Just like in the books we love

Some time ago, I came across the neatest catalog, the Victorian Trading Company. It is full of beautiful things that look just like they came out of a Jane Austen novel or from the turn of the century. (The time period is a little broader than just the Victorian era.) The catalog will make you feel like you are in a different century -- they sell clothes, cookbooks, home decorations, toys, whatever you can think of from those times gone by.

It is so much fun to look through! I love the visual reminder of all the elegance that used to be expected. Back then, women were LADIES and were proud to be feminine. Looking through this catalog inspires me to try recapturing some of that refinement in my own life.

The one problem is that a great deal of these items are quite expensive. I have never actually bought anything from this catalog (I just dream about it) because I don't feel that I can afford it. But sometime, I think it would be fun to buy a few select items and use them to dress everything else up.

They do have some exquisite clothing. Most of it would probably look a little unusual if you just wore it around like normal clothes, (they would make great costumes, though, if you could afford it) but some of their things would be a really neat addition to the wardrobe. Although I'm not sure why, but some of their dresses do not seem to abide by the Victorian standards of modesty. I wish that that part were a little more authentic. But much of their clothing really is beautiful.

I can only imagine how much a little girl would love growing up with some of these things around the house! What a dream! I see these items as a lesson in the true history of women -- women who were not oppressed or stifled by their femininity, but rather women who gloried in it.

You can request a free catalog on their web site (which also has some other fun activities such as some charming Victorian e-cards). I guarantee that when you look through your catalog, you will be delighted to see things that before you only read about. :)