The Victorian Era constitutes the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. During this long reign of 63 years, many changes were brought about in England. Victorian Era is known for the vast developments that took place changing the political and economic structure of England. The Victorian Era facts are divided into architecture, social structure, fashion, child labour, etc for better understanding of the conditions during the Victorian times.

Architecture

The buildings which formed the Victorian architecture were Victorian gothic buildings having arches, pointed windows; Victorian Italianate architecture rebelling against the classical architecture; Second empire with boxy roofs inspired architecture in Paris in the reign of Napoleon, etc. Greek style was used for public buildings but, the popularity diminished during the Victorian times.

Inspirations were drawn from history, nature, geometry, personal life to make new designs. 19th century brought changes in the house color schemes and the architecture. Initially only white, grey or beige were used as colors but by 1887, people started using light and bright colors. Vibrant colors are the essential feature of Victorian era.

Social Structure-

The traditional society of the Victorian period was divided into the- Upper Class, Middle Class and the Working Class. Initially the Upper Class was the superior class having power and authority to dominate the other two classes. But with the Industrial Revolution, the gap between the Upper Class and other two classes reduced remarkably.

The living conditions of the middle class improved and some of them were also regarded as rich and wealthy. Working class comprised of skilled and unskilled workers who had to work hard to fulfill their needs and were exploited by others.
Fashion-

The womens fashion saw radical changes throughout the Victorian era. The gowns worn by early Victorian women were narrow with sloping shoulders. The very pattern of the gown made it difficult for the women to move. Also, they had to wear layers of corsets and petticoats.

This changed in the later years when light gowns were made, making it a little comfortable for women to wear them. However, throughout the Victorian reign, it was prohibited for a woman to reveal her ankles as it was considered to be scandalous.

Mens fashion on the other hand saw slow changes in case of neckties, day coats, evening coats, waistcoats, etc. The dresses worn by both boys and girls were alike until they were five years old. However, their dressing style changed as they grew up. Children used to wear clothes made from cotton or wool that was found around the house. The childrens dress had long or short sleeve depending upon the season.