(Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna)
I can honestly say that I’ve never really paid attention to elbows. Certainly not as much as the Victorians seemed to do. They prized a delicately rounded female elbow—and abhorred one that was too sharp and pointy. Even gentlemen fell in for their share of elbow shaming. According to Victorian etiquette manuals, a pointy male elbow was worse than unattractive. It could also be dangerous. As the author of The Etiquette of Love, Courtship, and Marriage (1859) relates:
“I once heard of a tall, bony gentleman, who thrust out his elbow so suddenly (it was extremely sharp) that it hit the lady in the side, cut open her silk dress, and caused her to scream violently, fearing she had been stabbed!”
Sharp-elbowed gentlemen were advised that, when offering their arm, they should “curve it outward, gracefully” lest they inadvertently injure a lady. The remedy for sharp-elbowed ladies was even simpler. She need only disguise her unattractive elbow joint with gloves or a strategically placed sleeve. As the 1884 edition of The Delineator states:
“Here and there a young lady who has round, handsome elbows wears her gloves short enough to expose them, and she shows good taste; but a sharp elbow should be carefully gloved or hidden by the draperies of the sleeves.”
Journal des Demoiselles via Met Museum
Fortunately for said ladies, long evening gloves were fashionable off and on throughout the Victorian era. They were generally made of silk or kid and, during the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s, could often have up to fifteen or even twenty buttons. However, even though it was possible to disguise an elbow with a long glove, fashion magazines of the day advised that it was better to do so with a stylish sleeve. According to an 1888 edition of Godey’s Lady’s Book:
“If the arm is thin, let the sleeve come below the elbow, as the effect is better than to draw the gloves up. Of all things, do not expose the sharp angle of the bone at the elbow.”
Carefully placed trimmings could also be used to camouflage a pointy elbow. For example, an 1883 edition of Household Words describes the fashion that year for large bows at the tops of long gloves—a particularly useful fashion for concealing pointy elbows:
“Evening-gloves are to be seen with a large bow of faille ribbon on each, exactly the same shade as the glove, at the top, at the back of the arm, as if it tied the glove round the arm. It hides a sharp elbow if the glove be long enough, which is often an advantage.”
Standard Designer via Met Museum
Standards of beauty have changed a great deal since the Victorian era. Today, I like to think that we have long since forgotten that the elbow was ever a physical attribute on which to fixate. Whether it’s too plump, too pointy, or too downright dangerous, an elbow is just a joint—far more functional than it is fashionable. At least, that’s my unscientific opinion. What’s yours?
Sources
The Delineator, Vol. 24. New York: E. Butterick & Company, 1884.
The Etiquette of Love, Courtship, and Marriage. Halifax: Milner and Sowerby, 1859.
Godey’s Lady’s Book. Philadelphia: Louis A. Godey, 1888.
Household Words: A Weekly Journal, Vol. 5. London: Charles Dickens & Evans, 1883.
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A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty
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Elbows look very sad very quickly as one ages, often with dry calloused skin, so I suppose a dimpled and round elbow was also a sign of youth, and not being sold a pig in a poke, as it were, with beauty products to hide the face. the neck and decolletage are other places of betrayal
Good point, Sarah!
Oh my, who knew that the humble elbow used to be so important…..Mimi you are so wonderful to entertain us with these little known facts!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
I believe it is time for me to find a bit of ribbon and other such frills to append to my three quarter length sleeves. Ha. Very entertaining. Thanks for sharing.
You’re very welcome, Jo. I’m glad you enjoyed it! :)
I never gave much thought to the elbow except as a potential weapon if a suitor takes liberties.[g] Thanks for sharing, these were interesting insights.
You’re very welcome, Darlene. And you’re right about the elbow as a weapon! :)
Etiquette rules like these seem to fuel anti-Victorian feelings for some people, but for me thats one of the things that make them so fascinating. Can’t say I never gave a thought to my own dry elbows :)
I agree, Diana. Victorian history can be so interesting–and humorous, too!