Geek. Biologist. Knitter.

The Victorian period was much about appearances and very specific etiquette, especially when it came to clothing. They had dressing etiquette for literally every activity during the day and people changed their outfit many times a day, especially in upper class circles. It honestly gets very convoluted so I decided to look into it more deeply. Not understanding the dress etiquette of the times creates a lot of weird costumes in period drama for example, where a dress might have elements of real extent garments, but they are combined in ways that would make no sense to Victorians.

To limit this post and my research I’m looking into 1890s. I also think it gives better idea about the differences between the outfits if they are all from the same decade. I’ll also limit myself to upper class and women’s clothing. I think it would be interesting to look at men’s dress etiquette and etiquette of the lower classes, but alas it has to be another post.

The broad strokes are that from the turn of the 19th century to WW1 during the day you would wear long sleeves and little to no cleavage and in the evening you could show more skin, except when dining. The specifics shifted from time and place.

Nightgown

Nightgown, as you might guess, was worn for sleeping. They started as basically shifts, the very basic under dress worn next to skin, but during the Victorian Era they became increasingly elaborate and when 1890s was reached they were profoundly extra. You would never show yourself in your nightgown alone. For them it was probably pretty much the same as wearing only your underwear. Even in your bedroom or dressing room you would cover it up, which leads us to…

Dressing Gown

Dressing gown was exactly what was used to cover nightgown. In some sources I’ve seen this called wrapper. But basically it was a glorified bathrobe. It was not used outside your own private chambers, but inside them while you got ready for the day. It was usually long and loose comfortable robe, often tied by waist with a cord. During summer they were light and in winter they might have been woolen or from quilted fabric for warmth. They were heavily inspired from especially Japanese kimono as Orientalism was very in in Europe during 19th century. Under it a ribbon corset or morning corset could be used, but that was not necessary. Ribbon corset was made entirely of thick ribbons and ended under the bust, with only couple of bones to keep it in shape, and morning corset doesn’t have cording and instead is just wrapped around the torso. They were made for comfort and bust support and didn’t shape heavily or reduce waist.

Wrapper

Wrapper or morning dress was used during the morning in the comfort of home. The terminology around this type of clothing is murky and they had a lot of overlap with tea gown and dressing gown. Some primary sources described wrapper as something you can wear on top of a dress to keep the dress clean and others as plainer and looser version of the day dress. Most extent garments, I found from 1890s, were the latter type. The former sounds something that could be used as a dressing gown too, which would explain, why the dressing gown was called wrapper in some sources. What I have gathered, is that earlier in Victorian era wrapper meant something similar to dressing gown, but maybe more presentable or dress-like, worn over a morning dress of just the undergarments. I think by the 1890s the whole outfit worn in morning had begun to be referred as wrapper, since I had a hard time finding morning dresses dated to 1890s. Regardless of the terminology, in 1890s wrapper was used in home outside personal chambers. It was acceptable to receive early visitors in it, but it was very informal and mostly reserved for very close people. It was plain and practical, but when it comes to rich people it became increasingly elaborate during Victorian era. It’s a theme here. It was often loose, but it could be more or less structured (often less). Under it you would usually wear all the typical undergarment layers (combinations or shift with drawers, corset, corset cover and petticoat), though morning or ribbon corset could be worn instead of the normal one.

Tea gown

Tea gowns started as house dress, basically an open presentable wrapper worn over a fancier petticoat or morning dress, but by the 1890s it became somewhat of a statement piece. At first it was seen as tacky to be too dressed up in your own home, even when receiving guests, but I think we have established that 1890s Victorians were very, very extra. Tea gowns were worn for receiving house guests during the day and in the late Victorian era, as tea gowns had become so extravagant, they were also used in the evening for receiving casual gatherings of close friends or family. Similar to wrappers, they were looser than clothing worn outside, but could be structured or lack any structuring at all. Except they were made from more expensive materials and had much more detailing. They also often had drains and a real or fake open robe-like thing, which I assume was a nod to house dresses. All the undergarments were worn under it, but morning or ribbon corset could be used under it, if very close friends were visiting. Very loose tea gowns (like the pink one on the right) show well the roots of the tea gown which are in the Victorian counter culture fashion movement, Aesthetic movement, which rejected the rigid Victorian silhouette.

Day dress

Day dress or afternoon dress was formal and elaborate, as it was used outside of home and meant to be seen. Unlike the gowns reserved for home usage, it was generally made from two pieces, bodice and skirt. But of course, you would always wear matching pieces. It had long sleeves and high neckline. As the name reveals, it was worn during daytime. It could be worn for visiting and then, especially when visiting close friends or relatives, it could have slightly shorter sleeves or lower neckline, but not as low as with evening wear. It was also worn for promenading outside. When used for carriage rides train was acceptable, when for walks, shorter one was seen as preferable, but as we know Victorians were extra and sometimes still wore a train. Since weddings were (and are) held during the day, a day dress was used for that too. The finest day dress was used of course and after queen Victoria’s wedding white became the most popular color. People who weren’t rich, might have still opted out from it, as pure white dress was very expensive.

Walking dress

Walking dress was, you guessed, used for walking. Victorians were really into city walks and would use a walking dress for looking around in cities. It was a type of day dress but much more practical and less elaborate. It was usually made from sturdier materials and the skirt was short enough to reveal shoes. It often had a skirt, blouse and a coat, sometimes a waistcoat too. Because of it’s practicality, it was often used for travelling too.

Dinner dress

Dinner dress was used in evening, but unlike other evening dresses, more skin coverage was appropriate. Sleeves could be as short as elbow length and neckline could be more open than with day dress. As the name suggests, it was used for dining and dinner parties.

Evening dress

Evening dress was the fanciest of them all and the most official. It had short sleeves or only straps (in the middle of the decade huge sleeves very very fashionable) and low and wide neckline. It was used in fancy evening occasions when presenting yourself for the high society. Balls were of course the main events of high society, there every one would put on the best they had, there was no holding back. For opera people also dressed to be seen and would dress up, but for theater a little toned down look was more appropriate.

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Cnetizens: I know there are ling, luo, chou, duan.

OP: It's actually eight major categories, ling, luo, chou, duan, jin, xiao, sha and juan, and countless variations exist under them in history. (绫ling，罗luo，绸chou，缎duan，锦jin，绡xiao，纱sha, 绢juan) (cr珑师傅)

绫(Líng): It adopts twill or modified twill weave. The fabric bears clear mountain-shaped diagonal lines, featuring light, soft texture and subtle luster. It was the designated fabric for officials’ daily uniforms in the Tang Dynasty. The varieties of Ling appearing in Tang dynasty — Pattern Square Ling, Fish-Mouth Ling, White Braided Ling, Water Wave Ling and Checkerboard Ling(方纹绫、鱼口绫、白编绫、水波绫、方棋绫) — were all recorded as imperial tributes in the Tang Dynasty.. After the Song Dynasty, it was mainly used for mounting calligraphy and paintings.

罗(Luó) adopts a unique twisted warp weave. Intertwined warp threads create star-shaped holes, making it highly breathable, known as "the natural air conditioner of silks". Four-warp twisted luó demands 30 procedures. Weavers can only produce a few centimeters a day. Suzhou patterned luó is an intangible cultural heritage craft.

The fabric worn by ladies in Beauties with Flower Hairpins is luó. It is the top sheer silk fabric with outstanding transparency, yet extremely costly. Handwoven four-warp luó is priced above 10,000 RMB per meter, harder to get than an Hermès bag. What makes it expensive? Thirty elaborate steps. Threads are twisted manually, with only 5cm woven each day. It was royal exclusive. In the Zhou Dynasty, only emperors could wear it. Noble ladies in Tang and Song loved luó, including Yang Guifei. Covered with star-like holes, it is breathable yet not see-through, keeping you cool in summer.

绸(Chóu): Simple interlacing, tightly woven like a fine sieve. A major category of silk, using plain or modified plain weave, referring to silks without the special structure of luó, líng or duàn. Medium weight, tight, smooth surface with soft luster, prone to creasing. Thin chóu for blouses and skirts. Thick chóu for coats and trousers, widely used as embroidery base fabric and decorative material.

缎(Duàn): Long silk threads rest on the surface, creating a mirror-like glossy sheen. It adopts satin weave. One set of threads stretches across the surface with long floats, covering evenly distributed interlacing points.

锦 (jǐn)/Brocade is the most sophisticated silk textile. Its weaving consumes massive time and raw materials, resulting in exorbitant costs. Constructed with multi-layer warp and weft threads, it forms patterns with colored silk yarns through figured weaving techniques. It boasts raised three-dimensional motifs and a dense, heavy texture, making it the most technically challenging type of silk. It feels substantial and stiff, featuring dazzling, luxurious luster, intricate elaborate patterns, strong wear resistance and great shape retention. Laws in the early Ming Dynasty strictly restricted commoners from wearing high-grade brocade, which was mainly supplied to the imperial court and officials. By the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the booming commodity economy fostered extravagant customs in the Jiangnan region(generally refers to the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in eastern China). Violations of dress codes became widespread. Numerous wealthy landowners, merchants and affluent commoners ignored the regulations and wore brocade, figured flower brocade and gold-thread brocade. In short, it was prohibited by law, yet wealthy civilians could acquire and wear such fabrics in practice.

绡 (xiāo) took shape in the Shang and Zhou dynasties and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. Extremely thin like cicada wings, it became the iconic fabric for overgarments worn by noble women in Tang China. It adopts plain weave or modified plain weave, featuring low warp and weft density, few interlacing points and neat, clear mesh openings. Xiao is usually woven from raw silk, granting the fabric inherent stiffness and structure. Lightweight and translucent, it holds its shape well without sagging, with open, breathable pores. In ancient times, it was used for outer cover gowns. Today, it is made into wedding veils and sun protection blouses.

纱 (Shā) is matured in the Han Dynasty and remained popular from the Tang and Song dynasties through the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was widely used for summer court robes, official garments and noblewomen’s attire. Generally woven in plain weave with sparse warp and weft threads, the fabric features evenly distributed tiny openings. It represents the lightweight, thin and sheer category of silk. Extremely light and breathable, it feels soft and flowing with natural drape. In ancient times, it was used for veils and outer overgarments; today it is crafted into lightweight dresses and veils. They may look alike, yet Shā is soft and supple with little rigidity. By contrast, Xiāo is woven from raw silk, firm and shape-retaining, and does not sag easily.

绢(Juàn) is one of China’s oldest silk fabrics and a vital carrier of cultural heritage. It served as the base material for many famous ancient paintings handed down through generations. Woven in plain weave, it features warp and weft threads of similar thickness arranged in neat, uniform intersections. The fabric boasts high density and a solid, stable structure. Varieties include plain juàn, dyed juàn, and juàn specially made for painting and calligraphy. It has a fine, smooth, firm texture and great durability. Soft against the skin, it balances suppleness and structural rigidity. Its applications cover painting and calligraphy, cultural relic restoration, and minimalist luxury apparel.

There is another fabric category not covered in this video.

every once in a while you will come across a designer who really runs with it, makes it their mission to showcase exactly what one can do with knitting

Scalindra

Sun King

Fairly Squarely

Thrills with Frills

Da Vinci Wings

Tassel Dazzle

Helix Felicis

Batman & Robin

Wizard Lizard

Lindworm

That's not even all of them. I'm not a huge fan of the term fibre art but this really is it. Wearable art. Look at the geometry of it all! The structure, the chaos, the whimsy! God I love modular knitting

This is the most beautiful scientific diagram I've ever seen.

A mouth-watering fuck-ton of hand angle references.

Sailor Moon Symbolism: Ribbons

Ribbons are featured prominently in the Sailor Moon series. They appear

In various artwork.

During Sailor Moon’s transformations. Nearly all of her transformations feature masses of dark pink ribbons appearing and forming the basis of her fuku, including her gloves and boots. The series seems to imply that Sailor Moon’s fuku really is made up of magical ribbons; whenever her transformation is forcibly undone, her fuku dissolves into ribbons. 

During Sailor Chibi Moon’s transformations. Just like her mother, Chibi Moon’s fuku seems to be made up of ribbons.

As Minako’s iconic red bow. Minako is never seen without her red ribbon in her hair. According to the first chapter of Codename: Sailor V, Minako originally started wearing it because her crush said she’d look cute with it in her hair. Later on, that crush turned out to be a youma, and Minako (as Sailor V) was forced to kill him. After that. Minako still continued to wear the red ribbon because she felt that it really suited her. 

As part of the Senshi’s fuku. All of the Sol System Senshi have both a front and a back bow, mostly sharing the same color (except for Mars, Venus, and Uranus, whose bows are two different colors). In their Super forms, the back bows are lengthened, and in their Eternal forms, the bows become much thinner and more ribbon-like.

Ribbons themselves are highly symbolic. As the unfortunately defunct (but still salvageable thanks to the Internet archive) magical girl website, Henshin, says:

“Ribbons do have a significance of their own when talking about the magical girl genre. They also evoke a sense of girlhood. When we think of ribbons many of us think of elementary-age and younger with ribbons in their hair or very feminine girls’ clothing. Since the genre deals with that age between being a girl and entering adolescence, then it’s fitting that ribbons appear in transformations that symbolize that mental and physical shift.”

Ribbons are, in a word, feminine. Not only are they feminine, they evoke images of girlhood; shiny sashes on beautiful dresses, trailing decorations that spill from hair and hats, etc. Ribbons are a sign of blossoming, of having enough confidence to want to stand out. Also, a ribbon tied into a bow resembles a flower.

Given that Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon features girls and women who embrace their femininity instead of being ashamed of it, ribbons are a very fitting symbol indeed. Additionally, the way Sailor Moon’s fuku dissolves into ribbons when she goes back to being Usagi Tsukino could represent her going back to the innocence of her normal life.

This is a given.

If the last digit is divisible by 2 (a.k.a. even), then so is the whole number.

If the sum of the digits is divisible by 3, then so is the whole number. The recursivity of this means that if the sum has multiple digits, you can add them up again until you get a single digit and see if it's 3, 6, or 9.

Like the rule for 2, but check if the last two digits are divisible by 4.

If it ends in 5 or 0.

If the rules for both 2 and 3 apply.

No shortcut. Alas.

Like the rules for 2 and 4, but check if the last three digits are divisible by 8. (Yes, this pattern keeps going for 16, 32, etc.)

Like the rule for 3, but the sum of the digits (or the sum of the sum of the digits, etc.) must be 9.

For example, 294

29 4

4×2=8

29-8=21

21 is divisible by 7

Second example, 1946

194 6

6×2=12

194-12=182

182 is still large, so let do it again

18 2

2×2=4

18-4=14

I was trained in the dark arts of the cover letter by my mother, who is a hiring manager. And her training has paid off: I've been consistently told my cover letters are excellent. Let me pass on the wisdom.

The job of a cover letter is to give a prospective employer strictly more information than is on the resume. This is where you take the resume contents and put them into context. You look at the job requirements (you are looking at the job requirements before applying, right?) and look at your resume and ask the question (in your head) "why would a person think this candidate would be good for this job?" and your cover letter is the answer to that question. If you don't answer that question, the hiring manager is going to have to do it themselves, and you have way more information to work with than they do.

This is especially important if you're moving from one industry to another, because then the relevant connections aren't obvious. It's also very important if you're overqualified, because then you can use the letter to say "I know it looks like this job would be too entry-level for me, but I'm interested to pursue it for reasons x, y, and z". You can also use this space to explain away something that might otherwise be disqualifying, like job-hopping or a long break in employment. The tone to strike here is always matter-of-fact and constrained to topic - don't go into detail about health stuff or personal tragedy, just tell them what they need to hear: that this period of your resume was affected by [bad thing] but that it's now in the past and you're looking forward to the next chapter. Remember, one of the things they're trying to learn is whether you'd be content in this role, or whether you'd be miserable and leave after 2 months, which would force them to do all the work of hiring again. You're trying to establish that you will fit right in and not cause problems. Knowing what drew you to this job in particular (and don't just say 'money', that's true for everyone) helps with that.

If you don't know how to write a cover letter, here's a very basic template:

Start: letter-style salutation. If you don't know who the hiring manager is, "hiring team" or similar is fine.

Introduction paragraph: who are you, what job this is, why you are interested in it

Paragraph 1: take one part of the job description and explain how your previous experience and skills would make you good at this aspect of the position you are applying for. This should involve a brief description of what you have done previously (in a job, in education, in volunteer work, etc.), not belaboring the point, and then how those skills apply. Talk a little about how those skills have helped you in a previous position while explaining those duties. This is also where you would explain if you have transferrable skills! Say you haven't worked in this exact field before, but you have skills (so-called hard skills OR soft skills) that apply to this position. This is where you convince the hiring team that these skills apply to what you are applying for.

Paragraph 2: basically the same as Paragraph 1, but with a different part of the job description. Try for something with a different skillset.

Paragraph 3: same as above. You don't need as many as three paragraphs. You can have as few as one. It all depends on the job and how much you have to say about it.

Closing paragraph: Conclude as to why you would be a good fit for the job. Thank the hiring team for considering you and re-emphasize why you want to work there. Sum yourself up in a punchy one-sentence conclusion. Sign off like a letter.

This should all be about a page of text, as the OP mentioned. It's not rehashing your resume, but explaining those skills, elaborating on them, and convincing the person or people reading these letters that you should be interviewed because you are a good fit. (Don't say that in so many words -- "I would be a good fit because...." but rather do it professionally, like "I would bring my passion for and previously strong results in teen literacy to [teen literacy librarian role]")

It's also okay to write a few basic templates for yourself! Just be very very careful to tailor them to each position, and don't accidentally send the template itself or the exact same cover letter to multiple places (or worse, the same place multiple times). (When I was most recently job hunting I accidentally sent a cover letter with the name of a different place because I copy/pasted and didn't proofread closely enough..... don't be me LMAO)

My wife pointed out to me the other day that apparently most people were literally only taught how to say Sorry and not how to Apologize or even that they are different things so here.