In 1900, a middle-class family could only afford three full sets of outerwear, and because laundering by hand was a universally dreaded chore, they rarely washed their clothes. To endure heavy use, outfits were typically made of durable fabrics, such as wool, and came in dull colors that concealed dirt. Still years before zippers and plastic fasteners became common fare, clothing featured buttons made of pearl, horn, wood, bone, or Casein, made from milk curds. In the era of Queen Victoria, whose very name is synonymous with conservative manners, fashion was vastly more formal than modern standards: Men donned three-piece suits for nearly every occasion, and women wore dresses that reached down to their shoes.