There are two abiding myths of Victorian Britain.
The first is that the Victorians were so prudish they wouldn’t even say ‘trousers,’ and covered their piano legs in pretty pantaloons. (In reality, this bizarre idea was a retrospective creation of the 20th century.)
The second myth, to counterpoise the prudery, was that Victorian men were always on the prowl, serviced by tens of thousands of prostitutes instead of their trouser-averse wives.
