Fashion History - Fem!England

24 September 2014
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_{"I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet."
-Carrie Bradshaw}

Okay you guys, I've finally finished the second set, this time with fem!England.
Thanks to things like life and school and whatever, I admit I took my sweet time with this one. I don't know why I keep drawing nyotalia, but don't worry, I'll draw the original versions as well, don't you worry! Overall, I'm just proud of this. Just as proud as the one with fem!America. Granted, each set is a bit daunting, since you need to do research for 8 outfits and draw them with some semblance of accuracy. And some of these outfits just called for more ridiculous detail than in fem!America's generally more contemporary set (I'm looking at you, Elizabethan Era).

Though there may have been some minor details that I took small liberties on, overall each outfit should be accurate (each individual piece will have their notes below). But if you think there is some gross injustice here, please just tell me. Especially with those flags. Because I just gave myself a last minute crash course on those flags and I'm hoping their right but not totally sure...

I'll be adding links to related Wiki pages in the notes, for those who want a starting point in learning such things (though I won't be so over-the-top as last time). Actually, if you want to check your local library, I found a good book titled The Worldwide History of Dress by Patricia Rieff Anawalt. It's like a bible of clothing information from all over the place in different eras.

You can also draw or cosplay these outfits too. I'd be really flattered by it, and would totally love to see the result! Just promise to cite me!

As usual, just about any commentary would be appreciated!
Because it's worth more to me than a simple fave.
Maybe even tell me your favorite. I like to see what people respond most too.
Something you think is awkward? Something you didn't think about? Something unusual? I want to know! (It helps me get even better at this kind of thing, you guys. What you put in is what we all get out. No need to sugar coat it.)

Download larger view in all it's glory!

*Notes below. You don't have to read past this - unless you want to learn*

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Notes
Himaruya Default:

• Honestly, does anyone understand why fem!England is in a nurse-maid lolita hybrid outfit? I mean, the others are (sorta) a feminized version of regular outfit, going by anime design logic. It's cute and all, I'm just not sure where he was going with it. Alice in Wonderland, perhaps? Or do all British women dress like maids with nurse caps... (I mean, Britain did produce Professor Elemental). Also I never really know how to interpret glasses in Hetalia. Here I just went with what was inline with official illustrations and how they appear, and that's what I'll continue to do unless Himaruya states otherwise in notes or something (he claims America's glasses are full-framed, for example, but the man doesn't really draw different types of glasses much, does he?). Also, though she doesn't have Arthur's crazy eyebrows, I do imagine her with something Audrey Hepburn-ish.
  
• Song: I'm British (Professor Elemental)
  
• Flag: 1801-Present (Flag of the United Kingdom)
• Official References: [link][link][link][link]
  

Elizabethan Era

• This was physically painful. I love 16th century fashion, but wow, those Elizabethans were a fan of opulent dresses. I went basing this off clothing from around 1570 to 1580. The thing about these clothes is that there's of course prevaliant styles, but it varied alot based on factors like social status and personal tastes. The common sillhoute was a conical torso. Though they morphed the body, don't think of it too extremely like some of that crazy Victorian tightlacing. It gave a stiff bodice it's smooth transition from shoulder to waist. The goal wasn't to make waists too tiny, but rather add visual weight to the hips and shoulders, to some extent imitating male fashion (which itself was sort of imitating the female form). The sleeves here are slashed, in this case with sleeves within sleeves. Due to the limited materials avaliable, slashing sleeves to show off contrasting lining or more sleeves were commonplace ever since the huge trumpet sleeves fell out of fashion. Blacklace designs, which I tried to add to her inner sleeves, were very, very popular in England. It proportedly came from Spain, but the art apeared on most of these English dresses, which were much mor decorated than the conservative Spanis. There are also some frills on the cuff and on the outer sleeve some beading, extending also onto shoulders in a rolled sleeve style. Sleeves are padded an columous in this era. The skirt flairs out thanks to a French farthingale. Think of it sort of like wearing an angled table, and then the skirt is the tablecloth. The positioning of the farthingale with the bodice pointed at the bottom made th torso look longer, though the legs shorter. The skirt fell straight off the farthingale, and displayed an underskirt. Black was an expensive colour back then, and in the case fo blacklace sometimes made with metal dyes, which is why physical examples rarely survive today, the iron corroding the fabric. Gold trim was often saved for higher nobles at court as well, but I feel being a centuries old nation-tan warrants a higher status.  You can also see a little of the chemise peeking out from the top of the bodice under the ruff (which we should probably all recognize from this era). Long necklaces were worn by those who owned them, and a favorite accessory, among other jewelry items, like her earrings. Hats and other hair coverings were commonplace, and hair that was curled, pulled back, and voluminous were popular, in this case creating a heart shape. Fair hair in blondes or reds were desired to imitate Queen Elizabeth I, so extreme dyes were used. Since fem!England's hair is pretty fair, I think should could get away with her natural colour though. Cosmetics looked very artificial, which was the entire point. A pure white face, tall forehead, thin eyebrows, red cheeks adn lips, and sparkling eyes were the ideal. These were also all features of Queen Elizabeth, the fashion ideal. Also I don't know the status of women wearing eyeglasses in this era. They existed for men, but people couldn't make them stay on well anyways, so I doubt a courtly woman would wear such a thing on an average basis. Bigger ruffs for everyone!
  
• Song: Domine secundum actum meum / Night of the Long Knives (William Byrd)
  
• Flag: 1245-Present (Flag of England)
• Wikipedia: 1550-1600 in Western European Fashion
  

Georgian Era

• Admitably I was considering drawing something that would coincide with the American Revolutionary War, because that's probably the Hetalia soft spot. Yet, considering what I was going to do with the other countries, the 18th century was a pretty popular era, so I went with something a bit more distinctive in the late Georgian Era. In the 1780s a wave of simplicity swept up fashion in Western Europe (a.k.a. Britian and france) moving away from the Rococo aesthetic. Everything "pastoral" was in - or at least what rich people thought was pastoral. It's still very clearly 18th century, with it's conical sillhoute and big hair, but it's still quite distinctive in it's own right. Here she's wearing a redingote, a style that became common in this decade, similar to a fashionable riding habit. Though both are inspired by men's fashion, the redingote seems to be the more feminine of the two. It's double breasted with large lapels, something a bit new then, but carries on into later decades. It wasn't strange for redingotes to have longer sleeves than most gowns where were normally elbow-length. It's floor-length, unlike some other women's jackets, and most would reveal a contrasting petticoat like above. The skirt is like it would be in the rob la Angaliese style. Fichus seemed even more popular in the 1780s than ever before, and she also sports a pair of gloves. Big hair was the thing. Big har was the thing previously, true, but here it looks like a fluffy mass of powdered curls rather than sculpture. And just like how Kingdom Hearts characters have big shoes to go with big feet, big hair calls for big hats. The gainsborough hats from this time were just awesome, in perhaps a more literal sense of the word. Thanks to the whole pastoral craze, hats made of woven materials and decorated with things like ribbons, flowers, or feathers were common. I know large eyebrows were popular for women during the 18th century, and though maybe not so extreme in the final decades, I doubt her Hepburn eyebrows needed to be altered. Eyeglasses were also worn, though probably not commonly on women. I believe they also had something akin to sunglasses around this time (don't quote me on that). Of course they were the round Harry Potter kind. Walking sticks also became an acceptable accessory for women.
  
• Song: Water Music Suite No.1 in F Major / Bourree (George Freideric Handel)
  
• Flag: 1606-1801 (English Union Flag)
• Wikipedia: 1775-1795 in Western Fashion

Regency Era

• I know many people find Victorian fashion to be in their favorites, but I personally prefer this era. The late 18th century into the early 19th century saw an abandonment of hte conical sillhoute for the empire waist. A wave of neoclassicalism created a drastic shift in fashion for this era, different enough from the fashions directly surrounding it that many Victorian painters would outright lie about the clothing worn in the events painted in this era. The initial influence of Greco-Roman civilization, and the trend of simplicity and pastorialism from the 1780s resulted in simple dresses. The shape was an empire waist, just under the bust. Stays from earlier became early attempts to create something akin to a bra instead. Necklines were still low like previously, and sleeves could be short or long like above. Dresses were initaly made of lightweight, breathable materials (though a little thicker in colder climates), but more colours from other fabrics started to pick up, especially during the Regency. Instead of heeled shoes, flat, pointed slippers were worn by both genders. Shawls were also a common outerwear. Eyeglasses were available, though it was strange for a proper lady to wear them. Instead, a pair of spectacles worn on a long thong around the neck was usual. Hair was piled on the head in ringlets, waves, and occasional braided buns. Unlike previously, more hair began to frame the face with bangs and hanging sidelocks. Reading was a common pastime for the literate, and this is the era most associated with Jane Austen and a chunk of the Romantic Era. Jane Eyre also occurs around this time, but most people ignore that and stuff it into the 1840s. And I admit, I was basing the outfit a little earlier than what is technically the start of the Regency Era, but you get the point.
  
• Song: A Postcard To Henry Purcell (Dario Marianelli)
  
• Flag: 1801-Present (Flag of the United Kingdom)
• Wikipedia: 1795-1820 in Western Fashion

Victorian Era

• Seeing as I went with the early 1860s with fem!America, here I went with the second iconic sillhoute of the era, the 1870's bustle. England was industrial and increasingly urban, and that meant more doors and corners and hallways and just stuff to move around. Imagine wearing those huge bell-shaped skirts in such an enviornment, you could get blown away in the wind, or trampled, or stuck to someone. Thankfully someone invented the bustle. Most of the skirt's weight was shifted onto the rear, matieral gathered and draped, sticking straight out. The hourglass figure was still in, but was created by more effective and moulding corsets rather than adding extensive visual weight to the skirts and shoulders - at least as far as frontal views are concerned. The bustle still added that extremity to it, but from a different angle rather than 360 degrees. Daydresses had high necklines, higher than the previous decade, thanks to things like frills. This jacket also has puffed sleeves and frills on the cuffs. It was normal for jackets to either cut away or be short to allow the bustle to drape properly with all it's folded fabric. White kid gloves were standard for going out during the day, and so were small accessories like earrings. Hats were a must in the daytime, and with hair piled up elaborately on the head, though often resting symetrically, they would be angled foreward and smaller, some with all sorts of adornments. I've also noticed ringlets falling around the neck have left the ballroom by this decade. Eyeglasses still were pretty round, though maybe a bit more elongated for some. Makeup was not obviously worn. Maybe slight touch-ups to try and reach an ideal, but makeup was not considered appropriate unless one was an actress. In order to keep pale and out of the sunlight, it was normal for a lady to carry a parasol when out.
  
• Song: Yes! (Dario Marianelli)
  
• Flag: 1801-Present (Flag of the United Kingdom)
• Wikipedia: 1880s in Western Fashion

World War II

• One thing I like about the 20th century is that for times of war, I actually have female uniforms here, not just the dudes (the same logic as to why I'm doing both regular and nyotalia versions). Here I've put her as a QARNAC nurse. I think as an American, we just tend to think British women in the war were (preferably hot) nurses. I dunno, maybe it's just me (or that movie with the talking pidgeons). Of course, as a military uniform it's not high fashion, but clothes from any era can still show aethetics of the time, and it's easier to do this in the 20th century since clothing following certain styles is more accessable to multiple groups (peasants in the 16th century looked like they were from an entirely different country compared to the court fashions of the nobility). Also, clothing during and after the war years were very influenced by military uniforms, especially in places like Britian, where everything was often re-tailored or otherwise sent to the war effort. There was a more natural version of the hourglass sillhoute and underwear we'd actualy know how to wear. Knee length skirts were the norm, and belts were put properly at the waist. I think this particular uniform is fairly distinctive, thanks in part to the red cape. It has some military details, like the shoulders and badges. Stockings of various materials were available and her shoes are practical. Many eyeglasses I see form this time are those roundish, ovalish, kind. Nurse's caps have a sort of triangular of diamond shape to them, and her hair is kept simple for practical reasons. Makeup at the time would be classic red lipstick. She's carrying a medic messenger bag, though if it's for her or someone else is up to your imagination.
  
• Song: We'll Meet Again (Vera Lynn)
  
• Flag: 1801-Present (Flag of the United Kingdom)
• Wikipedia: 1930-45 in Fashion

Mod Fashion

• Ah, the time of the British Invasion (as we Americans called it). Gotta love the '60s. This era seems pretty divided with two particular trends. The early half was still going strong with similar aesthetics of the '50s, but with the addition of pencil skirts, like Jackie Kennedy. Here I went a little later, with Mod fashion, which is probably more associated with England from an outside perspective. Geometric shapes and bold colours were the thing. The silhouette became boyish again like in the 20s, but especially due to miniskirts, the propotions were different, giving a different effect. Waistlines varied on the outfit, but were generally lower than before, though empire waist was also popular. A Twiggy look was the ideal for this trend, with long limbs and boyish elements. Bold patterns were common on dresses, as well as opaque tights. Most of this style really does lie in huge but simple shapes, with things such as rectangles and triangles of that huge bow, or the large round earrings, for example. Of course this includes the general silhouette too. Peter pan collars were on many dresses and shirts. Square-toed shoes were also introduced to the mainstream. I avoided cateye glasses, but they do have a thick-rimmed shape to them here. Also things like the beehive hairstyle were in, adding volume to the top of the head, which was done with pigtails here (if Audrey Hepburn can do pigtails like this, so can the damn personification of England).
  
• Song: Help (The Beatles)
  
• Flag: 1801-Present (Flag of the United Kingdom)
• Wikipedia: 1960s in Fashion

Contemporary

• And now we're at today. A simple dress under a jacket, with tights, short boots, and a pendant. I found some street fashion pics from London, and based this off that. I've always liked the idea of red glasses on her, so I did that too. I probably would wear this outfit myself. But now that I type this description, I do wish I could alter it a little - maybe a bit more like the outfits Clara wears on Doctor Who. Regardless or whether you like her or not she's got some cute outfits, alot of them with dresses, jackets, and short boots, which I just think would look good on fem!England too. That tote is huge though. Also, if someone over ten wears pigtails here in the west, would most really wear the high anime school girl kind? Probably not, so I lowered them here, just to fit better with the mainstream.
  
• Song: Arabella (Arctic Monkeys)
  
• Flag: 1801-Present (Flag of the United Kingdom)
• Beginning References: 2010s in Fashion London Street Style