The Anti-Victorian.

Queen Victoria, who ruled for 25 years after her husband died, wore black and set the tone for Victorian England.

Today we think of the Victorians as prudish, stuffy, devoid of passion.

Novelist Jane Austen was anything but.

She wrote about emotion, seduction and passion, the secret reality behind the heavy curtains of Victorian society.

There's a secret embodied in this Victorian Lace Ruffle Blouse.

The secret is that lace and ruffles are not merely beautiful. Not merely feminine.

They're sexy, too.

They move when you move (transfixing). The way they curl, the way they shift, the way they tremble (almost impossible to resist the desire to reach out and touch them). Almost.

A Victorian Lace Ruffle Blouse (No. 2462). 100% cotton voile, light and sheer. Crochet-knot, button-and-loop hook and eyes. V neckline, lace collar, and netting and lace bib. Lightly gathered sleeves. Bust darts and fitting darts at back. Pullover style. The way the intricacies of creamy lace flatter you with delicacy and elegance. Yes, ruffles are anything but stuffy.

Women's sizes: 2 through 16. Imported.

Color: Tea Stain.