Cassells Household Guide , which billed itself as an encyclopedia of domestic and social economy, summed up the problem like this, circa 1880: As a general rule, ladies do not like to see their maids dressed in the clothes they themselves have wornthe difference in the social scale of mistress and maid renders this unpleasing. But Cassells made one exception: a black or a dark-colored silk. Previously, a simple black dress meant a wealthy woman was dressing down. But by the 19th century, the black dress had become a staple of the lower and middle classes
Here are 5 ways to style brown boots for winter that I'll no doubt be copying from now until spring
Machine wash cold, inside out, like color, hang dry
It also comes with a ribbon to wrap around the waist, but you could easily swap it out with an embellished bridal belt if you were looking to add a little extra glam
"It was a chilly day in early March so I wore the knee-length dress with black tights, black boots and a black cape coat
