The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine: A Victorian Fashion Guide Edited by the Famous Mrs Beeton

Mrs Beeton’s name is for sure one of the most well established in English culture. Her Book of Household Management (1861) is still sold today and recommended as a cookery guide for young women. However, a vital aspect of Mrs Beeton’s literate life is barely known to most readers. Before publishing her household guide, Isabella Mayson (maiden name of the famous Mrs Beeton) used to write about fashion in her husband’s monthly magazine, The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine. In this paper, I intend to explore The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine, analysing the question of gender and the cultural issues present in this publication. Published during the Victorian era (1852-1879), The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine was an extremely innovative editorial project. At a time when many magazines were discussing miscellaneous subjects, The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine occupied a niche market, addressing itself for the first time to middle-class women and their interests, among which fashion is a central topic. Considering the limited financial conditions of the audience, the editors understood the importance of underlining the economic issues involved in house management and in the requirements of fashion. Mrs Beeton’s fashion column offered pragmatic advice to help her readers to get dressed like well-to-do ladies. Furthermore, by combining practical information, fiction, and instructions for everyday life duties, the magazine set a model for the women’s press of today. It discussed the social condition of women and included two correspondence columns, an essay competition, a loyalty bonus – all three instances of the editorial novelties introduced by Mr Beeton’s creative mind. Last but not least, a detailed fashion column was always present, enriched with illustrations. While taking inspiration from several French magazines, such as Le Jardin des Modes, the Beetons managed their fashion column with great style and originality. They even introduced for the first time patterns in real size, which, on request and for a fee, could be tailored for the readers. Thus, The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine obtained a deserved and solid success, setting Mrs Beeton’s name in the editorial canon long before her cookery series.