The Romantic Drama of the Victorian Era

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From left: an illustration by the artist Unskilled Worker of a look from Alexander McQueen’s fall 2015 runway (far right); Schumacher lace wallpaper.

Credit...From left: Unskilled Worker; Schumacher; courtesy of Alexander McQueen

Slide 1 of 4
From left: an illustration by the artist Unskilled Worker of a look from Alexander McQueen’s fall 2015 runway (far right); Schumacher lace wallpaper.
Credit...From left: Unskilled Worker; Schumacher; courtesy of Alexander McQueen
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From left: Givenchy, fall 2015; a 19th-century photograph of the Countess Castiglione; Mikimoto cameo.
Credit...From left: Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; courtesy of Mikimoto
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From left: Jacqueline Cullen jet and black diamond bracelet; Baccarat Zénith Midnight chandelier; a necklace by the jeweler Kerry Howley made of human hair.
Credit...From left: Lydia Whitmore; Baccarat; courtesy of the artist
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Clockwise from left: Marc Jacobs, fall 2015; “Autobiospiral,” a paper cut by the artist Béatrice Coron from 2010; Ethan Allen Joelle console; Stella McCartney, fall 2015.
Credit...From left: courtesy of Marc Jacobs; Etienne Frossard; courtesy of Ethan Allen; courtesy of Stella McCartney

By Charlotte Di Carcaci

Aug. 19, 2015

The Dickensian era doesn’t instantly call to mind seduction, but this season is full of women who reveal the dangerous demimonde beneath a trussed-up 19th-century-inspired exterior. From Junya Watanabe’s voluptuous long skirts and “Wuthering Heights”-noir black riding jackets to Rodarte’s bejeweled high ruffled necks, the emphasis is on black, with lace and organza that simultaneously veil the body and reveal it, and cutaways and transparent panels that hint at mixed messages.

The original moment when such styles took a somber turn was in 1861, after the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s great love. For the last 40 years of her life, the monarch wore only black and expected everyone else to follow suit. A vogue emerged for gorily erotic storytelling tinged with mysticism. The image of the sexually experienced widow was regarded as a destabilizing factor, with her mourning frocks and jet jewelry subtly advertising the charms of the bereaved to potential second husbands. Darkness, then and now, becomes her.

A version of this article appears in print on , Page 180 of T Magazine with the headline: Dark Victorian. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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