Give Me That Victorian Artisan Look

August 2, 2022 11:50 AM

We were watching Victorian House of Arts And Crafts and my wife said I'd look good dressed like this - but I have no idea what these styles are called. Screenshot here.

I mean, I know what a shirt and pants and suspenders are, but I don't know what these styles/cuts are called in order to search for them online. The styles aren't particularly old-timey, they're very basic but do have a specific feel about them.

All the clothing is somewhat baggy, particularly the shirt. I'm not too hot on the high-waist on the pants but like the loose legs and the fabric shown.

I've done searches for 'victorian men's clothes' and sort of find what I'm looking for but it all tends to be 'fancy clothes' (loose-fitting shirt apparently means 'frilly pirate shirt') and not quite the street-clothes shown here, or it's unnecessarily steampunk.

Are there search terms for I'm looking for, or can you point me in the right direction for getting this 'look'? Thanks!

posted by AzraelBrown to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (18 answers total)

Hmm. I would do a search for "Arts And Crafts" or "Victorian Working Man" or something like that. "Arts and Crafts" was a whole art/lifestyle movement back in the Victorian era that was trying to get away from the frilly fussiness and was all about embracing more handspun and handcrafted things. (Think, like, the DIY movement of today.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:56 AM on August 2, 2022

I'd add terms like "laborer," "farm," "country" or "workwear" to try and get away from all the frock coats and top hats that a search for "victorian mens clothing" will generate.
posted by mumkin at 11:56 AM on August 2, 2022

(Adding the caveat that this is purely an educated guess on my part and I yield to actual costumers.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:56 AM on August 2, 2022

You could probably get close by searching for contemporary Amish men's clothing.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:01 PM on August 2, 2022

Collarless linen shirt

Khakis/chinos

Striped suspenders

Newsboy hat

I think the shirt is the main key for the look. In this case collarless/band collar/mandarin collar, natural fibers, rolled up sleeves, relaxed fit are all key terms or elements of the look. I don’t actually know if the shirt in the picture is linen but I think linen or hemp will get you closer to the look you’re looking for.
posted by music for skeletons at 12:05 PM on August 2, 2022

This reminds me of something I saw at the Irish Design store in Niagara-on-the-Lake a few years ago. I looked up their website, and they've called it an "Irish grandfather shirt". Googling this term brings similar shirt, so maybe that's an actual term? Anyway, yeah, it's a not-very-finely woven cotton with a band collar. I think a cotton/linen blend, as others have suggested, would be similar.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:15 PM on August 2, 2022

Have you seen any of Peaky Blinders? It’s more formal, more urban & it’s also the wrong period really, but there’s been a minor fashion trend based on that look. There might be enough of a crossover.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=peaky+blinders+fashion&t=fpas&iax=images&ia=images

(I feel like the Arts & Crafts reference could possibly lead you down a different road - because the guy in your sample image doesn’t dress much like William Morris)
posted by rd45 at 12:17 PM on August 2, 2022

Oh and I can’t see the guy’s feet in that screenshot, but if I were going to complete the outfit I’d pick lace-up leather boots.
posted by music for skeletons at 12:18 PM on August 2, 2022

You can find what you're looking for at historicalemporium.com. The shirt in your picture looks like their Fundamental Work Shirt, worn with the collar open and folded back.
posted by wryly at 12:19 PM on August 2, 2022

Jas. Townsend & Son has a lot of options!
posted by gregr at 12:34 PM on August 2, 2022

If you confine yourself to fabric without any stretch you’ll get partway there automatically, as the baggy cuts allow movement if you haven’t elasticated everything.

Between the period Townsends covers and 1940, work clothes adopted gussets and curved seams that considerably reduced the bagginess - I think that’s what you’re looking for, the degree of fit standard in anglophone countries between the world wars (and possible for the moderately well off after, oh, 1880).
posted by clew at 12:35 PM on August 2, 2022

I feel like there’s probably some corner of the web discoverable by searching for a combo of “cottagecore” and men/male/men’s/butch and fashion/clothing.
posted by 10ch at 12:38 PM on August 2, 2022

I think natural fibers and woven fabric (as opposed to knits like jersey in T-shirts) will get you a lot of the way there. You’re basically after Monty Don’s wardrobe.
posted by janell at 12:41 PM on August 2, 2022

Replica 19th Century / Victorian Men's clothing at Darcy Clothing: trousers, braces, bib-front neckband shirts, Linen / Cotton Stripe Grandad Collarless Work Shirt
Uniqlo's Premium Linen Stand Collar Long-Sleeve Shirt
JP band-collar shirt in linen, seersucker
Muji's Men's French Linen Washed Stand Collar Shirt
Reproduction shirts for the Victorian period
Elgar's repro shirts & trousers --> Etsy shops 1 & 2 for buyers outside the UK
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:25 PM on August 2, 2022

Yes, the answer is Monty Don (and Old Town).
posted by caek at 2:34 PM on August 2, 2022

Everyone gets best answer status for being helpful; "grandpa" or "grandad" shirt seems to be my best search results option for the style of shirt we're all talking about. Will keep looking, and if you're late I appreciate any more suggestions, keep them coming if you're still reading this far down!
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:30 AM on August 3, 2022

Darcy Clothing (uk)

might give you some clues - eg fishtail trousers etc ( best vests ever :))
posted by burr1545 at 1:21 PM on August 3, 2022

For an American take, look at photos of Ryan Gosling's character in The Notebook -- his style also is similar.
posted by yueliang at 9:31 PM on August 4, 2022