Victorian Era Fashion: Green Gowns To Die For! Scheele's green was the most fashionable colour for the Victorian elite. Unfortunately the dye combined copper and arsenic and resulted in skin cancer, killing hundreds of textile workers. Did someone say those A Little History of Arsenic Green American Duchess Blog Green was all the rage in Victorian fashion. Advances in dye chemistry led to Scheele's Green, a vibrant, bright color that made a bold fashion statement that didn't fade over time.