Basic fashion during the 1850s and 1860s



Basic fashion during the 1850s and 1860s

The silhouette – It is all about illusion.

• An inverted bell or triangle on top of a bell. This creates the appearance of narrow waist and wider shoulders.

• The side seams of the bodice are set to the back removing bulk from the side of the dress helping narrow the appearance of the waist.

• The shoulder seam is dropped to the back while the top of the armscye falls below the natural shoulder. This makes the shoulders appear wider while the waist appears narrower in comparison.

• The waist treatments include a variety of gauging and pleating techniques that causes the fabric to poof off of the waist band which sits just above the natural waist. The under-clothes sit at the waist.

The layers –

• Chemise – This undergarment protects your skin from your corset, your corset from your skin and your dress from your perspiration.

• Drawers – These are your ‘underwear’. They are open for easy use.

• Corset – This is your support garment.

• Stockings – These cotton, wool or silk knit stockings were worn over the knee.

• Shoes or boots – There was a wide variety of shoes and boots available for women.

• Modesty Petticoat – This undergarment covers your open drawers and your lower legs.

• Cage or covered crinoline – This skirt support makes your skirt bell shaped. Some are circular while others are elliptical. It is made of steel boning and tapes.

• Petticoats – These petticoats go over the cage covering the bones and smoothing the bell shape.

• Under-skirts – This decorative petticoat was occasionally worn if the skirt was held up to keep it from getting muddy or dirty during recreation or walking on dirty streets.

• Dress – Dresses were most commonly a single piece. Everyday dresses were functional. Fashionable dresses were made for wear at home, visiting, dinner, and many other occasions. During the day, dresses were long sleeved with high necklines. In the evening, for special occasions, sleeves could be worn short and necklines open.

• Collars, cuffs and under-sleeves – These personal linens protected your dress from dirt and perspiration. They kept your skin from touching your dress. These cotton or linen items were sometimes the only pieces washed.

• Outerwear – Outerwear can include shawls, a number of coats, and mantles. These can be purely for fashion or functional

Materials – Three fibers were most commonly used in clothing in the mid-19th century; cotton, wool and silk. These fibers could be mixed. Many more weaves and fabrics existed in the 1800s than do now. Wool was the choice fabric for a dress to cook in because it was slower to catch fire. Cotton, excluding fine and sheer cottons, was the fabric that could be washed easier and was used to make ‘wash dresses’, those used for cleaning around the house.

How does fashion connect to history?

The cage, a liberating garment – Following the Regency era (1800 – 1820), skirts became fuller through the Romantic era (1820 – 1840s) and the early Victorian era (1840s-1860s). Prior to the invention of the cage crinoline in the 50s, women created the shape of their skirts with multiple layers of petticoats. These petticoats were tucked, flounced, corded, and starched to create the fullness desired. When a woman went from the weight of 5 to 8 petticoats (approx 25 to 40 yards of fabric) to the 2-3 lbs of tapes and steel, she felt quite liberated.

Dress reform – Many of the social movements of the mid-century co-mingled on ideas. Health reformers, women’s rights activists, and transcendentalists all thought women’s dress was to confining for a women effecting her physical well being, her intellectual ability and her mobility. A variety of clothing changes were suggested including softer stays instead of a boned corset and minimal skirts. The most well known outfit is the bloomer outfit consisting of Turkish trousers, a short, knee length skirt and a loosely gathered bodice.

The Industrial Revolution – Many parts of the IR affected fashion.

Fiber availability – Several inventions (cotton gin, spinning jenny, water frame, power loom, etc) made fiber manipulation faster and more efficient, producing dramatically increased yardages. Improved transportation moved fibers and material across the country. Faster ocean voyages increased the amount of European and Asian goods available.

Sewing machine – The first useful, American made sewing machines were invented in the 1830s while the first usable, patented sewing machine was made in 1846 by Elias Howe. When Singer sewing machines came into mass production in the 1850s, they became available to women who could afford them. This decreased the time it took to construct a dress. Still, much of a dress and accessories were still sewn by hand. (Lawsuits over the rights to the sewing machine between Singer and Howe tested patent laws.)

Leisure time – Some women had more time for leisure activities, including sewing, after advances reduced the time she needed to spend on house work or after her families upward mobility into the middle-class allowed her to employ a house keeper or cook.

Dyes and Printing – Natural dyes were often not colorfast and could fade or run. New Aniline dyes produced more colors and were slightly more stable in protein fiber fabrics. Roller printing processes allowed for multiple layers of print design to be applied to fabric in a systematic way.

Basic fashion during the 1850s and 1860s

The silhouette – It is all about illusion.

• An inverted bell or triangle on top of a bell. This creates the appearance of narrow waist and wider shoulders.

• The side seams of the bodice are set to the back removing bulk from the side of the dress helping narrow the appearance of the waist.

• The shoulder seam is dropped to the back while the top of the armscye falls below the natural shoulder. This makes the shoulders appear wider while the waist appears narrower in comparison.

• The waist treatments include a variety of gauging and pleating techniques that causes the fabric to poof off of the waist band which sits just above the natural waist. The under-clothes sit at the waist.

The layers –

• Chemise –

• Drawers –

• Corset –

• Stockings –

• Shoes or boots –

• Modesty Petticoat –

• Cage or covered crinoline –

• Petticoats –

• Under-skirts –

• Dress –

• Collars, cuffs and under-sleeves –

• Outerwear –

Materials –

How does fashion connect to history?

The cage, a liberating garment –

Dress reform –

The Industrial Revolution –

Fiber availability –

Sewing machine –

Leisure time –

Dyes and Printing –

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