbnormal_Art]

I was sobbing I just didn't expect it!

[@queenieofqueens]

I died XD

[@mariamightbeamonster3684]

i wish it was custom not to talk to people when they have their headphones in

[@chloeprice308]

MariaMightBeAMonster AGREED

[@PKBitchGirl]

I wish is was custom not to talk with people when they're reading a book or watching something on their laptop either

[@RivLoveshine]

MariaMightBeAMonster YES! I AGREE COMPLETELY!

[@karlacastanares3084]

I agree.

[@EmployeeJoe630]

What?!

[@1freakisme]

Crinolines wear extremely flexible and actually ver easy to move in. They weren't usually steel cages at all. They were actually a huge feminist show for back then because women used them to keep men from getting in their personal space

[@grinninggoat5369]

Wow, how extremely considerate and mannerly of you to choose to drop the word "Lesbian" in favor of the word "feminist". You were also right about the crinolines being so light and easy to move in. Perhaps you could demonstrate your knowledge to the disbelievers by taking a cliffside walk on a windy day next to a lake. lol (In case you didn't know, the use of crinolines actually caused many more accidental deaths amongst the women who wore them than it prevented any men or "feminists" from invading the outer sanctuary of some Git's secret garden! Women were actually blown off cliffs, drown when falling into water because they couldn't get out of the crinoline, caught on the side of a moving carriage and bound into the spokes, caught fire when walking even near a fireplace or dropping an ember, etc. Yay, let's hear it for those man fearing "feminists", right?)

[@atmoak7063]

Lulu Kelley *hides my attack doggo under it* *borkborkborkborkborkbork*

[@xfinal_girl]

FINALLY SOMONE KNPW THIS FACT YESSSSS!!!!!

[@1freakisme]

@@grinninggoat5369 bro wtf? What do lesbians have to do with this and i didn't say they were perfect but they were better than heat stroke from 5 petticoats and they could've drowned from their dresses being heavy? Have you ever worn historically accurate women's clothes cause im gonna tell ya i prefer me a crinoline

[@grinninggoat5369]

@@1freakisme , Ah, little Lulu, you ever heard the expression "always a day late and a dollar short"? I bet you hear it a lot if you're always sticking your nose into year old posts on youtube! If you can't figure out what I said and why then... your crinoline is too tight for some reason. (So, I guess maybe you're not such a little Lulu after all.) Have a nice day ;) P.S.- I'm not your "Bro", you silly git!

[@mysteria_1305]

Corsets weren’t uncomfortably tight, it was a bra back then basically and it served the purpose of giving a certain shape to your waist line. I’m sure there were people who took it too far. However it was made for a healthier purpose

[@shizukagozen777]

All the women who fainted or peed themselves because of their corsets would disagree with you.

[@mysteria_1305]

shizukagozen777 because they took it too far! Also how does a corset make someone pee themselves? It covered the stomach and chest nothing lower.

[@shizukagozen777]

@@mysteria_1305 So ? It was still the norm to wear a corset very tight, no matter what people like you like to say on the internet. Because they were so tight, organs were all packed together, including the bladder, and when women laughed, they used to pee themselves a little bit, or more... In French, we have several verbs meaning "to laugh" coming from this fact.

[@mysteria_1305]

shizukagozen777 I never said they couldn’t cause harm hun, or said what the normal was back then. I wasn’t there and haven’t researched it to know! As a matter of fact you’re agreeing in a roundabout way. People abused something that wasn’t intended to harm and suffered for it due to ignorance

[@sillypuppy5940]

Men wore corsets too, and not just for bad backs.

[@Funnyfish66]

Of course you can fight crime. You already have a cage to throw them in

[@greyweather7768]

MummyChunks 😂😂

[@stutid582]

MummyChunks 😂😂😂😂 lol

[@Daizedd]

Well not always, because in certain times the crinoline wasnt used. But good joke!

[@marialastname4398]

It’s like a force field. No one can get close to you

[@Tekirai]

Now I wanna write the crinoline detective 🤣🤣

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

There's one "etiquette" rule that a lot of people still seem to follow, in that they ask "How are you?" and expect the answer to be "Fine, thank you" no matter what the truth is. If someone asks me how I am, I'll tell them the truth, good or bad. If they didn't actually want to know, well, they shouldn't have asked.

[@Elicynderspyro]

But I've heard by an American guy that you will sound weird if you have a conversation like "How are you? I'm fine thank you, and you?" lol He was teaching non-native English speakers how to be more "natural" while talking.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

Elicynderspyro It is weird, it reduces those words to a meaningless ritual.

[@Elicynderspyro]

Marianne Ibbotson Things that are taught to children in every non-English speaker country I suppose.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

Elicynderspyro Really? I've only ever encountered this attitude from native English speakers, myself.

[@Elicynderspyro]

pixel girl​ That American said that the most normal way is like "How's it going? - I'm good, what about you?", still he said that "I'm fine" could be good in Great Britain while in the USA you'll sound weird. And actually I've never heard someone on the internet greet like they taught us in first grade lol Yeah, I probably kinda forgot about Britain before, I'm so sorry XD

[@jamesrobiscoe1174]

Pardon me, but what you call crinolines are actually hoops. Crinolines were the undergarments layers placed over the hoops.

[@earthtomaggie6620]

Nice and interesting video, BUT: a) her name is Edith, not Agnes b) the s in viscount is silent so it’s basically “v-eye-count” c) crinolines were not as stiff as you indicate.. they were bendy since people still had to get through doors and stuff d) and finally, pride and prejudice does not take place in the Victorian era, but in the regency era 😉

[@kaitzi]

I think she was just making up a name, like with Myrtle (?) and it happened to correspond with the clip.

[@monafinlayson4637]

Thank you

[@jacobc8036]

Wow 4 points wrong! That's a new false information record! Thanks for the heads up!

[@kingnarothept6917]

Also Corsets weren't that stiff/rigid either lol.

[@jacobc8036]

@@kingnarothept6917 now five! And to think I thought this would have me learn something

[@bluesow]

Actually, the cigar rule sounds pretty good. Better than today when a guy would blow cigarette smoke in a girl's face when talking to her and make her choke!

[@sacuki2151]

+Jackie LaGeek and what is more ugly when smoking person is a woman!!

[@Jemalacane0]

+Jackie LaGeek I have a better idea: Lets not smoke tobacco period!

[@ineptDolls]

+Jackie LaGeek this was probably done in the same line of reason as forbidding cussing in front of women, which is bullshit. But in practice, I guess the women ended up with healthier lungs :P

[@SavitarTheSurfingGod]

+ineptDolls Eh not really, i am no expert on the Victorian area but considering they threw waste into the streets and coal was used for well a lot of things the air was pretty foul not to mention hygiene from that era also it's likely cigars contained tobacco then not chemicals all the smog from coal furnaces and such meant the air could get pretty foul also the Thames was so polluted it caused a miasma to settle into London quite often it certainly wasn't a pleasant place for the lungs to be i guess that is where going to the country for the fresh air came from when someone was sickly. They say corsets or female hysteria were why women swooned and fainted so much then i have to wonder if it wasn't the horrible air quality in town.

[@spookyscaryscouticus8847]

+Savitar The Surfing God Actually the fainting spells of the Victorian women came from the expectation of women to be dainty. What's daintier than passing out at something gross? Fucking nothing.

[@ligerwolf]

LMAO *pose* "TRAAAAAASH" ahahah

[@user-bh6yj7df9r]

Ikr, I just about died

[@Lorenzio88]

I nearly spit out my coffee with that. X'D I would definitely be a spinster though. Not too fond of the menfolk in terms of romance... or... anything else. If you were in a high class and had enough money, I don't see spinsterhood as being anything but good.

[@mackenziehmusic]

I had to rewatch it, I couldn't not

[@MsMtheory]

Ya 😂😂😂

[@nerdybookluv1312]

It's the main reason why I liked this video!😂

[@PoGirlShines]

We need a little more "civility" in our civilization.

[@ChickenPermissionOG]

Get rid of the Marxist and feminist and you would.

[@applejelly87]

A few errors..."viscount" is pronounced "vigh-count" (as in a long "i"), and the system of passing on property to the eldest son is primogeniture, not primogenitor.

[@carultch]

If a word wants to be pronounced correctly, it needs to be spelled without red herring letters.

[@gypsywoman9140]

@@carultch Agreed. Or spelled how they sound (wtf "colonel" "choir" and "meme"??)

[@suzygeysen1628]

Evan, happy to hear someone else noticed it too.... It made me cringe....

[@thomson872]

@@suzygeysen1628 Me, too...

[@daddy2299]

Right! If you are going to ridicule such things at least have the intelligence to pronounce your words properly.

[@our3acrehomestead]

Is it me or is the side table leaning?

[@GG1783]

waiting for it to fall any minute!

[@ursine121]

+watuwaitn4 It probably wasn't a good Ikea. Still, it distracts from the fabric on the sofa...

[@tomatensalat7420]

+watuwaitn4 I didn't even notice it :D

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

+watuwaitn4 No and yes.

[@ImehSmith]

+watuwaitn4 The table is leaning on purpose. It looks like an "artistic design" done on purpose to make it look like the table is leaning sideways.

[@Darthbelal]

One little habit that I'd love to see society lose is wearing advertisements on the front one's t-shirt, or the ubiquitous baseball cap with some stupid phrase, ad, or logo on it.

[@bonannylagasse8999]

NEVER!!

[@reasonablechica]

+Darth Belal The most aggravating baseball hat/logo issue I see is the hat with the size stickers left on the bill.

[@peterpiper7441]

+Darth Belal In this case she is advertising a country that she is probably not a citizen of, and probably doesn't even speak the language of.

[@peterpiper7441]

I never understood why people want to turn their body into a walking free advertising billboard, and even pay for the privilege of doing so.

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

+Peter Piper I don't know maybe they LIKE the product in question and want to show they like said product.

[@elisejee1632]

Love the fact they put a pride and prejudice scene when it’s a regency era book 😂

[@waggishsagacity7947]

That Jane Austen and her characters (in "Pride & Prejudice," for example) were VICTORIAN comes as news to me: Jane Austen died in 1817, whereas Queen Victoria was crowned in 1837. Hmmm.

[@sillypuppy5940]

The manners carried over from the regency period, if not the fashions.

[@geymim4630]

just close your mouth when you chew that's all I ask

[@crystalperkins8952]

masvale SOLA ikr 😂

[@shannonmiller8144]

May I add "Don't pick your nose or pass gas at the table"?

[@oh6489]

The Sniper that’s so annoying though it make people sound like fucking pigs

[@animalgirl4237]

Geymi M ikr

[@beefortebrea9386]

Karynna Hills it's not really the sound, but the SIGHT of the food being chewed up in their mouths that looks gross to me

[@opensprit]

Every time you enter the bathroom, for any reason whatsoever, Wash Your Damn Hands before you leave. Every. Time.

[@lizgalvanoharshbarger4369]

I WISH we were more inclined to manners now.

[@Kiyoko504]

It's said the 1950s in terms of adequate won't return let alone 1830-1899

[@orlandosanchez8123]

Liz Galvano Harshbarger we are

[@Dirty_Squirrell]

@@Kiyoko504 I bet it will. It's predicted we will go back to less familiar behavior between genders. There will be a few things happening before that, but I'll leave what they are for a surprise.

[@carojames6776]

Liz Galvano Harshbarger It is most unfortunate that those days are no longer with us.

[@ilonabaier6042]

yea but dont use the vitorians as a point of reference!!!!!

[@sciencelover80]

I wish men and women were respectful for each other today's day too.

[@moondancer3157]

So do I...BUT not just on the surface!!

[@MissMoyer5678]

Believe me it's better now.

[@qa8822]

💝

[@frankangelo1983]

I wish women could vote then.

[@sorayaimperial]

If you consider respect regarding a woman only as a womb for heir production, a man as a way to accessing his wealth, the younger brother as the failure of parents, and everyone below your social rank as utter trash. Sure. Respect. Victorian Era was marked by pretending to like people. False respect. Things that may seem cordial, such as a hat gesture to greet someone, could be done in a displicent or disrespectful way as to show your superior status. Sure, it looks like respect to greet everyone by taking off the hat or touching the tip of it, but it could be cruelly done so. Not to mention that Victorian Era was rampant with spousal abuse, sexual assault and child marriages due to their policy of wealth and appearing well mannered. Ah. The age of respect.

[@CB-wn2uq]

The "traaaash" part got me

[@eveningdim7167]

That was great.

[@newdel7864]

Pissing myself 😂😂

[@genericangst8665]

Me too.

[@fkovacs1]

Woulda been better if she was dressed in Victorian garb...

[@summerluv1969]

can't stop laughing at that

[@Lizzy3D]

I would love t for the smoking rule to still be active today haha

[@aliceboldrini6247]

I'd be putting out everyone's cigars

[@Mumsiken]

my husband of 15 years never smoked in my presence. he puts it out as soon as I step out . And he recently quit so I m on cloud 9

[@jessielynch7493]

+Mumsiken I have been struggling to quit I have tried the patch gum pills I really need to quit I just got diagnosed with asthma how did your husband quit?

[@billie-joesgimp7981]

a good thing to remember about quitting anything is it took u a while to get addicted so it will take just as long to quit (if not longer). You are pretty much guaranteed to fail the first couple of times u try-that's ok. You have to learn how to handle cravings, social situations, stress & what to do with your hands. Before u know what yr triggers are U have to experience them so quitting really is a long term process not a decision u make & u've failed if u fall off the wagon. If u always have a smoke with coffee try drinking tea for a while. only smoke outside. If u do smoke inside keep yr cigs in another room so u have to get up each time u want another. I still smoke (only had 2 at work yesterday though) but I have kicked a meth addiction. The price of smokes is going thru the roof in my country (Australia is leading the charge on plain packaging & ultra high taxes on smokes- $35 for a pack of 40) so everyone is trying to quit.

[@jessielynch7493]

Billie-Joes Gimp I usually roll mine so I don't feel the financial pinch maybe I should start buying prerolled to start feeling it I also have quit a cocaine addiction 17 years ago so I know I can quit something very addicting but I will definitely start smoking outside (I also live on the third floor so yeah that will help a lot)

[@jonquilgemstone]

I deeply apologize if this offends you, but please research more thoroughly before making an informative video such as this one. Lack of accuracy lowers your credibility and lessens the benefit of humor. With just a little more knowledge, this video would have been splendid! However, even someone with only a basic understanding of Victorian etiquette (such as myself) could see the low amount of effort put into the subject, despite your presentation.

[@princessturandot1659]

Jonquil Gemstone Very well said!!!

[@jessica-fcm]

Your critique would seem much more substantial if you would kindly point out the specific errors you happened to notice throughout the video (and make the necessary corrections), instead of merely making a general statement regarding the inaccuracy of the information being displayed. Best regards my dear

[@alys4570]

Is this how people argued back then? Lol...Best wishes ☕️

[@lfields07]

I just wish ONE of the video clips were of the correct time period.

[@ItsJustM3lissa]

I died when she mispronounced "viscount"... yikes.

[@dierdrecole8027]

Don't you love when these people try so hard to be funny and just turn out annoying? Anyways I was too distracted by that leaning side table to be totally put off.

[@sneakyboo79]

That leaning table irritated me too. Just happened upon this video and wish I didn't

[@nanachan0709]

She is just irritating. She's a good presenter if only she could tone down on her "humor" that's not so funny. Sad on how she's trying to hard but falls short. And sadly no matter how they stop viewers from bashing the host, it can't be helped. I'm not the type to comment on videos, but when i saw her i just HAD TO. But anyway, the video is still informative. Just not really fan of the host.

[@whodatbitch]

Then don't watch her fucking videos, genius. She doesn't make them for YOU.

[@lindacirulli-burton9476]

Lara Lin (

[@Ryan-pg1tw]

you should be more respectful i think

[@SP-ow9jl]

Man, that table on her right is going to fall!

[@avirajsinhmahida6178]

it won't 😂😂😂😂

[@xxxabc123xx]

Holy crap. Now that's really really bothering me.

[@imbornthiswaybaby12]

Andrea P. So glad I finished the video before reading this. Otherwise it would have bothered me the whole time!

[@xMrsh]

Andrea P. I was looking for this comment. It distracted me the whole video.

[@drahrenzy]

Andrea P. Thanks a lot. It's annoying ugh

[@MysticOceanDollies]

Am I the only one who wants a Victorian style dress?

[@mariar.4893]

MysticOceanDollies I need one

[@cringetrashcan8828]

No

[@kathleendragonpetal1885]

MysticOceanDollies www.priorattire.co.uk/ourshop/ It's in the uk but they have awesome Victorian dresses and stuff that goes with them so idk but they're really cool

[@dustyfan]

MysticOceanDollies NOPE!!

[@camijoy3001]

I own a few since I’m a reenactor. It’s quite fun 😂

[@heatheralysemua1949]

I wish you'd pay more attention to the fact that that end table is about to crumble, sis.

[@nicoleraheem1195]

🤣🤣🤣😂That Was The First Thing I Had Noticed

[@veralidaine97]

God I wish corsets were cheaper to make! One day, I dream of replacing every thrice-cursed bra I have with a wonderful, comfy corset! To never have to wear a bra again. . . One day!

[@jessicakattermann1485]

I wish there were 'live' corset and petticoat shops. Trying to buy proper ones off of the internet is incredibly annoying.

[@monafinlayson4637]

I'd rather wear stays.

[@featherquill9476]

Ah yes! To no longer worry about slouching because a garment created for support is actually doing its job! (Ps, I also love stays, someday I'll wear one!)

[@thisismyname3328]

I'm making some stays for myself (whilst watching this), as the back pain got too intense, and its not actually that expensive, if you know how to sew. I rented a book (patterns of fashion 5, if you're wondering), copied a pattern, and went about making 'mock-ups.' Honestly, £10 of calico later, and i have the pattern done, and fitting me perfectly. For boning, zip ties (cable ties) work brilliantly, or maybe even some wool for cording. A packet of needles, some threads and grommets, and I have an almost complete pair of stays, for about £50, in all, not including labour costs. You don't need a machine, just a needle, some fabric and some spare time.

[@featherquill9476]

@@thisismyname3328 Wow, this is amazing, thanks so much! How tedious was it? I'd love to know more about your process!

[@ashamenai1659]

Maternity corsets were designed to support the back during pregnancy. Not as horrifying as you'd imagine. :)

[@AKayfabe]

Laurin Shattersmith exactly! They did NOT crush the fetus, my god. Like rich men would even risk crushing their new male heir to throne!!

[@PHlophe]

i don't think women could hold bad gas with those .

[@elizabethrose92]

Just like you can get pregnancy spanx today and many large-chested women still use corsets to take the burden off their back and shoulders. People take things out of context.

[@azadalamiq]

ya i know learned a lot from watching a period dress youtuber. she shows of REAL outfits back then. nithing was cumbersome and tight. It was light and clean. the corset was an early bra befire bras they wors a under shirt and under shorts that had a pee/poo hole. then the corset then the cril* then the petticoat then the 2 layers of dresses all made from linen abd cloth very light and very breathable. our fabric is heavier by comparrison with all the synthetic bs.

[@princessfartypants32ballet21]

Asha Dice Lich I thought it was to disguise pregnancy

[@matthewsexton5490]

One time I used a dinner fork to eat my salad. I'm just wild & crazy like that.

[@matthewsexton5490]

+spirals 73 No, not quite that wild & crazy. Let's keep our feet on the ground.

[@thefaceofawsomeness491]

+spirals 73 It is easy, you just use the next farthest utensils from the plate for each course.

[@thefaceofawsomeness491]

your waiter will know, just let them pour the wine first and follow their lead when refilling a glass. Oreos go with everything, I can't actually think of a scenario involving Oreos were you could go wrong.

[@thefaceofawsomeness491]

***** I actually chuckled at that :D

[@thelegendaryblackbeastofaa115]

+Matthew Sexton I say, just yesterday, I arrived at dinner to find that my chair was a full two centimeters off center! I ordered the chamber maid sacked, and replaced her at once.

[@ecclestonsangel]

Excuse me....The s in viscount is silent. It is pronounced vi(as in violets) count. You are pronouncing it phonetically. And contrary to popular belief, women didn't have as much difficulty getting around in corsets and crinoline cages (aka hoop skirts) as you think they did. First of all, as long as the corset was well made and laced properly, the lady could go about her day just like we modern women. Secondly, the crinoline cages, aka hoopskirts, were of a very lightweight metal, covered in cloth and designed to be collapsible, so they weren't as difficult to get around in as people think. Ladies were even able to "take care of business" pretty much the same way we do today. I would suggest taking most of this with a grain of salt. Besides, what's wrong with manners? It's something we're sorely lacking in these days.

[@mjhoop5141]

"very lightweight metal"? Wrong century. The frames were made from whale bone. A little research will no doubt show that those cages came in when the whaling-ship corporate owners were trying to figure out how to make money on the bones of the whales they hunted for their oil, used in lamps, which replaced candles and burning torches. The knee bone is connected to the hip bone, and all that........

[@twistedstich]

I'm assuming you haven't worn Victorian whalebone corsets regularly, like I have. I guarantee you, you would not think they were as amenable if you have, particularly over bust corsets, which leave little room for breathing with the Victorian's ideal waist size. Even if you have laced a corset 'only four inches,' it is still constricting, uncomfortable, and difficult to perform normal tasks, like bending over to pick something up. Modern women do yoga, modern women, lift, modern women work at desks all day. Modern women also like tying their own shoes, which, in a corset, is almost impossible, unless you do yoga.

[@alyssaw750]

Why do you think so many women of that time fainted?.... Because they were always on the precipice of being out of breath because of their tight clothing.

[@Mansellyn]

Whale bone would be as harsh as the metal stays. Renaissance clothing usually has metal stays in the corsets. I feel comfortable in mine because I do not pull the waist too tight. I say that because I grew up watching older ladies maintain wearing their stays, which at the time I incorrectly called girdles. We all knew that the boning was called "stays" and that was the word we used. Still, women of the time still clung to the notion that being pulled in was quite the thing. Recent studies have shown that the stays worn during the Victorian era were quite tightly laced. Holding onto a post of one's bed was an easy way of holding your own against the pulling of strings until the stays were held correctly. So was a good sturdy chair. Women's organs were shoved up into their chest area creating a hardship in the lungs and shoved down into the abdominal area where the bowels and bladder could be affected, never mind the bones used to cradle an infant while in womb. Still, the stays of today can offer support. And, most importantly we shouldn't discount how many males wore these same stays. Men have often worn stays or girdles to help hide their age and bellies. Fashion can be a harsh mistress, indeed.

[@janrees4887]

Women definitely did often have problems getting around in crinolines. Some were even burnt to death just by walking too close to the fire because their clothes were extremely flammable and hard to get out of. There are also plenty of stories of ladies getting stuck in their crinolines when the wind turned them inside out or they just stumbled. Also, with all the petticoats and underwear they could end up with many kilograms of clothing. I've had to wear a crinoline and corset and it was extremely uncomfortable and made it very difficult to navigate stairs and narrow hallways. Even just turning around in a narrow space is difficult and at the time walking in the country often meant climbing over stiles which was almost impossible. The biggest problems started when working women started wearing crinolines. Especially factory workers who had to weave in and out of huge complicated machines like looms. And they were also a huge nuisance in the rain because they were even heavier when wet and took ages to dry so women would freezing cold in winter if they got wet on the way to an evening at the theatre where there wasn't much heating. But the most difficult thing was fitting 3 or 4 ladies in huge crinolines into a carriage. They had to squeeze themselves in, be uncomfortable during the whole journey, especially if they were grand ladies on a long journey because they couldn't just wear something more comfortable like pants for a journey and then the stressed crinolines would suddenly expand when they got out of the carriage and had to try to step down. And all this was in conjunction with an extremely tight and restrictive corset which didn't allow you to relax your posture for one minute. Some school girls were strapped into their corsets all week long, including during the night while in bed. They were allowed to be taken out of their corsets (which they couldn't even get out of by themselves) for ONE HOUR on a Saturday to allow them to "attend to their ablutions", ie. they could only have one bath a week because they couldn't take off their corsets at any other time. It was also very difficult to use a toilet. And if you were menstruating it was incredibly difficult to change the bandages which were attached to a garter belt type garment so hygiene was very difficult indeed. Windy days, muddy streets, fires, carriages, narrow winding staircases and unlevel ground (which abounded in Victorian London while the sewers and underground trains were being built) were all very challenging obstacles.

[@karenb7464]

Talking about corsets as etiquette is like saying that a woman wears a bra today due to etiquette and has nothing to do with keeping her...well breasts in place. Of course women were wearing them everywhere. I do wish there were rules for dressing today then I would not be forced to see people wearing pajamas all day in public

[@violetopal6264]

Also the idea of tight lacing corsets is a myth. - or only the very fashionable crazy teenagers with nothing to do. A proper fitting corset would not be any tighter fitting than modern underwear

[@sanayakhan2042]

Username checks out

[@softmodality]

@@sanayakhan2042 LMA0

[@sinicide1015]

One etiquette I have always disliked. Walking past a co-worker..or an acquaintance. They say "Hi (insert name), how are you today?" I have no problem with saying hello back. But the "how are you" part annoys me because I can't say "I'm having a shitty day. How about you?". I could say the usual "I'm great!" But sometimes that is a lie and I hate lying, plus most of the time the person you're passing in the hall really doesn't care. It's like we are trained to ask. Now keep in mind we are both still walking to our separate destinations. So as I say "Great, how about you?" I am now pretty much talking to their back so if they want to answer they have to turn around or just yell behind themselves. But let's say they are not having a great day. Then what? I'm on my way someplace presumably important. I can't just stop to ask why. One, I don't have time, or two I don't care. I just think the "How are you?" part should be deleted. But if I don't ask them in return I feel as if it's rude not to ask since they asked me...-sigh-

[@smokey1255]

I was taught that proper etiquette in first half of the 20th century included the speaking should be a limited and quiet undertaking. Many customs and practices were developed to limit. In those days gentlemen wore Hamburg or Fedora. Consequently, the situation you describe requires only a brief removal of the hat. I think the proper hat is beginning stylish again. You can nod your head if you are not wearing a hat and women can do the same. There a number of rules shaping hat use and if you were ever in the military, you probably already know them. About behaving like a gentleman, there are really just a few guidelines to follow. 1.) Actually become a gentleman ontologically. Once you become a gentleman in your heart, the guidelines are not an onus but rather an opportunity. 2.) A gentleman ALWAYS puts the other person first: first piece of pie, first merge into traffic, first in line etc. Even in an argument, a gentleman does not abandon his point but, rather tells the other person he understands how he came to his point and thanks the other person for the opportunity to learn something new. Perhaps good etiquette has a moral basis in how we should treat and take care of each other.

[@osighri]

Same fam

[@Tippy2forU]

Why can't you tell them you are having a shitty day? If it is because of work, you might find someone who may be able to help you if you tell them what's wrong.

[@Zajin13]

Well, actually you are not supposed to answer the question "How are you?" in a greeting. The proper way to answer would be to ask back with "How are YOU?". Atleast that is the way the British layed it down. Here in Germany the proper etiquette would be to answer with a short sentence, stating that you are well even if it's not the case because it would be rude to not answer the question but also to state that you are having "a shitty day". But then again in Germany you are also not supposed to ask any personal questions (also concerning their well being) to a person you just met or with which you don't have a closer, personal friendship. We Germans are more of the "Lets start with the weather topic" type of guys.

[@Tippy2forU]

+Zajin13: I have never heard of that. Here in America we respond with either fine and you or not too well. America wanted to get as far away from British rule as we could so most of our actions was an act of rebellion. We turned our nose up at everything British.

[@fantasyfiction101]

I would actually like to try to wear a corset.

[@thelegendaryblackbeastofaa115]

+fantasyfiction101 Try a back brace.

[@soarrefly]

+fantasyfiction101 They are awesome and I have a few. I was curious just like you and when I got one I didn't regret it for a second. Buy one and have fun!

[@fantasyfiction101]

8th child Where's a good place to get one?

[@soarrefly]

I'm so glad you asked :) Here's your guide, you can purchase a corset according to your body type and price range: thecorsetauthority.tumblr.com/brands Also take a peek at Lucy Corsetry, she has the most comprehensive and knowledgable guides to using corsets. lucycorsetry.com She has a KZbin channel too. I hope I helped!

[@fantasyfiction101]

Thanks!

[@kimberlyrice4294]

You can pick up on a lot of these etiquette customs when you read period authors, such as Austin, or one of the Bronte sisters. For example, young ladies were never to allow their preference for a particular young man to be known to others in their social circle. It was considered to be a lack of control, and particularly forward. Besides, if the feelings weren’t reciprocated, and advanced by the young man, you were considered “used”; a silly, wonton creature. Next, no written correspondence - ever, unless you were formally engaged, with marriage bans read and published! That meant no love letters, notes, miniature portraits, or locks of hair kept as prescious mementos. Dancing. Dancing was considered very erotic and young ladies held cards in which they would write the names of the young men who’d asked them for a particular dance. The dances were also quite complicated with intricate steps and few mastered them all. Ladies were expected to spread their favor equally amongst the men, showing no one any particular favor, although it was acceptable to have more than one dance with the same young man. Naturally, it goes without saying you were never to be alone with a member of the opposite gender. Anything could happen and anything could be claimed! A spotless and impeachable reputation was everything, and one wrong word could turn to scandal! Lastly, can you believe that at one time all proper young ladies wore gloves to bed and slept with their hands Outside the bed covers?! 😉🤭

[@carmensavu5122]

That sounds absolutely horrible. I'm sure glad I don't live in those times.

[@mijuajua4820]

Gloves on while sleeping?? I guess they didn’t want them to rub one off?😲

[@davestrider4973]

1) Unpopular opinion, but I do adore this specific rule. I still believe my personal outfits should follow these rules, although occasional accidents and current society think they say otherwise. 2) It was a time of status and pride. This is only to be expected. 3) You must be appropriate. It is still the way to be a gentleman, if you truly wish to win someone’s heart, you must be genuine. 4) Overdoing it, but i see what they mean, both in present and in past. 5) Yet, this is one of the worse factors. Duty means doing the things your heart may well regret, even to this extent. This took me three rewatches to write because I didn’t want to repeat exactly what you were saying in the video, even that’s majoritarily explicitly what I stand for

[@gizemgonenc5342]

"Duty means doing things your heart may well regret." Did you just quote the song from Barbie's Princess and Pauper? Also, I agree with what you say.

[@jafs65]

My mother in law each time I visit her 6:34

[@hailonghoang5117]

jafs65 i feel you 😥😥😥

[@rustypudder7072]

Lmfao

[@lynnsmith8005]

jafs65 I'm sorry I laughed... I'm sorry

[@adrianapartida5888]

TRASH

[@phatsayalybert422]

jafs65 Isi

[@wardogthemasterofwar]

Oh my god that's too much. That's too exhausting. The only thing I like is that approaching strangers wasn't normal. I hate when random people approach me. I wouldn't mind that social etiquette coming back.

[@fearloathinginlasvegas]

Whaat, why? You don't want to make friends??

[@ADarkRomance]

I wouldn't mind less encounters with male strangers tbh.

[@therealnancybee710]

But when strangers do say something "stupid" to you, I hope you acknowledge it with at least a polite smile. I've seen people needlessly embarrassed when they've simply tried to make small talk to pass the time and have been rebuffed or ignored. I always feel so badly for them.

[@warpnin3]

Enjoy it, Tove Lija, It won't last…:-)

[@m1sh474]

That's not how it works, +The Real Nancy Bee. You shouldn't approach a stranger to bother him/her with nonsense, no matter what except in very few especial occasions where a small talk like you said could be welcomed.

[@briganja]

Love you and the "trash", hate the rules, but ultimately would be ok with the one where a dude can't speak to a dudette until she acknowledges him. But not if it means I have to wear a corset.

[@Kat-fj1rx]

I kinda want the birdcage and the corset

[@lelekasa8564]

Corsets are actually not that bad. Many people think first about tightlacing, but that was not common. Also, they just gave a good support and were super comfortable because they were made for fitting especially your own body

[@abbiemarie5419]

Lelekasa 13 yes thank you! also another common name for them is stays!!

[@thisismyname3328]

From what I'm aware, stays are earlier than Victorian corsets, disappearing by the 1840's. I might be wrong, but that's what I've heard.

[@tabathaswinburne4314]

I wish the ‘not playing on your phone at the table’ rule didn’t exist

[@nunyabiznez6381]

As a historian I find it amusing when people speak of historical periods with little understanding of those periods. The entire video applied only to the upper 5% of Victorian British society. These rules of etiquette for the most part, didn't apply to the other 95% other than that they were completely rejected but the upper 5%.

[@goodgirlkay]

nunya biznez I had the same thought.

[@janfranklin2114]

Yes, mostly the Regency period.

[@PHlophe]

TRRRR_AAAAASHHHHH!!!!

[@lasangnana]

do u have any good documentaries u could suggest?? I love learning history but its hard to find any good books and such nowadays

[@JCastro-ex4pc]

nunya biznez I agree with your comment but in my opinion, it's a sad reality of the rich being praised while the poor are rarely looked or even just ignored. I bet 100 years from now, the rich and famous will be looked at to see how people lived in the early 21st century more than most of the people under them. But that's just me...

[@cheesecake134]

I found an old Edwardian etiquette book in a thrift store. The rules are hilarious and ridiculous. There is a chapter on proper dress that says a proper lady wouldn't DARE walk onto a public thoroughfare without gloves. To do so is "vulgar". VULGAR.

[@cheesecake134]

It's a lot of fun to read, especially the rules about dress and courtship.

[@cheesecake134]

***** Thanks for the history lesson, grandpa. I would have never known any of this on my own.

[@AlexandraLynch1]

+Gwen Heart You grow up with them. My mother remembers when ladies wore gloves and a hat when fully dressed. I grew up with all kinds of rules, and while times may have changed, I can't handle letting my bra straps show, contemplate wearing pajamas outside of the house, going without a bra except in the privacy of my bedroom, and the only way I'll wear jeans to church is when I'm going the day before to help set up for the fundraising dinner. (grin) It's all in what rules you grow up with.

[@AlexandraLynch1]

No, because, well, strange person. You didn't even really touch members of your family that much. Different set of social norms.

[@miask]

+AlexandraLynch1 I am old enough to remember wearing hat and gloves myself, though I was quite young. I also grew up learning proper etiquette and will not wear jeans or pants to church either. I think it's lovely that a young woman like you has such respect for herself and others that she follows "proper etiquette ".

[@linoleluminum2017]

Any etiquette is better than none like modern-day America

[@daintymoondancer2797]

darlin one I prefer the etiquette of the past to today's so called "etiquette".

[@hismajesty40]

Excellent presentation!

[@KathleenAnlage]

NO!NONONO those are HOOP SKIRTS! Crinoline is a type of fabric, still used today. It's stiff and when layered, creates the same look as hoop skirts, with more flexibility. If I am wrong, which I don't think I am, I'll gladly accept it. So please, what is your source?

[@ashleycresswell25]

A crinoline /krɪn.əl.ɪn/ is a stiffened or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was used to make underskirts and as a dress lining. By the 1850s the term crinoline was more usually applied to the fashionable silhouette provided by horsehair petticoats, and to the hoop skirts that replaced them in the mid-1850s. In form and function these hoop skirts were similar to the 16th- and 17th-century farthingale and to 18th-century panniers, in that they too enabled skirts to spread even wider and more fully. So yes, you were partly right. The Crinoline was the name they gave to the structure made from the material, it wasn't until later they started making the hoop skirts of of the material itself to make it easier for women to move

[@seriouslyinsanediva]

+Kathleen Anlage you are completely right. I have spent 30 years in the fashion industry.

[@seriouslyinsanediva]

+Ashley Cresswell The original type of crinoline was from horses hair and was also dyed at times and used to weave baskets. However in modern times they copied this material synthetically making it lighter and more flexible. Crinoline has been used to make the underskirts of gathered and ruffled skirts in the 50's and for ballet and theatre costumes. I myself wore some crinoline underskirts in the 60's as a little girl. They were also popular in making those colourful tout touts in the 80's www.liketotally80s.com/2013/10/80s-costume-cyndi-lauper/

[@CausticEuphoria]

+Kathleen Anlage THANK YOU! I actually had to pause the video at that point and scroll down the screen to find someone who commented on this, just so I could like the comment. Thank you.

[@ursine121]

+Kathleen Anlage No, you are correct. Even I knew it too!

[@madmonkee6757]

I wish people would observe the reticence of speech in public a bit more. People are so damned trashy these days.

[@sophienelisselover555]

Yes agreed

[@thefaceofawsomeness491]

+Mad Monkee Says the guy who just used the phrase "damned trashy." Simply "vulgar" could have done.

[@madmonkee6757]

+Theface ofawsomeness "simply vulgar" doesnt begin to describe the people in North Carolina. Honestly, "damned trashy" doesn'[t either, but decorum forbids describing them properly.

[@huskerhammer6325]

+Mad Monkee The commoners anymore speak jibberish laced at best with jards of balderdash.

[@howstuffworks]

+Mad Monkee Right?? Whatever happened to class? kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZ2kon6jZqyMa7M

[@herrredbaron8961]

Loved the video and how you presented/explained the rules. It was pretty funny too.

[@mrwednesday687]

Y'all wanna talk about a tight corset? Look up Violet Chachki death becomes her.

[@killphaser25]

I like how people were shy and respectable to their women and in general back then. Their etiquette is very appealing. Nowadays people are extremely shameless and horribly rude. I disagree with this video. Thumbs down

[@siran424]

Lawstidentity They were only shy and respectable to women in front of watchful eyes. It was all a farce. People have always been the same, it's just that they are now more open about it.

[@jelkel25]

+zpardus You're talking more during the Georgian era or earlier with the kidnapping or torture of poor women, though they did force women (and men) into sex with threats of terminating individuals or even whole families employment or patronage (if you were middle class). If a woman became pregnant she was often thrown out on the street and deemed a whore by this ''respectable'' rich family. It was perfectly fine for the male upper classes to go to the seedier parts of cities (married or unmarried) and drink, take drugs, gamble, attend animal blood sports and frequent prostitutes as long as they were back Monday morning, suited and booted and didn't let their 'activities' effect their social standing. It was the middle classes who were often the prudish part of society though there was a strong temperance and religious revivalist movement among the working classes also.

[@jelkel25]

Laurel VanBlarcum There's less hooped skirts now.

[@jelkel25]

Laurel VanBlarcum I wonder if they were to keep sweaty, drunken, randy toff's at arms length? If so, a small price to pay!!!

[@andreatomassini202]

+zpardus rich was, and still is not enough, the keyword is high-class.

[@PhilJonesIII]

Sitting on a sofa in the jeans and t-shirt uniform of the 21st century. Mocking previous generations in this way is the equivalent of measuring our times using copies of 'Cosmopolitan', 'Esquire' and 'Country Life'. Rather than mocking, why not stand back and look at these women who, despite their corsets and hoops, still managed to scale the Alps, travel the world in conditions most of us would not countenance and go skinny-dipping in Lake Leman. A lot of those women had balls bigger than most men today and reading the exploits of the likes of Isabella Bird and Isabel Arundell ( wife of Richard Francis Burton) you get the idea that the Red Bull Challenge started much much earlier. Most of the rest had lives that were pretty brutal. Women and small children (age 6 and up) working in mines (and close to naked). Corsets in factories? If you want to believe the equivalent of HR publicity for the time. Even Isabella Bird resolved to ride side-saddle only when passing through towns on her trip (alone) across America. I think the factory-girls might have lost or loosened the corsets. Take a closer look at life in the 21st century and you quickly realise that much the same controls work on us and we all comply.

[@MeishaAthma]

+Philip Jones A rather appropriate rant... However, one should consider the anaesthetizing value of a sense of humor.

[@PhilJonesIII]

+Meisha You are right of course. Notice in a Welsh coal mine: ' Ladies, please remember that an exposed corset is a source of consternation and no small distraction to the gentlemen workers alongside you. Several have complained of the need to remove their neckties and mentally recite the Lord's Prayer which although appropriate, does affect productivity.' ( Yes I made that one up ) Most mine-workers could not read.

[@MeishaAthma]

Philip Jones T'is a source of consternation this illiteracy amongst them (gestures with his cognac sniffing nose). They do sing and dance rather spiritedly though - poor blighters.

[@Hiraghm]

+Philip Jones I was amused that Bruce Jenner was considered brave for dressing as a woman in front of cameras, when women dress as men every single day, everyplace, and nobody thinks anything of it.

[@Jemalacane0]

+Philip Jones We just have slackers now who go into space.

[@angelg.8462]

I like proper etiquette and good manners😁 I can imagine myself in that era too! 😉

[@FishesAndLoaves997]

Luv’d the video, thanks for sharing.🙂

[@Bluemilk92]

My knee jerk reaction is to call this stupid *but* for the socially awkward (like me) the strict rules would really eliminate any guess work. Turn a social interaction from an exercise in charisma, into a basic memory quiz and nerds will suddenly become pro's of the party scene... Oh, *now* I see why this came about in Britain ;)

[@shaniquamichaux1422]

Bluemilk92 it would relieve a lot of anxiety too to know how to act properly around people.

[@yasmin7903]

I am a bit socially awkward and I never seem to remember the few rules we have today, so no thanks.

[@laceandbits]

yasmin7903 But you would have been brought up with them so it would be natural behaviour for you. But in the same way as most schools in the UK still have a school uniform so that avoids the expensive school fashion competition taking place, as others have said it was a leveller to some extent in a class competitive society. I am sure that it wasn't unique to the UK either, the founding fathers class society, along with old and new money existed in America and similar ways of being put into a class society was in most if not all countries - hence the rise of communism although that didn't solve the problem either, it just pretends that it does.

[@056561022]

I would rather people followed the whole "don't talk to the lady until she acknowledges you" etiquette a little more.... I get talked to by creepers WAAAAYYYY more often than I like. D:

[@illiminatieoverlordgurglek140]

Yeah, well, feminists destroyed that for you. Rules like that existed because women were seen as delicate and precious. Now you're all equal, and therefore fair game. Lol.

[@056561022]

... ok... no. Let me explain basic human interaction to you and how society works from a human perspective. We are not objects to be chased, grabbed at, leered at, slobbered all over, and then tossed aside when you're done with us. We are people. Your mother was a person, whether a nice person or not, of that I'm sure. If you don't want your own mother being treated as an object by disgusting pigs because "they're now fair game" and they "aren't precious little flowers any more", then you're also a feminist, you just don't call yourself one. Feminists don't hate men, by the way. They believe that women are people too, and should be treated with the same amount of respect and freedom that men are accorded. One may address a stranger politely, and compliment them politely, and be on their merry way, that's fine. But there's a big difference between "BABY BACK THAT ASS UP ON MY DICK RIGHT NOW OR I'M GONNA CALL YOU FAT AND UGLY" and "My, what a lovely dress! You have a wonderful day now!" If those two things are both acceptable because "men"... then you're part of the problem.

[@howstuffworks]

Response of the Day, Amber.

[@illiminatieoverlordgurglek140]

Amber Snay Too long. Did not read. By the way I'll have ham on my sandwich, dear. Run along.

[@056561022]

... You *are* a ham, if you didn't read the entire thing. And trusting me with knives is a really dumb move since you don't know this, but I'm more proficient with weapons than you are with words.

[@hannakyffin264]

Awesome :) now I need to go and watch all those movies in the clips again :D

[@Heartlessiceboy]

In México the XV year celebration of a girl was similar to a "Presentation at court" It meant that the girl (A grown woman in that time) Was in the market. Today Mexican girls still have this famous "Quinceañera" parties...But after that they continue with their adolescent's life and school.

[@StarpoBerry]

I like the rule where a guy can't talk to a lady unless she acknowledges him.

[@xirar.s.9278]

Star Berry In some cases, it would be better if the rule still existed

[@ali_ozz1388]

+Xira R. S. So true! that would make my Life so much easier:-)

[@InvaderTak176]

What I love, is that we are doing that now....

[@StarpoBerry]

I mean....if you think that then....ok

[@Shay45]

Star Berry 😒 um I don't. Sounds kind of sexist

[@RoseOfMadina]

These aren't actually ridiculous - they are only ridiculous when looked from a certain perspective. Can you imagine 100 years from now on, people making fun of our time? "Crazy things people did in the first quarter of the 21th century." I guess silly girls smacking makeup on their face on youtube and making lots of money for doing so, obsession with sexuality and perhaps Brexit will be included in that list. In their (Victorian) time these things weren't considered ridiculous, it was just the norm, the way society worked. We look through a certain set of morals/ way of thinking and living, back into time, and through these conclude things which would be abnormal if implemented in our current society. If a person in the 1950's would have to look back to the Vic. age and point out ridiculous things, I'm sure they would come up with a whoooole different list. It is just very subjective and I feel calling cultural norms 'ridiculous' is ridiculous in itself as well as a bit disrespectful.

[@lorrilewis2178]

Totally agree. It seems to be a millennial thing to do list of "ridiculous" things from other eras.

[@dankhnw8]

I know the era is kind of silly and strict( In my 21 century eye) but there is some beauty when you think about the time.

[@dankhnw8]

And I'm not being disrespectful, I think the same about how people thought and acted was a part of their norm just like we act think and act the way society expect us to.

[@MsTendus]

I honestly prefer a lot of the traditions from that time. I cannot stand how people now days just interact over social media and I would honestly prefer rules for social engagements maybe just because I am socially awkward. Plus I am pretty sure the Victorians would support brexit there is no way they would sign our rights away to the Europeans they have a bit of self respect.

[@TickingClocks]

+Lorri Lewis is millennial a buzzword now

[@womaninwool]

Nice work Myrtle!!

[@dvgames3134]

1:20 only for the people with some money. During Victorian times a lot of the population was struggling, sick or poor. It wasn't a nice time to live.

[@_flow3rchild_718]

Actually it was worn every day among the working class. Theres different levels of poor, but a long as you weren't dirt dirt poor you would own a corset. Think of it as women owning bras today, theres cheaper ones and more expensive ones but most women wear them, even if they are poor.

[@rickroscoe4734]

Of course, modern American customs are such a vast improvement over the olden days.

[@guerra_dos_bichos]

+Rick Roscoe yeah, the personal space nation

[@Cassiterit3]

+Rick Roscoe Especially the custom of women going to hotels by themselves. They couldn't travel alone in this era; they had to notify their place of stay that they would need an escort to go to and from the dining hall of the hotel while they were staying there, so she would not appear to be eating alone. Scandalous.

[@rickroscoe4734]

Katherine Pulliam - What a wonderful old custom. Then a man could be a "gentlemen" and escort a lady to dinner. I think I would have been happier in the old days. Modern world sucks for both men and women.

[@Cassiterit3]

+Rick Roscoe You make a good point, but as a long-time traveler and having traveled alone a lot, I can't imagine being restricted in that way.

[@rickroscoe4734]

***** - Laws against cohabitation haven't been enforced for more than 80 years. What in the hell are you talking about? I'm talking about the break down of cordiality between the sexes which has befuddled both sexes on how to behave with one another. Look at the extended period of time today before men and women marry and have children. If its "all about me", you are not going to have a very cohesive society. Just look around and you can see it, unless you are blind.

[@ochibicake]

Honestly can we bring some of these back

[@sunniebarlow4194]

I have to say that I love that you have cited actual scholarship. That’s such a rarity on KZbin, and being able to follow the references.

[@franklymaria1532]

I saw this video a long time ago and I’ve been looking for it since. I finally found it!

[@Liutgard]

*sigh* Misspellings and mispronunciations tend to reduce your credibility...

[@howstuffworks]

+Laura Minnick We're an all-purpose team of researchers, writers, and performers here at HowStuffWorks; we're not experts in every topic that we host. We all try to check pronunciations before we record, but sometimes a couple that look obvious on paper slip past us. I'm sure you've had the experience of mispronouncing a word you've never heard aloud before. ^__^

[@Liutgard]

Well, I'd suggest that in your editing process (I assume you have one), that you check unfamiliar words with the dictionary, which usually has pronunciation cues. I understand knowing words and not hearing them- and that is what I do. It's useful, and makes you look more professional and credible.

[@kkallebb]

+HowStuffWorks Really? You offer an educational product to the public and you defend spelling mistakes and mispronunciations?

[@RicharddtheStar]

+Flibbertigibbet6 shut the fuck up.

[@howstuffworks]

Laura, that's exactly what we do. Most of the time. This one slipped past us. +William S. Yep! We're human and we make mistakes. It's an important part of learning.

[@MissPooslie]

Jane Austen is REGENCY , Downton is EDWARDIAN and you have some ROCOCO era paintings in there!! Otherwise good video though.

[@USMarshmallow]

MissPooslie I sometimes wonder if anything post-Revolutionary France is considered Victorian in some minds...

[@Sawrattan]

I get the Regency problem, but in fairness Edwardian England was still very Victorian. It was the world wars and America that really destroyed the Victorian mentality

[@clarissathompson]

The King or Queen is the Monarch and would be His/Her Majesty. The Queen/Prince Consort and Princes and Princesses would be HRH.

[@abbycross90210]

@@Sawrattan America destroyed the Victorian attitudes toward etiquette? Citations please.

[@blue-and-blauw]

I mean that and the "crinolines are made out of steel", the picture of a corset without any sort of chemise under it, the hairstyles which are wrong even when portraying something that isn't victorian at all...

[@choosyapplepickerproductio3594]

I found this so enjoyable to watch. You’re hilarious!

[@rotterdamwest8848]

6:36 😂😂😂 i just saw the whole history story in my head!! Good job!

[@deepee3141]

With no Internet or TV, people had to pass the time making up and following these guidelines.

[@deaded5040]

nooooo.... without Internet, tv, iPhones, and rap music they were actually a great deal smarter than the shit faced, no account, crap fest we have in society today

[@deaded5040]

IN FACT let's send your candy ass back to that time and see how long it takes you to end up in an asylum from lack of technology!!!! XD LOL

[@feyrol42]

STFU. You're complaining about the internet & tech yet you are on the internet. You are one of the people you're laughing at. Stop with the superiority complex

[@lexh5121]

lol

[@edmasterson4588]

also is the type to completely dismiss a whole genre of music probably never listens to. how do you know they were smarter? what defines "smart"?

[@cliffdweller990]

"Pride and Prejudice" takes place at least 30 years before Victorian era.

[@minabusiness]

I was just thinking exactly the same thing

[@chrissysky01]

Yup. Regency era. Threw me right out of the rest of the video. Oh well.

[@Pomiwi]

Agreed, wrong era movie clips and really great attitude. I actually found it offensive.

[@thegayestgoth]

She seemed hostile. And yeah, Pride and Prejudice was far before Victorianism.

[@scarletblack666]

This was excellent!

[@sandrajovic9304]

Great job 👑

[@thiery572]

4:00 If you want a man to talk to you, drop your handkerchief, so the man, if he is interested, would pick it up and give it back to you. You cannot offer him your hand, it is forbidden to touch hand someone you don't know.

[@JamesRDavenport]

+thiery572 Someone did the same thing to me once when I was in college. Granted it wasn't her handkerchief, it was her pen and she kind of threw it at me so it would get there in time for me to pick it up, but it still worked. ;) lol

[@thiery572]

***** Wow, lucky you. :)

[@ShakeyHorse7788]

+James Davenport cute

[@FriedEggsWithChips]

+thiery572 Dropped a used snotty tissue once on the floor of a bar containing mostly men. No-one bothered to bend over and pick it up to give it back to me. One even gave me a dirty look, the filthy savage. Honestly, modern men and their bad manners! And why the fuck am I not married?

[@thiery572]

Hannah Lynne Maybe they feel insecure towards women. lol

[@scarletfluerr]

Do you realize your using films set in the Regency Period, not the Victorian?

[@howstuffworks]

+scarletfluerr Absolutely. We say so in the video's description. Our editor was in a bit of a crunch, and decided to use some footage from films set in the Regency and Edwardian eras as a stylistic shortcut.

[@caseys.9248]

+HowStuffWorks Was there a deadline involved to teach this to the world?

[@mikecorbeil]

+scarletfluerr Good reply or question, especially since HowStuffWorks agreed with you; but, it's still interesting that this weird sort of culture ever existed at all. It surely wasn't the sole werid period in human history, but I appreciate the contribution that you've made for this video.

[@Kendrahf]

+Casey S. Dudette. Did you even watch this short? She said a season lasted from Jan to June and guess how close Jan is. That's right. Four days from the time you wrote this comment. Get with the times! We need to know this so we can snag a hubby-hubby. Thank you HowStuffWorks. It was a crunch to get this out in time for the new season but I appreciate it.

[@johnmiller2290]

+scarletfluerr true, but most of these rules still applied in these periods

[@chaiselatterly7003]

When sitting, you do not sit with your back comfortably resting at the back of your chair. Sit up properly means sit up.

[@JCDenton2012Modder]

As an introvert I find this both quaint and exhausting.

[@maggiebabcock9558]

Okay the "bird cadge thing" is actually called a hoop skirt Not a crinoline, a crinoline is an under skirt made of stiff fabrics but no bones ...

[@pissfrog]

"you can't fight crime in a crinoline" is that a challenge

[@howstuffworks]

Only because we want to see it happen. (Also, we know that Gail Carriger, and Doctor Who's Madame Vastra & Jenny Flint, would disagree -- just for starters.)

[@thatspookyfeeling]

I'd love it if the rule about not just being able to walk up and talk to someone was still in place. It's always been my favorite. Great video! Morticia

[@jessicahitt1101]

Omg! Like ... literally died laughing when you did the mother in the fainting couch...."TRAAASSH!" Lmao!😂

[@pridenprejudice2004]

Why are you showing video clips from Pride and Prejudice? That's the Regency Era, not the Victorian Era.

[@whateveritsjustkay725]

pridenprejudice2004 * sips tea *

[@milinha665]

pridenprejudice2004 she showed videoclips from downton abbey too, which were in the 1920s

[@quinevere]

Check the description, love.

[@ashleestart9284]

She said that the clips DID NOT come from the era but described what it was like

[@robynsalaver4069]

pridenprejudice2004 Thank you. And the large hoop skirts preceded the Victorian era as well.

[@kmeccat]

The "W" is not pronounced in the word "sword". It is pronounced SORD. And actually, I'd like to see some etiquette make a comeback. It's gotten pretty ugly out there...

[@oliviamontemayer7089]

+kmeccat I agree with you on the etiquette thing. Although some rules were down right stupid others didn't seem so bad.

[@breeezzinit]

And "viscount" is pronounced VYE-count.

[@MsAngelique]

+kmeccat ... I'm pretty sure it's a regional thing.

[@MPythonGirl]

+Tinyfată Really? I always assumed it was a joke/reading thing. I mean... I know I've mispronounced things because I read them before I heard them. I've googled it... and it appears to be a thing random people do. I dunno.

[@Sandra-yx6yp]

+kmeccat I agree with you 100%. No civility or social graces at all. It's very rude, crude, and coarse

[@finalgothform]

The fainting couch declaration of "TRAMP!!!" with the face about killed me! 😂💀

[@Dirty_Squirrell]

The ''w'' is silent in the word sword.

[@harshmnr]

6:36-That was perfect. Much appreciated. ~:~

[@reverendmothercheryl2276]

One etiquette rule that I would greatly welcome is to not interrupt when someone is speaking. Interrupting someone when they are in the middle of a sentence shows that you're not listening to what they are saying or that you don't care and that you are too busy listening to the voices in your own head. It's extremely rude and disrespectful and Americans do it all the time!

[@SivaH88]

...or in middle of your speech someone turns 180 degrees away and starts yelling to other person.

[@reverendmothercheryl2276]

I've had that happen too. My mother raised me to be much more polite and all of that training seems lost on so many. It's very sad.

[@talap16]

That is very true! I hate when people interrupt me and then start talking about something else and it was as of i wasn't even speaking at all. I've had this argument with my family plenty of times now, because not only do strangers interrupt me but my parents as well. 😳 makes me feel like I'm too boring to be listened to for at least 2min

[@reverendmothercheryl2276]

Thalia, I cannot add to what you have written. I know exactly how you feel. It's lead me to simply let people talk and keeping my opinions or comments to myself. Of course, this makes people think me aloof and unfriendly. I can't win.

[@adrianaldridge2267]

I really hate when people interrupt me and I don't like to interrupt others but this can be difficult for people with ADD and ADHD as I have ADD I can sometimes not stop myself from talking in the middle of someone else's sentence. I do try and stop myself but sometimes I just blurt things out without realizing. It has gotten better as I've gotten older but I still do it very often. On the occasion I catch myself interrupting I try to stop but It can be very difficult.

[@JadeNohels]

Accurate and so well put together. Love it

[@galubyovo4061]

The only thing I like about this is that I could go on the street without being catcalled.

[@episodesfreak]

The who do you introduce to who rule is still being taught in etiquette or finishing schools today. (edit) it's modernised now though. You'd introduce a new colleague to your boss for example and so on.

[@mjhoop5141]

There still are etiquette schools...for the same social ranks as adhered to all these rules of civility. Too bad proper behaviour is not taught every year for every kid. Maybe so many would not be shooting so many others.

[@cjok8367]

Introduce oldest person first as a show of respect. That's what I remember being taught in public school,could be wrong.

[@lukepercy1996]

I don't find the victorian etiquite rules ridiculous. I find them charming and wonderful.

[@carolwickenkamp4603]

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Wish we had more firm rules of ettiquette now. A few years ago I gave one of my three teenage nieces a book on etiquette, dating, etc. Withing a few minutes they were bickering over it, they all wanted to look something up. Later that day when they were doing something else, the 2 pre-teen boys had their noses into it. It is much easier to learn a few rules early in life and from then on out, know how to deal with situations, what to wear for different occasions, the kind of thing you never ever do, what is rude and what isn't. which fork to use, or even how to hold a fork (not like a toad stabber.) I feel such sympathy for young people now, they've just been cast adrift. Yes, they can pretty much do what they want, going through life offending and off putting as they will, but it looks to me like they've retained the jello but thrown away the bowl.

[@AuroraLalune]

Luke Percy Great. Now go try communicating to a man with flowers and see how that works for you.

[@truthmatters-jt5up]

luke, and RESPECTFUL.

[@AuroraLalune]

Carol Wickenkamp My grandmother made me learn as a kid. Book walking, whole nine yards. It has never been useful a day in my life. Never. In fact, it highlighted me as different and did me no favors.

[@AuroraLalune]

truth matters Please don't lawd something you don't know or understand. It's not simply "say yes maam and yes sir to your parents/grandparents" nor is it "Keep your elbows off the table" or "no back talking" It's not even just forks and other asinine unnecessary rules that seem to exist more simply because someone was bored one day. Victorian etiquette went into what you wear when and how many times you can wear it and what kinds of things you have to wear and it got even worse too. Don't advocate for an era's etiquette without understanding them first. Manners is how you talk to your elders, grandparents, wiping off your feet before you come in, doing your chores and school lessons seriously, taking responsibility for your own actions and minding your ps and qs. Etiquette, even later versions, encompass much more and have nothing in particular to really do with respect. In fact, most people don't know how to react to that level of formality. While being polite is great... etiquette isn't simply "keep your elbows off the table and respect your parents/elders/teachers"... it's more and Victorian etiquette specifically was itself a series of edicts from queen Victoria, a very controlling queen who apparently enjoyed complicating anything and everything.

[@melyssasmith2741]

Im so glad that stuck went out before I was born lol the video was hilarious!!! 😆

[@simplyme8593]

Lovely video 😄