The price of Victorian era clothing $$$

‪@mrbenn2209‬
To clarify, I am dressed in middle class attire for this video but to get a closer look at the working class clothing you can check out the video two posts down.
Like everything related to history, there are a ton of variables so this is just an example to give you a general idea. Of course there were people poorer than chamber maids and not every chamber maid made $4.50, but this will hopefully give you an idea of what a normal girl was buying and wearing in the past.
Also consider that it’s likely she didn’t buy everything brand new, cast offs from her mistress were a common perk in domestic service and reworking or retrimming a dress to make it more fashionable was also an option. Room an board was also typically included in a chambermaids “wages” so that freed up some budget for other things as well #historicalcostuming #victorian #1895 #budget #fashionhistory #economichistory

[@Scarlettifity]

She could buy all those pieces one by one every week. And most of them she can swap on different clothes she already has so its a pretty good investment.

[@jericson1109]

First few months were probably taken up buying work clothes though. Servants were mostly expected to provide their own uniforms. I would imagine the first nice shirtwaist to wear on days off felt like quite an accomplishment.

[@nyphira]

No she couldn’t. Remember people need to buy food and pay other important things

[@blackforest_fairy]

​@@nyphiraexactly that is the reason why she said buy one item at the time... Like this week the blouse next week the skirt and so on instead of buying the whole (rather expensive outfit at ones) this is to make sure to always have money left for food.

[@duceagle6625]

and in the case of a chambermaid, room and board was usually included, I think?@@blackforest_fairy

[@twitchy_bird]

​@@nyphirawhoosh

[@HeatGriffin]

Girls in service often had access to discarded clothing from the women of the house as well, either to sell or to use.

[@j03man44]

"discarded"

[@cinnamonbonk]

​@@j03man44I mean sure people stole stuff, but it was also a common practice for used pieces from the lady of the house to be part of her maids salary essentially.

[@HisMiraclesHappening]

Perk

[@ThePointlessBox_]

@@j03man44 bruh as a chambermaid you didnt want to risk it Stealing meant immediate ejection from the house and destruction of reputation and no reference to take to a new house No reference means no employment, and in those times it means you’re either going to a workhouse for life or you die on the street. They didnt fuck around back then

[@lynettefinnigan9540]

Some were 'given' old outfits, then when the woman of the house caught her husband leering at the young chambermaid, she'd say she stole it and she could leave quietly or with the police!!....and other interesting stories handed down through generations...

[@julesking1303]

Just the phrase “Sears catalogue from 1897” alone blows my mind

[@williamjenkins4913]

My grandparents bought their house from a Sears catalogue and they sent builders out. It was around forever and did everything.

[@cesmith48]

Considering Sears doesn't exist anymore.

[@alexnovak2669]

Sears was basically internet shopping before the internet.

[@saiikarin2334]

125 years ago...

[@brn12113]

Sears brushing off online shopping in the 90s was something I could never wrap my head around. They had been a giant of mail order shopping for so long...

[@aech619]

People forget that a lot of women those days sewed their own garments or mend old ones to keep using them for much longer. Most people these days throw away clothes that are damaged or just old and unwanted

[@abrown507]

They might have known how to sew simple garments but the outside fashion garments were trade secrets the average person even middle and upper class people would not have access to the patterns.

[@animefreakx210]

Trying to mend a lot of modern day clothes doesn't extend the life of the clothes for very long because quality has gone down significantly. I try to rescue many of my clothes and most, if I can save them, usually need repatched within 3 months. You can only repatch so many times though especially if they keep getting worn out in the same spots.

[@naolucillerandom5280]

​@@abrown507 aren't there a bunch of books of the era (and previous ones) directed at women in general showing the basics of how to sew the items? I could swear I have seen them.

[@JesusChrist42000]

​@@naolucillerandom5280yes sewing clothes is actually incredibly easy. The person in the comments has no clue what they are talking about.

[@iancanterbury2380]

I once held into a pair of jeans for a year and a half and only had to finally get rid of it when the seam along the crotch ripped all the way up the back 😂 would have fixed it if i knew how to.

[@dawngail66]

They don't have to buy all the items at once tho

[@baxterbunch]

They would also buy fabric and make their own clothes which was cheaper and repair damaged items of clothing because every woman and girl knew how to sew

[@audreydoyle5268]

​@@baxterbunch basic life skill, everyone should know how to mend. Sadly, consumerism prevents people from seeing the value in such a skill

[@baxterbunch]

@@audreydoyle5268 I totally agree I learned to sew by the time I was 6, it’s very convenient I repair my clothes and my children’s clothes aswell as making them myself, I can crochet but never got into knitting

[@bringmychariot]

​@@audreydoyle5268 I still hand sew EVERYTHING. Learned how to use a sewing machine but fell out of practice. Hopefully, I'll be able to start making my own cosplays soon, so (or should I say *sew,* lol) I'll be picking the skill back up when I get a new machine for projects. And, yeah, it's still absolutely cheaper to make and mend your own clothing and you don't have to worry about the BS sizing in women's clothing that way. I'm so excited to relearn the skill. My cat will absolutely be my test subject for patterns, though (and we can match!) 😂 Sorry for the ramble, but I'm in love with sewing because it's something my grandmother taught me and something we did together. ❤

[@deathbloom27]

​@@baxterbunchexactly. The working class had to know how to make and grow their own basic necessities.

[@katmartindale8049]

Room and board would often be included for servants who lived on premises. With those expenses covered there might be more in the budget for clothing. Pieces could be purchased over time or sometimes the family might give older clothes to favored servants so they could be made over into new clothing. There were second-hand shops where clothing was bought and sold just like we have today.

[@twitchy_bird]

Yes! People tend to forget these things in their estimations.

[@Sarah-said]

Plus the fabric and sewing job was generally of better quality. If you've ever seen some of the 1st pairs of Levi's jeans you could see how much thicker the material was back then.

[@pcbassoon3892]

It was also common practice for the house staff to receive fabric to make their dresses as a Christmas gift from their employers. Its in Below Stairs, a book about a gilded age cook, but I think that had been a practice for a while.

[@terry_the_terrible]

If room and board are included, wouldn't it reduce the wages they received? Also I'm pretty sure that servants wouldn't get paid weekly. At least, not every household would be nice enough to pay on time, everytime

[@creepersonspeed5490]

​@@terry_the_terriblebut she is talking about the typical wages, which would have factored that in

[@Eliz2992]

For anyone wondering what this outfit would cost now adjusted for inflation: -Basic Chemise: $9.25 -Corset: $14.80 -Petticoat: $18.50 -Corset Cover: $5.55 -Shirtwaist: $9.25 -Straw Hat: $9.25 -Skirt: $44.02 TOTAL: $110.62 (Edit: I just used an inflation calculator, this is more of a rough guesstimate than anything exact!)

[@KatelynDombach]

I wish I could buy a decent bra for $15...

[@lumindoesvideos]

I find it funny that a corset from that time period is less expensive than most good bras are now.

[@darkworlddenizen]

Doesn't seem to bad for all that really

[@makeda6530]

Gosh, imagine. So much for a bit over 100, that's actually nice. A good corset for 15 bucks sounds like a dream. It'd take me the whole budget of that outfit to successfully make myself just the corset. Lol 😔

[@mrjones2721]

The inflation calculations seem off. Yes, that calculator is everywhere, but the numbers don’t look right.

[@winterrose7094]

And her clothing would last longer than a $7 t shirt and $26 jeans

[@TORQ111]

Yeah, cause it costed about $100 less than what she just spent on that

[@LanaDayne]

You really think you're different huh

[@shydreamguyman4098]

i still wear clothes i've had for more than 20 years that look good .

[@alexandra2jerry]

Your $7 T shirt from Walmart won’t last long but a $20 T shirt from Talbots will last over twenty years and I have the proof. I buy them all on sale and I’ve several which are in great shape! As my mother would say “It doesn’t pay to buy cheap”💕😊💕

[@alexandra2jerry]

Where do you get $26 jeans 👏😊👏

[@thebutterflyeffect-plant-b3067]

It was also the habit of the wealthy and aristocratic households to offer their ladies' maids and other household staff cast off clothing as an inducement to continued employment. Couple that fact with the habit, then as now, to receive clothing items as gifts for birthdays and Christmas, especially fripperies such as gloves, hats, and ribbon trimmings. Many ladies would only have one or two serviceable outfits for the week and a nicer set for Sunday, with perhaps a traveling outfit in addition. Finally, needlework was a skill that all working class ladies were expected to have, and many were able to purchase inexpensive fabrics and create their ensembles themselves. This skill also allowed them to keep their clothes in good repair, allowing them to be worn until they got so threadbare that they ended up in a rag bag or perhaps as a lovely addition to a quilt.

[@nora22000]

Yes! The quilt!

[@leilei49-51]

My grandma made a quilt from her old clothes. She can name each outfit from the quilt and tell us when she bought and used them. It was really fun😆.

[@whoopsydaisy6389]

I love that you used "Fripperies". That needs to make a comeback.

[@inkypunk]

Just to add on: Not every working class person would be immaculately turned out all the time, just presentable enough for work, having perfect fitted clothes all the time was (and still is!) the privilege of the comfortably well off. Things lasted longer than they do now and could be repaired, not everything would fit perfectly. That's why we think people look "poor" or "cheap" when their clothes are patched or faded. Hand me downs were common and so was recycling fabric from old dresses for new clothes. You also had multiple chemises and washed them daily, not your outer clothes.

[@pcbassoon3892]

This is earlier, but I know Louisa May Alcott's family bought used clothing, so there must have been a second hand market. Apparently, it was a habit she found difficult to break, even after finding financial success.

[@williamjenkins4913]

And a level of grunge. If you sweat at work even modern cleaners cant prevent discoloration. Her outfit would really be ragged at the edges, stained and discolored. It would also be acceptable middleclass attire looking like that.

[@MissSchnickfitzel]

They would typically "fit" them themselves

[@zoeeubanks4715]

@@williamjenkins4913”Middle-class”women would not have worked outside of the home, unless they were unmarried, and then they might work as a governess or teacher. In the UK it was fairly common for middle-class families to employ a servant or two of their own until the 1920’s. Working class women (what this video portrays) probably would’ve had far less items and the requisite grunge

[@user-yz9yg4yx1k]

Women also sewed so fitting their clothes to them was not a big issue.

[@Martipenny]

My Mom quit school to go to work during the depression when she didn’t own many clothes. She used to just buy one piece of clothing a week until she got an entire outfit. That’s how people did it then!! Good technique and good advice for any era!!😊

[@tinydancer7426]

On my meager income and raising a child by myself. that is how I added new clothes to my closet all the time. I would wait for the department sores to put thing on sale and I budgeted my disposable income to buying a single item at a time, often putting it on layaway and making weekly payments. Same management was applied to clothing my son. This was during the 1970's and 19080's. and then, once he went off to college, had to continue to do so while he was in college. Never really stopped even after he graduated. I have been trying to get back into making clothes for myself.

[@christinacanto3740]

When I worked for Abercrombie it took me a week to make back the money I spent on the clothes they made me buy to wear to work… I wore the same outfit every work day

[@sirnovaway6508]

Considering that people owned very few pieces of clothing at that time, the cost of this outfit seems pretty affordable to me when she would have been taking great care of each piece and wearing them frequently for many years

[@lizbratcher2919]

I’d also assume they or their mothers/family members would sew their own clothing, especially undergarments, from discarded fabric or even flour sacks, etc. it’s only been in the last few decades that buying all of your clothing has become the norm.

[@lrajic8281]

Oh right! Flour sack dresses were very favorable patterns. And the more they were washed, the softer they became.

[@anomalily]

Flour sack dresses didn’t really become a thing for another ~20ish years

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

YES this is what I said too. That they went out and “shopped” for their clothing is quite realistic. Perhaps the hat might be purchased, but everything else could of and most likely would have been made/sewn. And as you brilliantly pointed out, most likely from recycled or inexpensive natural fabrics.

[@Aroos2011]

One more point: if the working class couldn’t afford these garments then who were they being mass produced for? The Post Industrial Revolution era has been flooded with product from the start, yes Victorians owned significantly less “stuff” of all varieties than we do today but they were still overwhelmed with product compared to their pre industrial counterparts. Product was different in those days too in that it was generally divided into price categories by quality and level of decoration so while you might not be able to afford a fancy item there certainty were ‘serviceable’ options in lower priced categories. Also, the working class would have knitted and sewn most of their own basic garments as was usual throughout most of history. These days purchasing fabric and sewing clothing is actually more expensive than buying pre made clothing but this is a relatively new situation.

[@Aroos2011]

I saw the excellent PBS documentary about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire a few years ago and a horrific and tragic a subject as it was it was also an extremely good resource from a costume history perspective as it showed a great number of photos of working class girls in NYC at the turn of the century. These were women who were young, vivacious and professional despite being on one of the lowest rungs of the social ladder and their clothing reflected this to a surprising degree. It’s quite fascinating that the same, relatively new system of mass manufacturing garments that employed and clothed them in a fashion that would have been completely inaccessible to them 100 years previous was also the reason they died in such a horrific accident.

[@jrochest4642]

And she’d already own one corset, the underwear and petticoat, and probably the shoes and the skirt. She’d need a spiffy new shirtwaist (that she’d either save up for and/or make) and she’d undeniably eat bread and butter for a week for a really magnificent hat. Then she could go walking out with her beau.

[@angelicsailor1st]

Actually most would get a rather plain hat or repurpose an old one head out to the haberdashery get some ribbon and make up the hat

[@thegreatmysterylady3221]

​@@angelicsailor1stfun fact I learned just a couple of days ago and thought I'd share it with you, haberdashery specifically has to do with menswear and men's hats while millinery specifically has to do with women's hats. Haberdashery is strictly male oriented and millinery is strictly female oriented. Also please don't take it the wrong way I am just sharing it out of good nature I love sharing new things I learned with other people😊

[@denawagner360]

​@@thegreatmysterylady3221that's a cool little factoid! Thanks. I like learning new things!

[@angelicsailor1st]

@@thegreatmysterylady3221 Aw hey I didn’t know that! Thank you 🙏 (most of my historical education isn’t in this time period I’m used to studying poor areas that had general stores with a little bit of everything so it’s nice to know)

[@rockinbobokkin7831]

An 1890s Dollar has the purchase price of $33 in today's money. Probably some items like a skirt, might be hand made at home. And her paycheck still would have been super lousy.

[@crayonburry]

100 dollars for all that? Well it seems clothes were cheaper than even todays clothes.

[@strana6875]

And making $135 a week is rough bro... not as bad if you have room and board ig

[@myrabeth77]

@@strana6875 Room and board were usually covered, as well as at least some pieces of work clothes. She would have likely been spending her money on the occasional clothing or book purchase, food/entertainment when she was out and about on her day off, and either saving up for her future or sending the rest to her family.

[@mrjones2721]

That seems extremely low. It’s the number that’s all over the web thanks to inflation calculators, but it smells off.

[@deirdreevangelista856]

@crayonburry its not cheap , prices were cheaper to us back then. But back then ,prices were high. A car cost $200. Dollars back then a small fortune. Bread 5¢ Better quality back then ,clothes lasted longer and were well made and usually tailored to fit your body PERFECTLY. But, dept store prices were expensive to THEM. people didn't make slot of money weekly. They had rent ,morgage, A family etc. to take care of first. Clothes were thought of last.

[@TrafficJamByCam]

I have that same book and I highly recommend everyone get a copy. It’s so much fun to look through and see the cost of things. You can literally buy a home from it!

[@makeda6530]

Imagine. Sometimes I bust a sweat just glancing through IKEA.

[@spydersquirrel]

Buying on a credit basis was also more common in certain areas of the world during this time frame too, with folks coming in and paying in installments over time for garments. Also just.... it'd be very common for gals to have just bought the cloth and sewn everything themselves but for the shoes, or to sew at least the under garments or the dress themselves. So many ways for folks to penny pinch and financially plan for important closet pieces like these.

[@MsQjoe]

She also probably would have done some of the sewing herself, especially for the undergarments

[@Rebelartist83]

Don't forget they had second hand clothing stores and church clothing rooms then too and I must be in the wrong decade because every item of clothing I own can all fit in a medium large rolling suitcase and I only own two pairs of shoes I'm weird I fix crap till I have to turn them in to dish rags and never go to the thrift store unless I absolutely have to replace something.. haha I'm a 19th century cheapskate in 21st century inflation.. also don't forget most women then knew how to sew and would've inherited clothing and even if it was 20-50 years old they'd still would wear it or sew it to fix the fashion of the time..if it wasn't broke why fix it but I honestly think they had it way better than us tbh

[@pricklypear7516]

The word "tawdry" is actually a contraction of "Saint Audrey's," a church known for its rummage sales and second-hand clothing.

[@jericson1109]

Second hand stores really weren't common yet. There were people who dealt in secondhand clothes piece by piece out of their homes and there were auction houses that people sent boxes of stuff (usually from deceased estate or bankruptcies) to be sold off by the tea chest load. You couldn't just think "oh I've got a spare afternoon and it is business hours I will go to a second hand shop"

[@Kahtini]

@@jericson1109 2nd hand stores were more prevalent than you think. It was common for a lady's maid being given cast off clothing from the woman they worked for, and selling them. This was because most working women didn't have a place to wear the high end fashions of their employers. They'd remake from gowns with fabrics they could use, and sell the gowns in fabrics that they couldn't. This was common as far back as the Regency era, possibly even back in the late 1700s.

[@jericson1109]

@Kahtini you are confusing second hand clothing TRADERS and second hand clothing stores. They had TRADERS. Traders who were out all day trying to source clothes...if they attended an auction that might take most of a day. It wasn't a particularly profitable occupation and they and their customers generally didn't have great transport options so that was incredibly time consuming for them. They didn't run stores because that was more than their profit margins could handle...they traded out of their homes. Communication options were limited...and they certainly were not the early adopters of telephone communication. To do a deal for second clothing required leaving messages, the trader catching up with you and organising how, when and where you were to see some clothing. The traders had only what could be sourced in the local area...no big truck bringing in donated garments from across town. And the traders tried to turn their profit quickly and keep as little stock as possible on hand. It might take a month for someone employed long hours to be able to see the wares of a secondhand clothing trader. I'm old and my family breed late in life My grandmother was born before widespread automobile use and remembered this era...she was so grateful for the dingy little charity shops of the seventies.

[@Kahtini]

@@jericson1109 2nd hand shops were pawn shops and broker's shops. Yes, they carried more than clothing. But clothing could be found there.

[@CaulkMongler]

Definitely a good point about longevity of fashion pieces back in the day. We’re so used to fast fashion in our current day, buying items with no exact idea how long we’re gonna actually keep them around or actually wear them on a daily basis.

[@karenladwig]

My grandma changed her apron every day but the rest of her outfit was not changed unless it got dirty. Clothes were not as easy to wash back then.

[@mrjones2721]

We’ve forgotten the concept of body linen, a cheap, easily washed layer next to the skin that absorbed sweat and oils and kept the outer clothes clean. Body linen wasn’t changed nearly as often as we would want it changed-weekly was common-but it was changed and washed on a regular schedule. The outermost clothes often weren’t washed at all, and some of them, like silks, couldn’t be washed. People brushed their outer clothes clean or spot-cleaned them.

[@paulyandle6081]

Am sure they'd purchase over time via Sears. An item this month, another one or two next month. You'd have to Mail in your order, then wait awhile to receive your purchase. Maybe they ordered a season in advance ?

[@jojokeane]

Excellent research. Thank you!

[@lilindil1250]

In the UK we had the Rag Man/ Woman who went around getting old clothes or rags and the poorest people of society went to them for second hand clothes. Items could be handed down from family members and even those in your community. Also hats as well as corsets were important items of clothing in this period as they were seen as a must for those wanting to be known as respectable and honest women. It was important to cover your head outside of the home.

[@AkumakoCross]

That's of course assuming this theoretical working-class woman was buying all her clothes brand-new. To my knowledge, second-hand clothing stores were fairly common, and it was also pretty common for wealthier people who could employ servants to sometimes give their old clothes to said servants. So if this hypothetical woman didn't mind being a little behind the latest fashions or having to do a little mending or altering, she could potentially be dressed fairly well for even less than that.

[@catewithac8978]

I know the clothing looks fancy to us now, but that's like asking if a working-class person today could afford a bra, panties, jeans, and a shirt. Like...an untrimmed white shirtwaist and a plain skirt (cotton, I'm guessing?) was the most basic outfit you could have at that time. We have corset ads guaranteeing the product for about a year, roughly the same amount of time we get out of a bra nowadays- and like with bras, in actuality you could wear it for much longer. Plus, things could be purchased secondhand, too!

[@rosieposie582]

I'm obsessed w the ✨poofy sleeves ✨

[@alisonbrandon9059]

It also helps that they didn’t spend 1/3 of their income on utilities that hadn’t been invented/generally used yet.

[@darkchurchhill]

Yeah but they had other costs we don’t today as well such as candles.

[@thalinororcbreaker2840]

​@darkchurchhill Bro, if you have a 3 or 5 wick candle on the table that your wife didn't mention the cost of, just don't ask. Just leave it be. We do have candle costs, you just don't know it yet.

[@iPanda1000]

@@thalinororcbreaker2840yes but do you have to use the candle every night/ every time it gets dark? No, so you’re not going through the candles as fast.

[@1nm1]

I love how you used the old catalog prices to answer the question. You probably could do a whole series of videos on the items found in old Sears catalogs (basically the "Amazon" of that time period).

[@delindalumpkin1171]

You are just a pleasure to watch and listen too. Thank you.

[@annamae859]

Yes she could as she doesn't have to buy all the items at the same time. Also it would be very likely she 'lived in' at the house she worked at so she wouldn't have rent, heating or food bills.

[@lrajic8281]

They had used clothing shops in those days too. People died, the survivors got their clothes or sold them. People had to sew some things, or make them over (repairs, new buttons, ribbons, etc.) The clothes were probably higher durability as well, especially the shoes.

[@Catssonova]

Considering the working classes were more resourceful back then, they very likely would have attempted to make their own pieces of clothing or alter it as much as possible. Then there's all the passed down articles of clothing from family and friends

[@gasparinha]

That catalog looks fantastic! I may have to ILL that, just to have a peek.

[@ineedmoresleep3728]

45% of Americans were farmers during that time, chambermaid was considered prestigious by comparison because it was working indoors

[@mrjones2721]

Yeah, it’s a culture shock to cross the pond and see how differently household servants were treated. The U.S. never had the superabundant servant class of 1700’s-early 1900’s England, so servants had more bargaining power.

[@jdsiv3]

umm except for the millions of people held either in slavery or otherwise forced into the lowest occupations due to racial segregation - you're correct @@mrjones2721

[@rebeccamiller9558]

I would research the sewing pattern and fabric and thread prices because she is much more likely to get new clothes that way than out of the catalog

[@rivertam7827]

No one buys a whole wardrobe in one week, even today. Okay well some people might, but most don't. And this wasn't fast fashion, they lasted for years, so their wardrobe would have been accumulated over a period of time, and there likely would have been gifted and hand me down pieces in there too.

[@randombrit13]

God i love those price numbers, inflation is wild

[@arkology_city]

I have an old photo of a catalog where they had kit homes for sale, with the smallest for sale for $500. A house.

[@bartlesbee]

Really puts into perspective inflation.

[@genera1013]

Not to mention you typically lived in your employer's house when in domestic service so room and board were not expenses a chamber maid had to worry about.

[@Nol.]

I OWN THAT EXACT SAME CATALOGUE I got it for a set design class, as a more long-term investment (considering how I want to go into set design) Look at the old medicines. They’re hilarious. In general, if you ever look at an old newspaper, look at the medicinal adverts. You’ll find things like “Mrs’s Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound” for a woman’s “monthly sickness” and medical instruments that look like torture devices

[@madcapriflette3359]

Damn you, inflation...😢

[@thesewloartist]

I knoooowww pretty much the only thing I daydream about re: the past is going shopping. The 1890s would have been a terrible time to live, but damn the clothes 😩

[@megangreene3955]

​@@thesewloartistIt would have been a difficult time to live in without modern medicine, but I would do it anyway. I would gladly trade my Mennonite cape dresses (I'm not Mennonite just modest dressing) for early Edwardian skirts and shirtwaists. I would love to live in a time when most people were church going Christians and people didn't need a vehicle to get around. I would be happy to send my kids out the door in the morning to the local Catholic school, which cost only pennies on the dollar and was taught by nuns. Being able to walk or take a tram everywhere would be nice. Since I can't drive, I struggle with simply being able to go to the doctor or get groceries in 2023. Everywhere I go, I have to have my husband take me. It stinks.

[@Allyfyn]

​​@@megangreene3955by the way there are some European counties where you don't have to drive everywhere some in which they speak English bilingually.

[@PhilipIIofMacadamia]

25 cents in 1897 was equivalent to 9.10$ today. You could also buy 5x more items. I friggin wish

[@alexandragatto]

You can definitely buy cheap shirts for under $10 today though. The cheapest shirt she could find was 25 cents so it's no different from a 9.10$ t-shirt from Walmart or Shein today, only the style has changed.

[@tymondabrowski12]

​@@alexandragattoI bet the cheap shirt is not pure cotton or linen though. Polyester and elastin have their advantages but plenty of disadvantages too.

[@mrjones2721]

The inflation calculator numbers look off. You can get radically different inflation results depending on what class of goods and services you use as a comparison, and the calculators that have been copied and recopied across the Internet appear to be linked to a measure that gives very low numbers.

[@akabga]

​@@mrjones2721I think Philip is looking at a buying power calculator, which factors in the price to live. But, they're all different and look at different factors. The calculator I looked at said a dollar in 1900 would be worth 24.37 today. 🤷‍♀️

[@mlp023]

The fact that you have a serious catalog from eighteen ninety seven is so remarkable❤

[@VictorianMaid99]

you look lovely Dear !

[@RobinAaron3173]

Red dead redemption flashbacks when she pulled out that catalog

[@lotstodo]

I wonder if there is a forgotten warehouse somewhere with all those old items.

[@deefee701]

Can you do some videos on shoes, please, the working class as well as upper classes. I'm fascinated with how narrow the shoes were. I know shoes were hand made too.

[@SomeGuy-gc8zs]

It's also worth mentioning they didn't throw things out when they broke, they fixed them; an article of clothing could and would be repaired, refitted, and repurposed many times, and things were made quite sturdy to begin with.

[@MirA12334]

It honestly depends where they worked. Some were given uniforms and some were not. And most of them had at least some skill of sewing so they probably made some clothing items by themselves. But even so they probably had hand me downs and just kept fixing them. And usually they only really had to worry about paying for clothes since they usually got food and a living space from the boss. (At least here where I live which is in Germany)

[@AllTheButtons87]

They must have saved some money or bought piece by piece. Also hand me downs were a thing

[@bloqk16]

That was marvelous of looking up the wage scales that correlated to the Sears catalog price to give a good perspective on the percentage of wages it took to be properly dressed.

[@fantasmo6494]

Damn those red dead redemption catalogs were accurate af

[@Seasonal_aesthetic321]

I wish I could afford clothes like that i would wear everyday

[@mrjones2721]

There are places where you can buy them. They cost a fair bit, but that would put you on the same footing as a Victorian servant.

[@Seasonal_aesthetic321]

@@mrjones2721 thanks good to known

[@LauraFaeryNiteMareSouthway]

Yes, women back then wore their clothes for a couple of days before switching to another outifit. Corsets were worn like bras today (ladies we know how we wear them). Clothes were washed once a week. it was back breaking work to wash clothes with a washboard and a very horrible soap. Not every working girl had a person do their laundry

[@quite_contrary_9956]

The way you speak about girlhood so honestly and earnestly made me burst into tears more than once, I’ve never felt so understood and this video really helped my reconnect with my girlhood. I CANNOT WAIT fro your next videos!!! Thank you for making this fantastic content!!

[@woopwoot]

That catalog would be such great art reference for character design omg

[@martinthatoneguy8227]

Now one hour of work will either get you a Big Mac meal or the down payment on a shirt or blue jeans.😂

[@42seven]

capitalism

[@dtschuor459]

That’s only if you insist on paying $70 for a pair of jeans. It isn’t essential and there are many ways to be well dressed, stylish, and not spend a large percentage of your net pay on clothing

[@martinthatoneguy8227]

@dtschuor459 Even then, a decent pair of jeans is $30, and the average pay per hour is roughly $15 per hour more or less.

[@vanillacupcake866]

God I miss Sears...people who like fast cheap, none long lasting things ruined quality driven brands

[@kathleenprobus8970]

I love that book. It is an amazing historical source!!!

[@samsprrr3548]

Wow love the catalogue its beautiful.

[@mathildek2234]

She probably would have made or inherited part of her wardrobe, so she wouldn’t have been paying all of that

[@jericson1109]

Being in service often started when girls were quite young...and they were expected to provide their own clothes. Also it was seen as important to get a girl of good character. The general result of all that was there was almost never a hiring of an adult total stranger...someone already in service knew someone who had a daughter and could provide her in suitable clothing to start work. And usually the girls family expected her to send most of it back to them until she grew old enough to put a stop to that. If she was very young when she started I doubt there would be much clothes buying of anything other than work clothes for a while. By which time she would probably be quite concerned for what was to become of her in the long term and be juggling the goals of finding a husband and accumulating some personal savings. It seems like a lot of money but it wouldn't have been. In the USA cotton was fairly cheap but wool was still expensive. Medical and dental care was very expensive and not particularly effective so an injury or illness could wipe out someone's savings. And there was no cheap entertainment via the internet... having anything better than a miserable life meant going places so transport, food to eat away from the employer and experiences would have eaten up a lot of money too. My gut instinct says the price of a nice skirt felt to the budget more like $200 nowai? And that cheap bottom of the range clothing looked cheap even though it was better made than now. There would have been a lot of girls wearing a nice shirtwaist over the best of their work skirts on their days off and reworking their existing hat with new trimming. My parents and the parents of the father of my children grew up at the tail end of that historical dynamic. They all experienced teenage jobs where the money was given in a sealed pay packet with the details of what was in it written down on it and your parent took it off you immediately. And that happened until you became of age or managed to convince them otherwise. I'm not saying there weren't working class young women spending up on pretty clothes but just like today...it wouldn't have been everyone's reality. It would have been a situation most girls would need to spend years getting themselves to and other girls never got themselves to.

[@josefinbjork1086]

Back then most women Only had 2-3 dresses that wold be mended and turnd inside out too keep them going longer. Its crazy too me that now a Days most peopel have a closet full and by more and often dont even use Most of it

[@dastar5340]

Most maids lived at the house they worked for, so they had food and lodging free.

[@ladyofthemasque]

Working class folks would also have a lot more under-layers specifically to change those out frequently (to reduce stains & smells from sweat & body oils) while the outer layers were less frequently changed. They would also wear a smock or apron that covers quite a lot of their clothes to help further protect those outer layers from things like mud, dust, and grime, etc.

[@MissSchnickfitzel]

I cant afford that much stuff even from a full months wage lmfao.

[@Rosie-nini]

I have a question. What era are you in? (Serous question) just wondering if it is in the 1900' or 1800' not sure. And also which years.

[@christylawrence1268]

1890's, she said at the front of the clip :)

[@crow1247]

1890s!

[@Rosie-nini]

Thanks peeps. I'm a bit of an idiot 🙃 Sounds awesome though! And subscribed!

[@crow1247]

@@Rosie-nini aghh don't be so hard on yourself. A silly question? Sure. Stupid? Nah.

[@Rosie-nini]

@@crow1247 :D thx

[@Delicate_Disaster]

I used to work at Sears & Roebuck and I love seeing the old catalogs.

[@butternutsquash6984]

At federal minimum wage (40 hours & take home as basis), that's equivalent to about $175 in today's world.

[@GoogleUser-wy2vv]

Do people understand that this was their regular clothes

[@lizh1988]

Back in the sixties, a shopgirl owned 2 skirts, two blouses and maybe a dress for church. The 2 two blouses and skirts were for work. Simple and no stress about what to wear.

[@jellydarling1008]

Clothing lasted way longer and was way more versatile

[@PCMenten]

Thank you for your descriptions of the history of the people who wore this clothing.

[@mostlyghostey]

More than teaching me what a working class woman wore, this taught me how ridiculous inflation is.

[@SHOT_GUNNER]

I find the vintage attire absolutely stunning. I wear vintage clothes (male) and I get some pretty unique looks from folks but mostly positive things. I just wish men had a bit more options today. That why I’ll just stay vintage. Great videos and thank you for posting this amazing content for us vintage clothing junkies 😊

[@williamarrowsmiith8380]

The style of clothing back then was so very elegant and presentable!

[@MusicFoRealz]

I think it’s super cool she has a Sears catalog that old!! I throw away all my catalogs once I get them! Haha

[@m0zarts-animation]

These turning out amazing!!!!

[@Pollyanna_x]

I live next to an old (abandoned) 1911 Sears & Roebuck building. I’ve tried to envision what it was like when it first opened, and this video offers insight! 🥰

[@JimAllen-Persona]

Another informative piece. Thank you.

[@Efflorescentey]

In Australia, Sears is a trades workwear store so buying a corset from sears is absolutely comical to me. I'm thinking hi vis petty coats

[@edcrichton9457]

Its called your Sunday best for a reason.

[@______IV]

It’s hard to take myself out of the mindset of abundance of the modern day to consider the past. It’s a great mental exercise to try though.

[@itsalexthegreat]

That is so cool to see the old catalogs

[@cesmith48]

She needs a raise.

[@4xhot]

Thanks for this explanation. I was curious about that as well. Very well done!❤

[@gloriamrales-king8606]

Your outfit is beautiful!❤

[@TaanayeSikhosana]

Beautiful outfit and makeup ❤

[@RJ-kb3qf]

Your ring is so pretty!!!

[@s-core8087]

Why does this look like the best version of the Meet Samantha outfit from the 90s American girls? I love this.

[@elizabetheaton3882]

Things are very different now with so many affordable choices

[@deborahbarry8458]

Thank you for giving us more information

[@missmarie_8790]

It’s amazing to see the way things have changed, when now a decent corset can cost anywhere from $50 - $300 depending on how ornate or what kind of fabric etc.

[@TheEmanep]

Thanks this is fascinating and it’s great to do a comparison on what they’d typically spend on outfits compared to their income.

[@sabrinajones1573]

Love the historical accuracy

[@melissahavens6610]

I love your channel!

[@JacquelineUnderwood]

It was also expected that the working girls in the house would have first dibs on the mistress’s discarded clothing. That was part of their compensation. Also I’m not sure but I think I learned somewhere that clothing was occasionally also provided for them, particularly if they were working a service job where the mistress/master of the house wanted them in uniform (at a certain point, having your servicepeople in uniform was a status symbol)