Does anyone know of any fads from the 1800s?

Question:--Fashion: for women--corsets, bustles, balloon sleeves. For men--cravats (type of tie), facial hair
--Novels by authors like Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, Oscar Wilde.
--Sports like bathing (i.e. swimming), boxing, cricket, football, golf, horse racing, mountain climbing, rowing, rugby, track and field
--Private schools like Eton
--Writing letters
--Embroidery (for women)
--Prostitutes
--Tudor-style houses

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: --Fashion: for women--corsets, bustles, balloon sleeves. For men--cravats (type of tie), facial hair
--Novels by authors like Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, Oscar Wilde.
--Sports like bathing (i.e. swimming), boxing, cricket, football, golf, horse racing, mountain climbing, rowing, rugby, track and field
--Private schools like Eton
--Writing letters
--Embroidery (for women)
--Prostitutes
--Tudor-style houses

The acquisition of overseas empires was a fad for many nations. =)

I suspect you might mean fashion (clothes, decoration, etc) so try this page out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_f...
It lists general fashion during the Victorian age which covers most of the 1800s.