A lady’s maid helps her mistress put on her shoes.
Archives de la région de Rivière-du-Loup, Société d'histoire et de généalogie de Rivière-du-Loup Digital Collection, F0055/288.
In the Victorian era, women’s clothing was very constricting! It sought to expose the minimum amount of skin to men’s eyes and the sun’s rays. Hats were broad and abundantly decorated. The corset was undoubtedly the most uncomfortable item of women’s attire. Maids or female companions had the important job of lacing them to create an hourglass shape. Cinching women’s waists and flattening their abdomens, corsets made breathing difficult and movement limited!