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I would love to have a heavy cotton flannel Pullman robe for hanging around the house, something decent if I need to answer the door or go out on the balcony to care for my plants. It seems like most robes are either giant "spa robes" with sleeves that interfere with kitchen tasks, synthetic fleece robes that get pills and feel sweaty, or thin robes that don't hide what you are (or aren't) wearing underneath. I think these might be popular with Disabled people who spend a lot of time at home and may not want to put a lot of energy into dressing when they're at home.
my main problem with the available robes is that they're all too short and my house is cold in the winter. I'm 5ft, and they end mid calf, so i myself might be somewhat warm, but my ankles are icicles.
As a disabled, largely homebound person who often have to go from my bed to the door, I have a really long hoodie that zips up easily. If I have a bad hair day I use the hood. Usually I think it probably just looks like I'm cold. I've also been wanting to make my own - preferably something lightweight, fluffy and warm, because I hate the "getting out of bed" feel, and I get cold a lot, and nothing ever fits right - it's always sack of potatoes or escort answering someone else's door. Plus they're all so damned short like @Anopano3000 said.
I made myself a full length needlecord robe and lined it. Took 3 metres of each fabric bit us so worthwhile. The needlecord wasn't so wide so the sleeves.are bracelet length. That allows me to do practical things like use the kitchen sink. If I go outside (2 dogs requiring g .I'd night bathroom breaks) I put my hands in the patch pockets to keep my hands warm. Raglan sleeves, an inner self tie from the lining material, a shawl collar and self tie belt. Very elegant and warm. It's worth looking online for fabric. Viscose or cotton sateen can be good for lining. It's worth paying a seamstress if you can't make it yourself. It would cost 10x the material price in the shops. (£30ish for matetial, with the lining I'd expect £280-£300). My 24 yo daughter liked it enough to talk me I to make another in lined crushed velvet for her last birthday. She loves it. Wider material gave her full length sleeves.
I made a comment, but for some reason it got deleted. I don't know why, but yes. As a disabled, largely homebound person who often has to go straight to the door from bed, I have a longline hoodie that reaches my mid/lower calf, that zips up easily. On bad hair days I use the hood. I really want to make myself a lighter, fluffier, and warmer garment, because I hate the "getting out of bed" feel, and most ones you can buy feel bad on the skin, and are either "potato sack" or "escort opening someone else's door", and so damnably short like Anopano3000 said
In the UK steam trains were always dirty, the reason for that was Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed multiple covered stations which became the standard up and down the country (wiki is nowhere near complete), if you look at the wiki for Paddington station you can see that his arches created a tunnel, which is great in 2024 if your line is electrified, but utterly sucks for steam and diesel trains, especially in summer. edit: my brain is trying to blank out the pigeons, oh god, the pidgeons.
Near where I live, there are two pigeon-infested railroad bridges where the street dives down under the bridge. The problem with the bridge construction is that the I-beams were left exposed, with gaps just large enough between them for a pigeon. You might not see many pigeons, but they're up there! So much poop and feathers on the roadway and sidewalks, alas. I always try to remember to roll up my windows in a car and put my mask up if I'm walking or riding my bike. Especially with H5N1 Bird Flu spreading through California, I'm aware of bird-borne diseases.
@@splendidcolors In our town there is this old 1960s nightclub which shut down in the 90s. They managed to get in through the broken windows and now where the frontage is falling off and what's worse is that underneath this building is where a lot of the bus stops are. In Britain we call them 'flying rats' and I'd argue that they are far worse than the bin chickens (Australian ibis) and seagulls.
@@michellebyrom6551 Sort of, they are protected under the wildlife act, but you can get a licence from DEFRA to inhume pigeons that are deemed a risk to health or crops. Feral pigeon and wild pigion are on different licences. With the wild pigeon licence you can eat them after.
the whole concept of traveling clothes is something I've been curious about for a while, this was such a cool video! (also "people were traveling in... canons" is an amazing sentence xD)
My Grandmother was an actress during the Victorian/Edwardian era in England and she did travel extensively all over Britain, throughout her career, during this time period and later on.
The mill town holidays in the north west of England brought budget travel fairly early, (certainly pre war) with the cotton workers from Bolton/Blackburn/Oldham etc travelling by coach or train to the seaside at Blackpool. The factories closed for these two weeks so often the whole staff would holiday together.
Historic travel? Yes. It's the best! (Been realising the ways in which I'm ND, and this makes me realise the niche of historical travel might very well be one of my special interests. Especially travel innovations and how travel affected development in society.)
My special interest is the 1851 great exhibition and I highly recommend its overlap with travel history (the trains had special tickets and made the event a possibility and would have been the first time many ever used them)
8:04 this immediately reminded me of back in the day when jewelry would set of the old TSA alarms. i remember as a kid the delays it would cause and watching people have to take all they’re jewelry off and thinking why did you not think of this! lol. glad nowadays jewelry is detected but doesnt trigger the alarm!!
Oh gods. And now I've had flashbacks to flying right after 9/11 when the detectors were set on stun (geeky Star Trek reference) and my underwire bra set it off because it had metal wires instead of the more common plastic today.
I love your new hairdo! I travel a lot - usually for a few weeks to Europe. I couldn't wait to see what travel wear has been historically. My basic packing list is about 3 pants and 3 tops that I can mix and match. Then of course anything needed for expected local weather (although expected can be very unexpected these days). Two sets of pyjamas/nightgown. About 5 pairs of undies and socks. A few bras. I wear the most bulky garments which means I generally fly in jeans, a blazer and sneakers.
It is so cool to see the final product of this video after chatting with you about it! All of the reference photos were rather interesting- I didn't expect to see people sleeping so haphazardly on a train in full historic dress!
I love the way you were able to include some pieces from your Atlantic cruise in the wardrobe for this trip. Knowing what colours work best for you is a big help in planning for variation and longevity.
Your wardrobe, which I gather is self-fabricated is absolutely gorgeous. It reinstates my love of great tailoring, subtle colours and as you say, choosing carefully. You have the wardrobe for a complete winter there, let alone a trip. I learned to wear cravats and ties to make shirt waists more feminine. I've been looking at all of the shirts available, but I have very broad shoulders, so they make me look masculine. Thank you for reminding me of this option!! An amazing post, as always! It's no wonder that you are asked to speak at these conferences. Thank you!
Same. I'm the person who packed for a week in a very cold, snowy climate with only a carryon and a purse. Minimalist wardrobe and advanced suitcase tetris skills for the win!
I remember in the late 1980s, my mother-in-law was *scandalized* that my ex and I didn't take any evening wear for clubbing when we visited Hawaii. We told her "Uh, we don't do that here on the mainland, why would we do it there?" Instead, we packed snorkel gear and a 4x5 Speed Graphic to take large format photos. Lots of casual wear and light rain jackets for the afternoon thundershowers. In the evening, we were too tired to go out after our adventures to Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head, and circumnavigating the Big Island via public transit. (Travel hack, you will often get more leg room on transit than on tour buses because there's less financial incentive to cram in another row of seats.)
I wonder if Victorian-era companies charged carry-on and checked baggage fees? 😂 If only modern airlines allowed Victorian-sized luggage-those trunks could fit *everything*!
Amtrak allows some pretty large luggage and the overage fees were pretty cheap when I checked. Enough that if I were doing a trade show, I could bring road cases of merch and just buy folding tables at my destination.
@splendidcolors up until, I believe 2019, I would send large pieces of heavy furniture and large trunks of garments from the West to the East Coast via Amtrak. The cost was next to nothing, easily 85% less than USPS fees today. Unfortunately, they don't offer the service anymore.
In the US, pre-Amtrak, baggage was included in the fare. There must have been some limit, but I expect we would find it extremely generous. More problematic would be baggage transfers between different railroads that used different stations. Sometimes baggage transfer was included in the ticket price. Other times you needed to make your own arrangements for baggage as well as transporting yourself to the other station.
As someone who has always adored travel in various eras (I've looked more at earlier than this, but this is still 100% in my wheelhouse) this is *eeeek!* Love it. Love it. Travel has shaped so much, and it tests both items and methods, ideas and expectations in such a distinct way that I don't know anything else can do. Nothing makes you love quality, proper fits and reuseability as travel, and nothing shows you which of your systems work under strain (in a pleasant way) as travel does. I always feel like my suitcase/weekender *is* my home, to the point where when I moved the rest of my things felt foreign. I hope you had fun travelling!
Very interesting. I love lightweight wool jersey base layers. Warm yet cool. BO does not trap. Thought you may give that particular brand a shoutout. Well done!
In my family we have one of my great (great?) grandmother's steamer trunnks! It has the drawers and the other side set up for hanging items. It is a very cool piece of family history that is currently in storage because me and my siblings don't have space for it right now but also don't want to get rid of it. I don't have a travel suit but I do have a couple of designated travel outfits! One is a matched set loose tunic like shirt and wide legged elastic pants, but still looks nice (like, I am a teacher and can wear it to work with sneakers). It makes me feel somewhat put together while still comfortable on tiny airplane seats.
My biggest challenge right now is work wear. My job involves a lot of walking and squatting down and modern stretchy fabric is great, but it eventually wears out and loses it's shape and looks awful. Mostly I want to be comfortable so I've been experimenting with boning and patch reinforcement
I’m sorry to tell you but natural fabrics do that too. The best thing is to look for construction clothes, they usually have knees designed with a lot of squatting in mind and often are reinforced
I occasionally wonder if the emergence of the "transformation gown" (a skirt with a blouse/bodice for day wear, one for evening usually) might have come about because of the increase in travel options... but I can't remember how early it showed up... 1860s, I think? If not, it would still be a good option for the history-bounding/vintage preferring individuals.
I certainly can't remember seeing one before then. I know it took a while to transition from all-in-one dresses of the regency era to separate bodice and skirt. From a clock through my reference books, it looks like separate bodice and skirt starts in the 1850s-60s
Alpaca, as mentioned at 9:56 was made with cotton warp and alpaca weft in this period. It's not pure alpaca wool. Or it could be chemically carbonized recycled blended cotton and wool (something in the same vein as shoddy or mungo), but I don't think this is what was meant for travel dress purposes. Will future videos show more of your trip?
I don't understand why so many people worry about repeating outfits while traveling. Unless you are staying in one place and seeing the same people, I just be sure to pack 2 sets of easy wash basics, a jacket, 2 pair shoes, meds and basic toiletries. That's all. (And wrinkle free light weight black blouse/skirt since I am a performing musician.)
I’ve taken inexpensive thin T-shirts, cut down and overlocked the neck. They are perfect for extending the use of tops. I’ve made white and black ones. 🧵
I think another thing that helps when traveling with small children. I was 8 and we flew to England. My mom dressed me in my Easter dress. Benefits: my behavior was more controlled because I was dressed nice. Being then undiagnosed ADHD/autism it was genius by my mom. Circ 1982.
I think most of us dressed well-maybe not Easter Dress well-for air travel in the 80’s. Standards seem to have started slipping in the ‘90s. By the 2010’s they went off a cliff, if only it were jeans &. T-shirt-now it’s pyjamas as travel wear🙄
I recently stayed two weeks at a friend's house who didn't have a working washing machine and no iron and I had to carry my stuff in a bag in a train.i basically packed a set of underwear with t shirt and socks per day, a few trousers (2chinos and a jeans, I should have gone with 1chino, 1jean, 1woolen) a fine Damart undershirt, a wool turtleneck a cardigan and a jumper (once properly dried and stored they don't wrinkle they are fine and can be easily overlapped, a heavier jacket in lieu of the cardigan would have been welcomed and the turtleneck would work in a more dressy outfit) I packed with a Checkered shirt I could wear as an overshirt or as a shirt and I wore a blouse made of black crepe it held no wrinkle and looked really fancy, I will definitely look for another one in a different style. My everyday shoes are leather low boots that can work with a variety of situations and I can walk in for hours on end(unless really fancy, I suppose a small shoe would be easy enough to pack) I guess most people would benefit from a sneaker (my sports shoes are less comfortable than my daily shoes so I just didn't have any workout attire the entire two weeks. I did some training at her apartment and I would just wear a used to shirt, pj pants and big socks, adding a jumper when cold.
I've basically been wearing a uniform for decades. Before I worked from home it was always some variant on a plain black dress, perhaps with interesting seam details, and then accessories to make it look like a different outfit--scarves, unstructured jackets, colorful shoes, etc. Now that I've been working from home, the uniform is black knit pants and what I call "dressy t-shirts," i.e., nicely finished knit tops without any logos, etc. I hate to have to think about my clothes too much for everyday life, so this works for me. (Yes, I'm here for the fascinating dress history, not fashion tips. 😂)
My mom traveled a lot starting in the late 50’s. She was queen of the traveling suits and different accessories. And those pads under the arms. Which I dug out of her closet when I started having hot flashes. 😂
This is where I love modern times, cause traveling to Japan and Korea for a month between Sept-Oct in a smaller than average carry on and only needing to do laundry once while also remaining casually stylish would not be achievable in the past.
My grandmother had just graduated from teaching school in 1918. She traveled by train from Wisconsin to visit her aunt in California because her mother had passed away. On the way home from California, Grandma became sick from the 1918 flu pandemic. At some point on the train, they took her off, and we don’t know where. She recovered somewhere in the middle of the country, on the way to her first teaching position. When grandma finally regained her awareness, she contacted her employer and they had replaced her because she was a no-show. She had no one to help her financially… Her father lived in another state and she had been raised by her grandmother who was living on a Civil War pension, the equivalent of about $240 in current US dollars. Somehow, grandma found a job way up in the iron range of Minnesota, more than an hour north of Duluth on current roads. My grandfather was the principal of that school. They were both later in life and no one expected them to Marry. Grandma had to quit teaching when she got married because married women might be pregnant and they were not allowed to be in front of children. So: traveling across country in 1918 and the pandemic at that time brought my maternal family together and that’s how I was able to come to be.
I can’t believe my ansestors travled and great great aunts and great great grandparents. My great great aunt went to Japan in 1891 and I can’t even imagine how crazy it was since I imagine she had to travel across the us then take a ship… or the other way around would have been rough too from the east coast. I do think we have my great greanfather’s trunk and one of my aunts has a wooden trunk that my other great grandma brought to Ellis island.
This is phenomenal, I’ve recently decided that I want to make a couple early 20th century suits for a cruise next year and this video has given me a lot of good ideas to get more historical fun into that trip than I originally thought I could. That being said if you do make a lighter version for your travel suit I would be very interested in seeing a video on that as your videos are a lot of the basis for my suit plans
This is good to know information. I find traveling in fall and inbetween climates difficult. Knowing the past is helping realize its not just me who suffers from what to pack and how much to pack. 😊
I would call your look a Time Traveler vibe, but I'm a casual Whovian... This was an excellent look into how folks dealt with travel and clothing back then. Already commented on a different video, I think, about my enjoyment of a certain historical fiction series. Okay, a semi historical fantasy series, Mercedes Lackey isn't necessarily concerned with scholarly accuracy; but she does spend a good bit of time discussing clothing in almost all her stories. Such details are hardly a surprise from a lady who can and does sew her own cosplays and clothing for dolls as well. The shoes thing really surprised me! I would have thought that every shoe would always be water and weather proof but apparently not. It also REALLY explains why Austen and Bronte heroines are practically at death's door after getting caught in the rain, something I always chalked up to "oh ladies were always supposed to be frail or had consumption or some other thing." Fascinating too that a huge amount of the practical advice of travel clothing repeats so often across decades and even centuries. Plain, comfortable, durable, easy to clean (or possibly a garment you're willing to sacrifice entirely). Also VERY interesting that even with all our modern speed and convenience, traveling just leaves a person feeling wrung out and maybe even filthy. I thought maybe it was just me, ha!
makes me wonder about earlier eras too, ie 18th cent with its grand tour. though i know women probably didn’t really go on those… still, it makes me wonder, if you’re going for months or years at a time, do you just bring everything??
Based on the portraits I think they started with a moderate amount, but ended up having things made and purchased along the way. Lots of young Englishmen in clearly Italian cut clothing.
I'd love a couple of videos on modern travel as a history bounder; one for warm weather, one for cool. I am travelling in March, driving 21hours into a hot climate, and am starting to think about what to pack. Do I just go modern clothing for the trip? My local friends have gotten used to me as I slowly did the frog-in-a-pot transition to history bounding, but the friends I will be seeing haven't seen me in years, so my personal style will seem quite startling and weird to them. I don't know that I care what they think, really, but maybe I do a little. Do I attempt a late Victorian capsule wardrobe? I do have a couple of months to sew some new things, but Christmas and another big event are in there, too, so I don't know if I would be able to make much. I'm also not sure about the actual packing part, and how to keep cotton voile, poplin, and linen looking nice while travelling in our little wizz-bang van without an iron. I'm thinking that a regular bag for underclothes is fine, but maybe I need to rig up a hanging wardrobe for skirts and jackets....
My two recommendations are to hang up clothing in the bathroom while showering to steam/dewrinkle and to choose styles that are extra gathered and puffy so the wrinkles are just the vibe (then vests and bodices over as desired).
I've been waiting for a video like this for ages!! Thank you!! p.s. I've also been looking for undershirts *exactly* like that for ages!! 😂 Thanks again lol
Nicole in the outtake: "People were traveling in... *cannon boom* ...cannons" Me: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE *getting shot from the cannon into my destination* 🤣🤣🤣😅😅🙈
Oh fun, you came and visited my neck of the woods, I thought I recognized the hamburger on a stick. I'm a horrible overpacker, being in general an incredible packrat. But I stand by my rule about bringing excessive undergarments. I have regretted other things I've packed, but I've never regretted those!
Oh, I can't imagine traveling without anymore. I used to get sick every time I left home and it's happened only twice in five years now. Plane, train, subway, crowded buildings- always.
I'm kind of disappointed you only showed Nellie Bly in passing and didn't actually mention her. 😢 As a historical costume nut who works in news media, I'm rather enamored with her! Circumnavigating the globe, unaccompanied, in 72 days, with only a handbag? Icon.
I'm super curious as to where you stayed in Williamsburg. I stayed in a room in a tavern house this past summer, also arriving by train, and it was so cool.
I have less clothing than you had on this trip including everything from underwear to winter outerwear. Mostly it has to do with skin sensitivities. I can pack easily but yeah, I always wear the same stuff.
Everything back then in upper class/ middle class was so lovely, the clothes to their purses and jewels, even down to their taste in high class food. but the only thing was their roads are horrible, i mean their roads were caked in animal shit. How on earth did men and us women literally even stand the smell did they have purfumed powderpuffs or smelling caches?
Having worked in a place with lots of horses on the road, it's not nearly as noticeable as you would think! Just smells like barn and hay depending on the weather. But as the other commenter mentioned, they had street cleaners. The stuff left behind is good for planting and composting after all! (amongst other things we don't do as much any more)
Apparently railways are unhealthy. They cause headaches, and biliousness… and a cow exploded. A train roared past at fifteen miles an hour, and this cow must have exploded. From fright or shock.
The title is a bit misleading, it should say; "Traveling like a *wealthy* Victorian". The vast majority of people in the Victorian age didn't travel, they couldn't afford it.
With all due respect, I think you’re conflating travel with vacation. People might not have taken vacations unless they were incredibly wealthy but they still traveled for immigration, visiting family, and business.
Statistically they did! The train systems made it incredibly affordable by comparison. One of the best early examples of this is the 1851 Great Exhibition in London in which they offered discounted train tickets in combination with event tickets near the end of the run that brought in thousands of people who had never traveled long(er) distance before. The following Worlds Fairs continued this tradition and many of the recommendations I found were in ladies magazines aimed at lower-middle class families that would be traveling for the first time to these sorts of events. Just looking at the quantity of hotels and tourist destinations that were built between 1850-1920 shows how many people were traveling (far more than would have been "wealthy"). I recommend Cheap Amusements by Kathy Peiss or Working at Play by Cindy S. Aron to see how the working classes traveled!
@NicoleRudolph Really thought-provoking video today, seeing the expansion and development of long distance travel, especially pleasure travel. I find that with climate change, long distance air travel for pleasure feels shameful to me now. I am nearing retirement, and my friends invite me to join them on trips, and while I'm happy for them, I just cant do it. So much of the carbon in my life is difficult to avoid such as for commuting or heating etc. So doubling my annual carbon footprint for a 2 week vacation in Europe is figuratively (or maybe literally?) a bridge too far. You help me picture myself living in the past. You give me a lens to see how it would have been difficult or impossible for people to dare to reframe their worldview, to accept how they personally benefit from exploitation of many kinds. I think future generations will look back on our exploitation of the planet as shamefully as we do at slavery or colonialism. Thank you for your insights into the past, it reinforces to me the continuity of human experience. I am glad that you share your travels with us via the magic of the internet!
I’ve traveled extensively and I save my old underwear. When I travel I’m not worrying about washing out my underwear in hotel bathrooms. I just toss them in the trash. I have left my old underwear almost around the world. That does free up a small space for a gift or too.🦩
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I would love to have a heavy cotton flannel Pullman robe for hanging around the house, something decent if I need to answer the door or go out on the balcony to care for my plants. It seems like most robes are either giant "spa robes" with sleeves that interfere with kitchen tasks, synthetic fleece robes that get pills and feel sweaty, or thin robes that don't hide what you are (or aren't) wearing underneath. I think these might be popular with Disabled people who spend a lot of time at home and may not want to put a lot of energy into dressing when they're at home.
my main problem with the available robes is that they're all too short and my house is cold in the winter. I'm 5ft, and they end mid calf, so i myself might be somewhat warm, but my ankles are icicles.
Sew it out of flease with kimono/yukata sleeves and it is all straight seams and you don't even have to hem anything
As a disabled, largely homebound person who often have to go from my bed to the door, I have a really long hoodie that zips up easily. If I have a bad hair day I use the hood. Usually I think it probably just looks like I'm cold. I've also been wanting to make my own - preferably something lightweight, fluffy and warm, because I hate the "getting out of bed" feel, and I get cold a lot, and nothing ever fits right - it's always sack of potatoes or escort answering someone else's door. Plus they're all so damned short like @Anopano3000 said.
I made myself a full length needlecord robe and lined it. Took 3 metres of each fabric bit us so worthwhile. The needlecord wasn't so wide so the sleeves.are bracelet length. That allows me to do practical things like use the kitchen sink. If I go outside (2 dogs requiring g .I'd night bathroom breaks) I put my hands in the patch pockets to keep my hands warm. Raglan sleeves, an inner self tie from the lining material, a shawl collar and self tie belt. Very elegant and warm. It's worth looking online for fabric. Viscose or cotton sateen can be good for lining. It's worth paying a seamstress if you can't make it yourself. It would cost 10x the material price in the shops. (£30ish for matetial, with the lining I'd expect £280-£300). My 24 yo daughter liked it enough to talk me I to make another in lined crushed velvet for her last birthday. She loves it. Wider material gave her full length sleeves.
I made a comment, but for some reason it got deleted. I don't know why, but yes.
As a disabled, largely homebound person who often has to go straight to the door from bed, I have a longline hoodie that reaches my mid/lower calf, that zips up easily. On bad hair days I use the hood.
I really want to make myself a lighter, fluffier, and warmer garment, because I hate the "getting out of bed" feel, and most ones you can buy feel bad on the skin, and are either "potato sack" or "escort opening someone else's door", and so damnably short like Anopano3000 said
In the UK steam trains were always dirty, the reason for that was Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed multiple covered stations which became the standard up and down the country (wiki is nowhere near complete), if you look at the wiki for Paddington station you can see that his arches created a tunnel, which is great in 2024 if your line is electrified, but utterly sucks for steam and diesel trains, especially in summer. edit: my brain is trying to blank out the pigeons, oh god, the pidgeons.
Near where I live, there are two pigeon-infested railroad bridges where the street dives down under the bridge. The problem with the bridge construction is that the I-beams were left exposed, with gaps just large enough between them for a pigeon. You might not see many pigeons, but they're up there! So much poop and feathers on the roadway and sidewalks, alas.
I always try to remember to roll up my windows in a car and put my mask up if I'm walking or riding my bike. Especially with H5N1 Bird Flu spreading through California, I'm aware of bird-borne diseases.
@@splendidcolors In our town there is this old 1960s nightclub which shut down in the 90s. They managed to get in through the broken windows and now where the frontage is falling off and what's worse is that underneath this building is where a lot of the bus stops are. In Britain we call them 'flying rats' and I'd argue that they are far worse than the bin chickens (Australian ibis) and seagulls.
@LotusDecal they're also protected in GB. Despite many old recipes for pigeon pie, it's illegal to kill them.
@@michellebyrom6551 Sort of, they are protected under the wildlife act, but you can get a licence from DEFRA to inhume pigeons that are deemed a risk to health or crops. Feral pigeon and wild pigion are on different licences. With the wild pigeon licence you can eat them after.
the whole concept of traveling clothes is something I've been curious about for a while, this was such a cool video! (also "people were traveling in... canons" is an amazing sentence xD)
My Grandmother was an actress during the Victorian/Edwardian era in England and she did travel extensively all over Britain, throughout her career, during this time period and later on.
My daughter has one of those very large antique steamer trunks,with the hanging bar inside and the drawers.
I had a doll-sized one for my American Girl doll as a kid, and my grandmother showed me some in her mother's old house.
The mill town holidays in the north west of England brought budget travel fairly early, (certainly pre war) with the cotton workers from Bolton/Blackburn/Oldham etc travelling by coach or train to the seaside at Blackpool. The factories closed for these two weeks so often the whole staff would holiday together.
That sounds awful, I can't think of anything worse than going to holiday with my coworkers 🤣
That travel suit would look good in a forest green linen!
Almost anything would look good in forest green linen, but yes!
I love discovering content creators who cater to my niche interests 😂
Historic travel? Yes. It's the best!
(Been realising the ways in which I'm ND, and this makes me realise the niche of historical travel might very well be one of my special interests. Especially travel innovations and how travel affected development in society.)
My special interest is the 1851 great exhibition and I highly recommend its overlap with travel history (the trains had special tickets and made the event a possibility and would have been the first time many ever used them)
8:04 this immediately reminded me of back in the day when jewelry would set of the old TSA alarms. i remember as a kid the delays it would cause and watching people have to take all they’re jewelry off and thinking why did you not think of this! lol. glad nowadays jewelry is detected but doesnt trigger the alarm!!
Oh gods. And now I've had flashbacks to flying right after 9/11 when the detectors were set on stun (geeky Star Trek reference) and my underwire bra set it off because it had metal wires instead of the more common plastic today.
I love your new hairdo! I travel a lot - usually for a few weeks to Europe. I couldn't wait to see what travel wear has been historically. My basic packing list is about 3 pants and 3 tops that I can mix and match. Then of course anything needed for expected local weather (although expected can be very unexpected these days). Two sets of pyjamas/nightgown. About 5 pairs of undies and socks. A few bras. I wear the most bulky garments which means I generally fly in jeans, a blazer and sneakers.
I know! The hair is fantastic! I can’t believe I didn’t see more commenters mention it!
Loved the combo of history tied in with a trip you're making now - and also, as always, your handmade clothes are beyond beautiful.
It is so cool to see the final product of this video after chatting with you about it! All of the reference photos were rather interesting- I didn't expect to see people sleeping so haphazardly on a train in full historic dress!
I love the way you were able to include some pieces from your Atlantic cruise in the wardrobe for this trip. Knowing what colours work best for you is a big help in planning for variation and longevity.
Your wardrobe, which I gather is self-fabricated is absolutely gorgeous. It reinstates my love of great tailoring, subtle colours and as you say, choosing carefully. You have the wardrobe for a complete winter there, let alone a trip. I learned to wear cravats and ties to make shirt waists more feminine. I've been looking at all of the shirts available, but I have very broad shoulders, so they make me look masculine. Thank you for reminding me of this option!! An amazing post, as always! It's no wonder that you are asked to speak at these conferences. Thank you!
I'm of the "I want to be comfortable, prepared for different temperatures, but I also am not prepared to check any luggage" kind of traveller.
Same. I'm the person who packed for a week in a very cold, snowy climate with only a carryon and a purse. Minimalist wardrobe and advanced suitcase tetris skills for the win!
I remember in the late 1980s, my mother-in-law was *scandalized* that my ex and I didn't take any evening wear for clubbing when we visited Hawaii. We told her "Uh, we don't do that here on the mainland, why would we do it there?" Instead, we packed snorkel gear and a 4x5 Speed Graphic to take large format photos. Lots of casual wear and light rain jackets for the afternoon thundershowers. In the evening, we were too tired to go out after our adventures to Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head, and circumnavigating the Big Island via public transit. (Travel hack, you will often get more leg room on transit than on tour buses because there's less financial incentive to cram in another row of seats.)
I lived there then: the only 'formal' dress ever worn was a lovely mumu. And yes, the local guys in a nice Hawaiian shirt
I wonder if Victorian-era companies charged carry-on and checked baggage fees? 😂 If only modern airlines allowed Victorian-sized luggage-those trunks could fit *everything*!
Amtrak allows some pretty large luggage and the overage fees were pretty cheap when I checked. Enough that if I were doing a trade show, I could bring road cases of merch and just buy folding tables at my destination.
If you pay the full fare price you usually get 2 checked bags included. We wanted cheaper travel, airlines still want profit.
@splendidcolors up until, I believe 2019, I would send large pieces of heavy furniture and large trunks of garments from the West to the East Coast via Amtrak. The cost was next to nothing, easily 85% less than USPS fees today. Unfortunately, they don't offer the service anymore.
In the US, pre-Amtrak, baggage was included in the fare. There must have been some limit, but I expect we would find it extremely generous. More problematic would be baggage transfers between different railroads that used different stations. Sometimes baggage transfer was included in the ticket price. Other times you needed to make your own arrangements for baggage as well as transporting yourself to the other station.
As someone who has always adored travel in various eras (I've looked more at earlier than this, but this is still 100% in my wheelhouse) this is *eeeek!* Love it. Love it. Travel has shaped so much, and it tests both items and methods, ideas and expectations in such a distinct way that I don't know anything else can do. Nothing makes you love quality, proper fits and reuseability as travel, and nothing shows you which of your systems work under strain (in a pleasant way) as travel does. I always feel like my suitcase/weekender *is* my home, to the point where when I moved the rest of my things felt foreign.
I hope you had fun travelling!
Very interesting. I love lightweight wool jersey base layers. Warm yet cool. BO does not trap. Thought you may give that particular brand a shoutout. Well done!
In my family we have one of my great (great?) grandmother's steamer trunnks! It has the drawers and the other side set up for hanging items. It is a very cool piece of family history that is currently in storage because me and my siblings don't have space for it right now but also don't want to get rid of it.
I don't have a travel suit but I do have a couple of designated travel outfits! One is a matched set loose tunic like shirt and wide legged elastic pants, but still looks nice (like, I am a teacher and can wear it to work with sneakers). It makes me feel somewhat put together while still comfortable on tiny airplane seats.
A french name for termac I heard a lot as a kid in the 2000s but less often today is actually "macadam"
My biggest challenge right now is work wear. My job involves a lot of walking and squatting down and modern stretchy fabric is great, but it eventually wears out and loses it's shape and looks awful. Mostly I want to be comfortable so I've been experimenting with boning and patch reinforcement
I’m sorry to tell you but natural fabrics do that too. The best thing is to look for construction clothes, they usually have knees designed with a lot of squatting in mind and often are reinforced
@ I hadn't explored that yet, so thank you!
"people were traveling in...cannons" 🤣perfect way to wrap up this video. Thank you for sharing Nicole!
Oh yeah this November has been one of the warmest on record for Toronto! Sorry you didn't get a proper snowy visit! You'll just have to try again ;)
My other two visits were in January so I’m fine with the warmer days 😂
I occasionally wonder if the emergence of the "transformation gown" (a skirt with a blouse/bodice for day wear, one for evening usually) might have come about because of the increase in travel options... but I can't remember how early it showed up... 1860s, I think?
If not, it would still be a good option for the history-bounding/vintage preferring individuals.
I certainly can't remember seeing one before then. I know it took a while to transition from all-in-one dresses of the regency era to separate bodice and skirt. From a clock through my reference books, it looks like separate bodice and skirt starts in the 1850s-60s
Alpaca, as mentioned at 9:56 was made with cotton warp and alpaca weft in this period. It's not pure alpaca wool. Or it could be chemically carbonized recycled blended cotton and wool (something in the same vein as shoddy or mungo), but I don't think this is what was meant for travel dress purposes.
Will future videos show more of your trip?
I don't understand why so many people worry about repeating outfits while traveling. Unless you are staying in one place and seeing the same people, I just be sure to pack 2 sets of easy wash basics, a jacket, 2 pair shoes, meds and basic toiletries. That's all. (And wrinkle free light weight black blouse/skirt since I am a performing musician.)
I’ve taken inexpensive thin T-shirts, cut down and overlocked the neck. They are perfect for extending the use of tops. I’ve made white and black ones. 🧵
I do this too, specifically to extend the life of my band tees
I think another thing that helps when traveling with small children. I was 8 and we flew to England. My mom dressed me in my Easter dress. Benefits: my behavior was more controlled because I was dressed nice. Being then undiagnosed ADHD/autism it was genius by my mom. Circ 1982.
I think most of us dressed well-maybe not Easter Dress well-for air travel in the 80’s. Standards seem to have started slipping in the ‘90s. By the 2010’s they went off a cliff, if only it were jeans &. T-shirt-now it’s pyjamas as travel wear🙄
Love your tweed travel suit.
"People were travelling in... canons." 😂
I recently stayed two weeks at a friend's house who didn't have a working washing machine and no iron and I had to carry my stuff in a bag in a train.i basically packed a set of underwear with t shirt and socks per day, a few trousers (2chinos and a jeans, I should have gone with 1chino, 1jean, 1woolen) a fine Damart undershirt, a wool turtleneck a cardigan and a jumper (once properly dried and stored they don't wrinkle they are fine and can be easily overlapped, a heavier jacket in lieu of the cardigan would have been welcomed and the turtleneck would work in a more dressy outfit) I packed with a Checkered shirt I could wear as an overshirt or as a shirt and I wore a blouse made of black crepe it held no wrinkle and looked really fancy, I will definitely look for another one in a different style. My everyday shoes are leather low boots that can work with a variety of situations and I can walk in for hours on end(unless really fancy, I suppose a small shoe would be easy enough to pack) I guess most people would benefit from a sneaker (my sports shoes are less comfortable than my daily shoes so I just didn't have any workout attire the entire two weeks. I did some training at her apartment and I would just wear a used to shirt, pj pants and big socks, adding a jumper when cold.
I've basically been wearing a uniform for decades. Before I worked from home it was always some variant on a plain black dress, perhaps with interesting seam details, and then accessories to make it look like a different outfit--scarves, unstructured jackets, colorful shoes, etc. Now that I've been working from home, the uniform is black knit pants and what I call "dressy t-shirts," i.e., nicely finished knit tops without any logos, etc. I hate to have to think about my clothes too much for everyday life, so this works for me. (Yes, I'm here for the fascinating dress history, not fashion tips. 😂)
ooh that HAIR! so mod, so fashionista, tres tres chic! no wonder Nicole was modeling (@ 2:49) with plaid socked man.
Beautiful done and brilliantly spoken , thank you, and your hair cut is supremely beautiful 🤩
My mom traveled a lot starting in the late 50’s. She was queen of the traveling suits and different accessories. And those pads under the arms. Which I dug out of her closet when I started having hot flashes. 😂
This is where I love modern times, cause traveling to Japan and Korea for a month between Sept-Oct in a smaller than average carry on and only needing to do laundry once while also remaining casually stylish would not be achievable in the past.
Nicole. Your travelling outfit is reminicent of British WWII Battledress. Which was modelled on a ski suit of the 30s. So practical and hard wearing.
My grandmother had just graduated from teaching school in 1918. She traveled by train from Wisconsin to visit her aunt in California because her mother had passed away. On the way home from California, Grandma became sick from the 1918 flu pandemic. At some point on the train, they took her off, and we don’t know where. She recovered somewhere in the middle of the country, on the way to her first teaching position.
When grandma finally regained her awareness, she contacted her employer and they had replaced her because she was a no-show. She had no one to help her financially… Her father lived in another state and she had been raised by her grandmother who was living on a Civil War pension, the equivalent of about $240 in current US dollars.
Somehow, grandma found a job way up in the iron range of Minnesota, more than an hour north of Duluth on current roads. My grandfather was the principal of that school. They were both later in life and no one expected them to Marry. Grandma had to quit teaching when she got married because married women might be pregnant and they were not allowed to be in front of children.
So: traveling across country in 1918 and the pandemic at that time brought my maternal family together and that’s how I was able to come to be.
I can’t believe my ansestors travled and great great aunts and great great grandparents. My great great aunt went to Japan in 1891 and I can’t even imagine how crazy it was since I imagine she had to travel across the us then take a ship… or the other way around would have been rough too from the east coast. I do think we have my great greanfather’s trunk and one of my aunts has a wooden trunk that my other great grandma brought to Ellis island.
This is phenomenal, I’ve recently decided that I want to make a couple early 20th century suits for a cruise next year and this video has given me a lot of good ideas to get more historical fun into that trip than I originally thought I could. That being said if you do make a lighter version for your travel suit I would be very interested in seeing a video on that as your videos are a lot of the basis for my suit plans
One of the more interesting videos
Nice! I hope you checked out the Bata Shoe Museum!
This is good to know information. I find traveling in fall and inbetween climates difficult. Knowing the past is helping realize its not just me who suffers from what to pack and how much to pack. 😊
I would call your look a Time Traveler vibe, but I'm a casual Whovian... This was an excellent look into how folks dealt with travel and clothing back then. Already commented on a different video, I think, about my enjoyment of a certain historical fiction series. Okay, a semi historical fantasy series, Mercedes Lackey isn't necessarily concerned with scholarly accuracy; but she does spend a good bit of time discussing clothing in almost all her stories. Such details are hardly a surprise from a lady who can and does sew her own cosplays and clothing for dolls as well.
The shoes thing really surprised me! I would have thought that every shoe would always be water and weather proof but apparently not. It also REALLY explains why Austen and Bronte heroines are practically at death's door after getting caught in the rain, something I always chalked up to "oh ladies were always supposed to be frail or had consumption or some other thing."
Fascinating too that a huge amount of the practical advice of travel clothing repeats so often across decades and even centuries. Plain, comfortable, durable, easy to clean (or possibly a garment you're willing to sacrifice entirely). Also VERY interesting that even with all our modern speed and convenience, traveling just leaves a person feeling wrung out and maybe even filthy. I thought maybe it was just me, ha!
Fab video Nicole! Much enjoyed Love, love, love all your outfits! Whew! That's a lot of travel with lots of different occasions. All inspiring!
I adore your style so much!
1:06 Didn't they use that music in one of the sketches in The Stanley Parable? That old timey PSA video?
I was waiting to see if Nellie Bly would be mentioned!! She is an icon💁♀️
makes me wonder about earlier eras too, ie 18th cent with its grand tour. though i know women probably didn’t really go on those… still, it makes me wonder, if you’re going for months or years at a time, do you just bring everything??
Based on the portraits I think they started with a moderate amount, but ended up having things made and purchased along the way. Lots of young Englishmen in clearly Italian cut clothing.
oh thank you!! love your videos ❤️
I'd love a couple of videos on modern travel as a history bounder; one for warm weather, one for cool. I am travelling in March, driving 21hours into a hot climate, and am starting to think about what to pack. Do I just go modern clothing for the trip? My local friends have gotten used to me as I slowly did the frog-in-a-pot transition to history bounding, but the friends I will be seeing haven't seen me in years, so my personal style will seem quite startling and weird to them. I don't know that I care what they think, really, but maybe I do a little. Do I attempt a late Victorian capsule wardrobe? I do have a couple of months to sew some new things, but Christmas and another big event are in there, too, so I don't know if I would be able to make much.
I'm also not sure about the actual packing part, and how to keep cotton voile, poplin, and linen looking nice while travelling in our little wizz-bang van without an iron. I'm thinking that a regular bag for underclothes is fine, but maybe I need to rig up a hanging wardrobe for skirts and jackets....
My two recommendations are to hang up clothing in the bathroom while showering to steam/dewrinkle and to choose styles that are extra gathered and puffy so the wrinkles are just the vibe (then vests and bodices over as desired).
Loved this. Curious, as you pronounce the r in iron and the t in often, where are you from?
Love your travel suit!
I've been waiting for a video like this for ages!! Thank you!!
p.s. I've also been looking for undershirts *exactly* like that for ages!! 😂 Thanks again lol
Nicole in the outtake: "People were traveling in... *cannon boom* ...cannons"
Me: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE *getting shot from the cannon into my destination*
🤣🤣🤣😅😅🙈
Oh fun, you came and visited my neck of the woods, I thought I recognized the hamburger on a stick.
I'm a horrible overpacker, being in general an incredible packrat. But I stand by my rule about bringing excessive undergarments. I have regretted other things I've packed, but I've never regretted those!
People were travelling in canons? /me imagining those circus performers getting shot out of a canon carrying their luggage with them ;-)
Interesting information today.❤️🇨🇦🐕
THANK YOU FOR MASKING ON THE TRAIN!
Oh, I can't imagine traveling without anymore. I used to get sick every time I left home and it's happened only twice in five years now. Plane, train, subway, crowded buildings- always.
Thanks Nicole for an interesting video.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂
I love your haircut! It looks really good on you:)
I'm kind of disappointed you only showed Nellie Bly in passing and didn't actually mention her. 😢 As a historical costume nut who works in news media, I'm rather enamored with her! Circumnavigating the globe, unaccompanied, in 72 days, with only a handbag? Icon.
Amazing!
I'm super curious as to where you stayed in Williamsburg. I stayed in a room in a tavern house this past summer, also arriving by train, and it was so cool.
I have less clothing than you had on this trip including everything from underwear to winter outerwear. Mostly it has to do with skin sensitivities. I can pack easily but yeah, I always wear the same stuff.
How many suitcases did you bring?
Just the one larger trunk shown and a carry-on that was mostly antique shoes for a presentation.
I still like the 1840’s men’s suit. It’s just timeless.
I wish I'd known you were coming to Geneseo and Rochester, that's where I live. I'd have LOVED to come out to see you!
TORONTO???!!! That's so cool you came to my city! Did you go to the Bata Shoe Museum? I feel like you must've!
*And why do "Organic" Mattresses ALWAYS have wool???
*I have to get foam/chemical mattresses because I'm ALLERGIC TO WOOL - as many people are -
Algorithm comment so that I don't miss anything that you post.😁
Kudos, Nicole = you look MAHvelous!
Everything back then in upper class/ middle class was so lovely, the clothes to their purses and jewels, even down to their taste in high class food. but the only thing was their roads are horrible, i mean their roads were caked in animal shit. How on earth did men and us women literally even stand the smell did they have purfumed powderpuffs or smelling caches?
They were not. This is a misconsception. Yes, there was presumably more than today, but street cleaners were a thing.
Having worked in a place with lots of horses on the road, it's not nearly as noticeable as you would think! Just smells like barn and hay depending on the weather. But as the other commenter mentioned, they had street cleaners. The stuff left behind is good for planting and composting after all! (amongst other things we don't do as much any more)
Those shoes. They had small feet!
People nowadays have small feet too 😅 It depends on the person
Apparently railways are unhealthy. They cause headaches, and biliousness… and a cow exploded. A train roared past at fifteen miles an hour, and this cow must have exploded. From fright or shock.
Did you pull this from gentleman jack? 😂
I did not hear this from Mr. Abbot. 😄
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The title is a bit misleading, it should say; "Traveling like a *wealthy* Victorian". The vast majority of people in the Victorian age didn't travel, they couldn't afford it.
With all due respect, I think you’re conflating travel with vacation. People might not have taken vacations unless they were incredibly wealthy but they still traveled for immigration, visiting family, and business.
Statistically they did! The train systems made it incredibly affordable by comparison. One of the best early examples of this is the 1851 Great Exhibition in London in which they offered discounted train tickets in combination with event tickets near the end of the run that brought in thousands of people who had never traveled long(er) distance before. The following Worlds Fairs continued this tradition and many of the recommendations I found were in ladies magazines aimed at lower-middle class families that would be traveling for the first time to these sorts of events. Just looking at the quantity of hotels and tourist destinations that were built between 1850-1920 shows how many people were traveling (far more than would have been "wealthy"). I recommend Cheap Amusements by Kathy Peiss or Working at Play by Cindy S. Aron to see how the working classes traveled!
What kind of advice is did they give? A minimum of twenty three pair of underwear per week. Otherwise you’ll regret it.
There was quite a large middle class at that time, so there'd be a lot of "normal" people with the means to travel at least a little bit
@NicoleRudolph Really thought-provoking video today, seeing the expansion and development of long distance travel, especially pleasure travel. I find that with climate change, long distance air travel for pleasure feels shameful to me now. I am nearing retirement, and my friends invite me to join them on trips, and while I'm happy for them, I just cant do it. So much of the carbon in my life is difficult to avoid such as for commuting or heating etc. So doubling my annual carbon footprint for a 2 week vacation in Europe is figuratively (or maybe literally?) a bridge too far. You help me picture myself living in the past. You give me a lens to see how it would have been difficult or impossible for people to dare to reframe their worldview, to accept how they personally benefit from exploitation of many kinds. I think future generations will look back on our exploitation of the planet as shamefully as we do at slavery or colonialism. Thank you for your insights into the past, it reinforces to me the continuity of human experience. I am glad that you share your travels with us via the magic of the internet!
I’ve traveled extensively and I save my old underwear. When I travel I’m not worrying about washing out my underwear in hotel bathrooms. I just toss them in the trash. I have left my old underwear almost around the world. That does free up a small space for a gift or too.🦩