Why Women Fainted So Much in the 19th Century

[chicar]

.....And How It Lead To The Invention Of The Vibrator:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ1-D2SNLKo&t=325s

[Prof Marvel]

And here I thought it was the corsets...
YHS
Prof mvl

[morozow]

I'm all for corsets.

Not all countries have such a problem with sex in Victorian England. And in a swoon fell in many places.

[madamemarigold]

"Corsets" definitely. Trying to get ones waistline to a incredible 18" (the prefers circumference) does significantly limit the intake of air into ones lungs resulting in said swoon.   

[Miranda.T]

"Corsets" definitely. Trying to get ones waistline to a incredible 18" (the prefers circumference) does significantly limit the intake of air into ones lungs resulting in said swoon.   

You certainly do notice the difference when trying to climb a long flight of stairs when corseted  I think the comment on the weight and warmth of the clothes is salient too, as probably many of us who have sallied forth on summer days in full Steampunk rig can testify. Although as Steampunks we do have far more liberty to play with out outfits and make them practical for the weather (mainly by showing a lot more flesh than would have been possible in Victorian times); I remember a jaunt a couple of summers ago where the ladies were fairing much better than the poor gents in their three-piece suits.

Yours,
Miranda.

[Hurricane Annie]

And here I thought it was the corsets...
YHS
Prof mvl

 It was definitely  the corsets and delicate  constitutions of the ladies. How could anyone suggest otherwise

 

[J. Wilhelm]

I'm all for corsets.

Not all countries have such a problem with sex in Victorian England. And in a swoon fell in many places.

Interesting point. Germanic "Tracht" apparel being one such example. For both men and women, baring some skin on the arms or legs was not such an issue. We often forget that there was a whole other world outside of Victorian England.

While late 19th C English and French women's fashion were doing their best to cover every square inch of the body, it wasn't always so in the early 19th C, and in the colonies or former colonies. Social status dictated that the upper strata people emulate British or French fashion, while people in lower rungs of society tended to dress in what we consider a more "modern way." True for Japan and Mexico as well.

[morozow]

From what I've read. In France, despite high-necked dresses were open manners.