Explaining Your 19thc Lady Naturalist Dress To Others

Yesterday, at the Goodwill of Reisterstown, chatting with the man at the register about the ground-skimming Victoriana-ish skirt I found that matched perfectly a sandstone-colored, puffed-sleeve topper. He commented, "Great Halloween costume!"

I didn't want to go to the-fangirl-of-19th-century-natural-history trouble of explaining I'm trying to re-enact the lives of early women in science by dressing as close as possible to how they did.  But I realize now that I should have. There's no shame in it!  I just said, "Yep," I said. "Halloween. Got my costume!"

He said, "And these lace-up old-fashioned boots, too?" Yep. And the lace-up old fashioned boots too. I didn't add, "If you ever get a bonnet in, such as below, please please pweeeeeese call me."

La Belle Chocolatier, by Jean-Etienne Liotard, ca 1743: I'm going for it.  
And the top photo, too, courtesy of wonderful Sew Historically which is 19th century.

In other words, I'm starting to focus my Halloween 19th century lady naturalist costume dress less on dowager queen or governess to the spoiled children of the landed gentry and more on reality. How lady naturalists really dressed for work.  Au revoir French silk botanical print petticoats. Adieu. Le sniff. Le sigh.

It's homespun for me. I'm happy to explain it. I'm dressing as a Victorian woman working in field science.