抄録
In the late Victorian period, adorning one's dresses and parasols with blushing roses became increasingly popular with young British women. Although not an unusual rose species, blushing roses acquired a symbolic value, and were widely commercialized in the form of a book (Language of Flowers ). The language of blushing roses, “ If you love me, you will find me," emphasised ideal womanhood, so that the roses immediately became an acceptable fashion for young women. The blushing rose transformed itself from just another flower in the rose family to a symbol of young, modest, and beautiful women, as well as to fashionable commodities. This process was, however, complicated. It entailed the changing interpretation of facial expressions (blushing), the establishment of the symbolism of roses, the horticulture of roses, and the ways of representing ideal characters through one's dresses and accessories. This essay examines the ideological structures of blushing roses, and through it, explores Victorian desires and values.
