Wendy Robert
On a summer day in 1897, the shoreline at Brighton Beach was a scene of formal, yet relaxed, seaside activity. This was a respectable resort, a place for middle-class families to enjoy the ocean air, and the attire and behavior of the beachgoers reflected the strict social customs of the late Victorian era.
The beach itself was crowded with people, but not in the casual manner of later decades. Men strolled along the sand dressed in full suits, complete with jackets, ties, and hats, typically straw boaters or dark bowlers. They did not roll up their trousers but walked carefully along the damp sand near the water’s edge.
Women were even more elaborately dressed. A trip to the beach did not mean relief from the era’s restrictive fashions. They wore long, heavy dresses with high collars and full sleeves. Corsets were still worn, even in the summer heat. Those who chose to wade in the water wore special bathing costumes, which were dark, heavy, tunic-like garments worn over bloomers that covered them from neck to knee. Dark stockings and bathing shoes completed the outfit. The goal was modesty and protection from the sun. Many women carried parasols to shield their skin.
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The central landmark looming behind the beach was the enormous Brighton Beach Hotel. This massive wooden structure, with its seemingly endless verandas, was the heart of the resort. People would sit in rocking chairs on its porches, watching the activity on the sand and the ocean beyond.
The beach was a place for promenading and socializing. Groups of friends and families would walk together along the shoreline, chatting and observing the scene. Children, also formally dressed, would play in the sand near their parents. The main activities were wading in the shallow surf, sitting on portable chairs brought to the beach, and enjoying the spectacle of the crowd against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean.
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