In the Victorian Era, green dresses were dyed with arsenic based pigments. These 'Poison Green' dresses caused horrible physical suffering and early death Victorian Era evening dress, maker unknown c. 1870. The green was the most fashionable colour in Victorian era fashion, it was called Paris green, also known as emerald green. It became popular 1817 Green Walking Dress Yesterday's Thimble Elderly woman dressed up in Victorian period costume of a green dress and bonnet with a lace shawl, standing in a garden. Broadstairs Dickens Week Stock Photo Alamy Dress British The Metropolitan Museum of Art