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Category: 19th century

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1825

As the classical lines grew more angular, firmer materials were needed. The popularity of silk, satins and velvets grew in the 1820s. Gowns were also stiffened by applied decoration around the bottom. This pale blue velvet evening gown was designed from a picture in Ackerman’s Costume Plates of 1825. The corsage is plain across the bust, and drawn to shape with a little fullness at the waist. Falling rather low on the shoulders, the neckline is finished with embroidered lace. The sleeves are short with epaulettes formed of heart-shaped leaves and trimmed with blond lace. Full white silk is gathered with a satin band for the bottom of the sleeves. At the bottom of the skirt is a broad band of satin with small silk cord laid across forming squares. An embroidered ceinture (belt) is fastened in front with an antique gem. The African turban of satin, velvet and embroidery was worn for formal occasions. Short white gloves are worn with the long sleeves.

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Category: 19th century

Hits: 2079

1860s

In the early 1860s the black and white craze hit. This outfit consists of a white body and striped skirt. The introduction of the separate bodice made possible using the same skirt for both day and evening. The large skirts and sleeves made outdoor wear a problem solved by capes, dolmans, and shawls. Lace gave the effect of a submissive woman. Bonnets were the only acceptable form of head covering for an older woman. Parasols with folding handles made them more convenient. Fingerless mitts could be worn even while taking tea.

Elaborate petticoats could be kept in order by wearing them looped up over a pretty petticoat. Some had bright colors with velvet or embroidered trim. Skirt lifters raised the hem of the skirts from the dirt. The large skirts were also hazardous indoors, especially around the fireplaces. Regular accounts in the newspapers told of the untimely deaths of women whose light muslin garments caught fire. Fashion magazines printed methods of fire proofing these filmy gowns. The hoops made it nearly impossible to extinguish the flames should a woman’s dress catch on fire. But wearing a hoop was delightfully easy and cool compared to the heavy bulk endured by wearing four or five petticoats. Only one petticoat was needed beneath the hoop. The hoop caused women to adopt a masculine item of clothing - the drawers.

This plain gathered skirt, white with black stripes, is decorated with black velvet and galloons of heavy lace. The narrow black velvet binding around the bottom protects the hem and could be replaced when it became worn. A body (or blouse) made high at the neck with a shirred yoke, known as a Garabaldi, and could be worn with different skirts. Large puffs of silk, shirred into a narrow cuff, compose the “Bishop” sleeve. To emphasize the small waist, a black velvet “Medici” girdle was worn. The editors of Harper’s Bazaar commented “what can be more disagreeable than to see a lady’s skirt sweeping the street as she walks.”

The 1850s saw the opening of the department stores where machine made lingerie could be purchased. The sewing machine made possible more and more trimming. The expansion of wealth gave birth to a greater display by the growing middle class. Travel fever struck and months were spent planning the trip to the seaside or mountains. The first things to think about were the multitude of underclothes required. No lady would be without a wool vest next to the body to absorb perspiration even though her activities were restricted so she should not perspire. By now the drawers had evolved into split seat knee length affairs. The chemise has shrunk to hip length. The corset confined and molded the figure into the shape dictated by the fashion of the day. During the 1860s and 70s a girl of 16 should have a 20 inch waist and a woman of 20 should have a 16 inch waist. Several actresses had their floating rib removed so the waist could be drawn into those dimensions. The corset was put on damp one hour before dressing.

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Category: 19th century

Hits: 2012

1809

Ever since they became an institution in the late 18th century, fashion plates continued to illustrate the latest modes. Two French magazines provided the inspiration for this black velvet evening gown from 1809. The flowing classical line of the early years has begun to straighten and grow more angular. The Greek key braid adds interest along the hemline accentuating a small train. Gold and silver trim were used on evening wear.

A new form of construction was introduced around 1800 with the bodice fastened at the center back. By 1810 the stomacher was obsolete. Classical lines were preserved by wearing long shawls and scarves for warmth, especially by the fashionable, who wore their dresses very low and their sleeves very short. A great deal of practice and dexterity were essential for the well “draped” woman. The first “kashmir” wool shawls were sent from Egypt by Napoleon to Josephine. They were expensive but soon were imitated by manufacturers in France and Scotland. The archaeological excavations of Pompeii, an Italian city buried by a volcanic eruption in AD 79, influenced jewelry designs with classical Greek and Roman elements. Hair was worn short and curled, and was topped with a fanciful turban for evening wear, such as this one of black velvet and satin and trimmed with ostrich feathers and jewels.

Footwear underwent great changes after the American Revolution. High heels disappeared and flat soles were worn. Many were so wide they had to be kept on by ribbons tied up the leg.

Most under clothing pads and corset had been cast off after the French Revolution. An important innovation in this period was the introduction of drawers for women. Drawers reached to just below the knee. Elastic cotton drawers are advertised in 1806. Since rubber elastic had not been invented yet we can only conclude these were knitted drawers. As with most new fashion, they were initially limited to the upper class and considered a status symbol. The scanty dresses could no longer conceal the pocket hung around the waist, so they were replaced by a small handbag, called a reticule, or “indispensable.”

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Category: 19th century

Hits: 1976

1850s

This gray silk carriage dress is a copy of an original gown in the London Museum that was made in the late 1850s. It was pictured in the book, “Cut of Women’s Clothes” by Norah Waugh. For outdoor wear we have added the latest creation from New York, a spring bonnet of black crepe, arranged on a foundation of lace. The front is edged with a double fold of gray silk. Yellow flowers adorn the right side and yellow roses are interspersed in the full cap of blond lace. On the left side is placed a gray silk bow trimmed with pearls. The curtain, to protect the neck from the sun, is of the same silk. The broad riband streamers tied beneath the chin were called brides. Remodeling of dresses to keep in style was practiced extensively. One magazine recommended that large shawls be made to match the gown so it could be used in future remodeling.

The bodice of the gown is decorated with braid froggings and silver buttons. Men’s uniforms are the most likely inspiration for this ornamentation, and also the stripes on the sleeves. Under the pagoda sleeve can be seen large detachable sleeves of batiste which tend to make the hands disappear. The basque bodice is fully lined and boned on all seams. The flounces of the gown have wide bands of plaid taffeta, the skirt is completely lined, and also has a 10-inch band of stiff muslin to give body around the bottom. It is pleated in the front and gauged (or gathered) in the back.

The many petticoats of the 1840s have been laid aside for a new invention - the hoop. The hoop was not accepted without some ridicule. The hoop supported the weight of this gray pure silk tiered skirt. The skirt is fully lined and has a 10-inch band of stiff muslin, which gives body around the bottom. The detachable sleeves of batiste, which are long and full, make the hands seem to disappear. Small hands were the sign of gentility. The “basque” bodice is fully lined and boned on all seams. Men’s uniforms are the most likely inspiration for the braid froggings and silver button ornamentation of the bodice.

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