The Victorians were very, very concerned about dressing appropriately for the occasion, so I figured for my Victorian-inspired outfit, I should wear something appropriate for my occupation. It also goes with my personal rule that I have to wear my outfits in my daily life, which on weekdays means going to the lab.

So, for my Victorian scientist outfit, I started with a waistcoat over a white shirt, as any respectable gentleman would never been seen without his waistcoat. In my case, my waistcoat is also somewhat reminiscent of a ladies' corset, although it's stretchy and comfortable rather than constricting. The blouse has some pintucks in the front, which also seem like a Victorian touch to me. My jacket is also more like something a lady would wear, a bolero-type short jacket that would be worn over a high necked blouse with a long skirt. I wish I had a men's style frock coat with long tails though! The granny boots are also more Victorian womenswear than menswear.

In 2015, I'd probably wear this ensemble with jeans, but they are so anachronistic in a Victorian outfit that I felt like I had to choose something else. I don't have any tweed trousers, so I went with my wool microcheck trousers; from a distance, they read as a tweedy grey.

I could not resist adding my magnifying glass necklace! Sure, it's a little costumey but it's so much fun. I also added a big cocktail ring with a large deep red stone.

I mentioned earlier today on Aubergine's thread that I actually had a hard time coming up with a Victorian outfit, even though the era certainly influences a lot of my everyday looks. But I think I've realized that it works best for me when I pair it with more modern and urban pieces. And not having denim to fall back on to ground the outfit is really difficult!

(handknit vest, Aqua jacket, Vince Camuto blouse, BR trousers, Dolce Vita boots).