Was Victorian modesty a myth? Fashion history mythbusting with sunscreen and school dress codes

🔎👒 Download June's Journey for free here: woo.ga/qqdx9s Thanks to June's Journey for sponsoring this video. What would the modest, prudish Victorians think about the school uniform debate? Uncovered table legs? What about sunscreen? School dress codes? It's not what we've been taught : time to bust some weird Victorian myths with fashion history.
The history we've been taught emphasizes Victorian values as being buttoned-up. While the Victorians etiquette was strict compared to modern or even 20th century vintage modest outfits . . . modesty in Victorian fashion is not what you think! Contrary to popular belief, Victorian morals did not require table legs to be covered for the sake of modesty. But when it comes to how Victorian modesty did actually work, there's a surprisingly sensible aspect to Victorian era fashion's dress code, and thee's a lot modern school dress codes could learn from it rather than clutching pearls over historical myths. Historical accuracy in Victorian fashion does call for modest high collars and long sleeves . . . in place of sunscreen! No one had invented sun block in the 19th century, and wearing clothes in place of sunblock was the best they could do. But this didn't stop the Victorians wearing low necklines and bare arms in the evening when SPF wasn't necessary.
What does Victorian modesty have to do with the school uniform debate, though? Here's my historical style theory : the Victorians had a far healthier attitude about modest childrens' clothes than school dresscodes do! To Victorian era society, it wasn't unusual or immodest to see childrens' ankles, legs, or arms even when it would be provocative for adults to dress that way. Menawhile, outfits for school dress codes today treat the bodies of LITERAL CHILDREN as though they're inherently provocative! I think we should listen to the Victorians when it comes to the school dress code debate and whether children should be dress coded out of getting a good education. I'm lucky that I never ended up breaking my school's dress code, but that's because they didn't care what my outfits for school were. Seriously, when the Victorians have a healthier attitude towards modesty than modern-day school dress codes, it's a sign they need to reconsider their choices.
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