Fashion of the 19th Century

THESIS: Fashion during the 18th and 19th century was far more extravagant, formal and complex then the fashion of today.

OUTLINE

I. Intro

II. Men’s fashion
A. wigs
Wigs became a large trend for men during the 18th century. Most think that the wigs that were worn were really large and tall but during the end of the century the size of the wigs had decreased. Wigs were largely worn by tradesmen, clergy, military, merchants and ship captains. In Virginia only 5% of the population could afford wigs, so along with looking fashionable wearers were also declaring their wealth. Also, certain wig styles tended to be associated with certain jobs. They could be made of human, horse, yak or goat hair. Which ever one it was determined on preference and how much money someone had. Towards the beginning of the 19th century they became much less common amid the younger men and the only people left wearing them were mainly conservatives. Edward Charlton was one of the most important wigmakers in Virginia during the 18th century. He made wigs for Thomas Jefferson, George Wythe and Patrick Henry. Edward Charlton’s shop size is unknown but it is thought to be no larger than one room. He had 4 apprentices which was normal for a master barber so that their trade could live on. Most barbers solely worked on wigs for men but Charlton made his customers’ wives wigs (or “curls”) occasionally.
B. waistcoat
A men’s waistcoat can also be called a vest, is a sleeveless garment worn over a dress shirt and tie. It is mostly worn as formal wear and often underneath a suit jacket. During the 17th and 18th century it was common to see men wearing brightly colored waistcoats; but in the 19th century it became more limited and were worn to match the colors of men’s suits. In the 19th century it went from being almost a second to an overcoat to more of a foundation to the clothing. It could also enhance men’s figures almost like a corset does for women. It created a cinched-in waist and because it was skin tight it emphasized broad shoulders and a pushed-out chest. This style became quite the popular fashion statement for men in the 19th century and waistcoats were largely used. But towards the middle and end of the century, around 1850 the look changed from being cinched-in to a more straight line. The waistcoat was then adapted to cause less waist restriction and the created a straight line up men’s torsos. Waistcoats were introduced by King Charles II from England, and they were also big in Scotland and Ireland at the same time. Waistcoats are still sometimes worn today by men for very formal events under their suits and are not very tight, they are more of the type that create a straight line up a man’s upper body.
C. suits
MORE INFO

III. Women’s Clothing that was Influenced by Men
A. the spencer
The spencer (left) was a close-fitting, waist length, tight sleeved jacket. It’s said to be invented by Lord Spencer as an accident. It is very similar to a man’s riding coat but it does not have tails. They were very tight to the body like a bodice and could be worn open or buttoned. It can be worn inside or outside but was usually a dark color so it wouldn’t blend with whatever dress was underneath it. Early in the 18th century it had no color or sleeves and would usually be made out of black or white lace. After 1804, it developed a color that would be high so you could fold it over of line it with fur for warmth. The pelisse (right) was a better choice to wear outside in colder weather. It was essentially an over dress or a coat dress. It was close fitting but not tight and they were often lined with fur. In the spring it could have been made from silk, satin or light velvet. In the summer they were made with sarsnet or light silk and in winter they were made with fur lined velvet and wool. The spencer and the pelisse were more so created because women were freezing to death, and in 1803 women who were fashionable were dying from “muslin disease”. Muslin disease was like a nick name given to an flu epidemic that often resulted in death for women who went out into the cold in their normal clothes; this was when the spencer and pelisse became crucial.
B. ………….
MORE INFO

IV. Women’s Clothing Styles
A. The Romantic Style
Before the Romantic Style women wore dresses with empire waists which were very high waistlines right underneath the bust. During the mid-1820s when the Romantic Style brought the empire waist down to a more natural height. Corsets were brought into popularity again as well to create the small waist over their new very full bell shaped skirts. Women began showing their ankles and wearing highly decorated stockings. During this style’s highpoint the most defining trend was the gigot which means “leg of mutton” sleeve. It was a sleeve for dresses that were very big at the shoulder and then narrowed in at the wrist; they were the largest during 1835. New over garments like shawls and capes were used regularly, even in the summer. Because everyone had such voluminous sleeves and skirts they had to enlarge other things as well. It became popular to have very large hairstyles decorated with feathers, flowers and jewels. It was influenced by Romanticism which demanded the idea that women should be very delicate. During this period it was considered vulgar to look healthy, in order to be admired women should be pale. Much inspiration for the Romantic Style came from the fifteenth and sixteenth century which was a time of very theatrical drama.

B. The Crinoline Style
The crinoline style of clothing was the primary style during the 1830’s and through the 1840’s. This style is a petticoat with a cage frame that was made out of steel hoops and then a skirt over it. Essentially, the style was very large stiff skirts and very fitted tops to make your waist look tiny. When the width of skirts was increased the length was as well which made women seem far more modest about. Basically it was more form fitting on top and then looser, and longer on the bottom which creates a nice shape. The crinoline style was beneficial to the textile industry because of the massive amounts steel wire that needed to be produced. It also created a need for looms and dyes to be improved because of how much fabric was needed for the skirts and because of women’s needs to look presentable. The word crinoline comes from the French; “In the 1840s, the term “crinoline” referred to petticoats made of crin (horsehair) interwoven with hard lin (linen).” This style lasted for a while but in the 1850s towards more of the 1860s the bustle style was more in.
C. The Bustle Style
In the 1860s women wanted their skirts to be larger in the back but more flat in the front. To get this look women wore bustles, which were “pads that were placed over the buttocks, framed and stuffed with various kinds of material.” under their skirts. On top of that women occasionally bunched up the back of their skirts for even more volume. This lasted from the 1860s to the 1880s with almost no change, only very minor ones. Eventually dresses became tight bodices with large skirts and style for everything was about volume, even hair; which can explain why this bustle style lasted for so long unchanged.

V. Women’s Undergarments
A. bloomers
In Amelia Bloomer’s paper, The Lily, she started writing about women’s clothing in 1851, after her newspaper had great success. She wrote that instead of the tight laced corsets with layers of petticoats and long dresses women should wear loose tops with shorter dresses and pantaloons. This clothing was inspired by the women who lived in the New Harmony community in the 1820s. Some people believed that what she wore was very unladylike and inappropriate. She gave the bloomers their name though, she wasn’t the first to wear them but because she wore them so much they became associated with her. Most feminists had dropped the idea of wearing bloomers because they thought that fighting for women’s rights they wouldn’t be taken seriously in this so called “inappropriate” clothing.

B. hoop skirts
Used for Crinoline style CAN GET MORE INFO

C. pantalettes
Pantalettes are another undergarment that was worn by women during the 18th and 19th centuries; they were worn until the mid-19th century. They were also worn by young boys while they were still very young. Pantalettes are very similar to leggings that are worn by girls today. Sometimes they are made up of one piece or two pieces, one piece for each leg. They originated in France and then traveled to Britain and then to America. They were worn underneath hoop skirts to cover the legs and they were meant to show underneath the wearer’s skirts. Since they were meant to be shown they were usually made quite nicely. They were made of linen or silk and were decorated with lace, cutwork, broderie anglaise and tucks. Cutwork is needle work and cutting holes into the fabric to make it like an eye lit pattern. Broderie anglaise arose in the 19th century and directly translates to English embroidery which is needlework that puts embroidery, cutwork and lace.

D. corsets
The corset is an undergarment worn by women of the 18th and 19th centuries. It tied up the back and pulled very tightly at women’s bodies. It was designed to shape the hips and waist and lift up the busts. Some people don’t know but corsets were worn by both men and women but women most commonly. There were special corset-makers called corsetieres, who made them especially for the wearer of them. Some corsets are made included garters that hold up the wearers stockings. Corsets aren’t only used for fashion reasons; they are also used for some medical issues as well. When some people have scoliosis or internal issues they get corsets fitted to them to protect the torso and keep it from moving around too much. They are made of cloth that then has boning made of whalebone or steel to hold it in place and keep it stiff. They are held up with lacing in the back that is almost impossible to do by yourself, a women would have her maid help her get it on. During the second half of the 19th century they actually had corsets that were more durable for wearing while horseback riding, playing tennis or even ones made special for maternity. The corset actually did cause health problems for women though, because they had it too tight to make themselves thinner than they were. They began wearing them when they were young so they were still developing. It squeezed organs together, which caused childbirth problems, and digestive problems. Corsets haven’t totally died out and are still worn sometimes by some people today
E. petticoats
In the 18th and 19th century women wore petticoats under their skirts. Most women didn’t only wear one but they usually wore three. They are usually only worn to keep the bottom half of your body warm. Petticoats were usually made of wool because in New England women spend most of the year trying to keep warm and the only time it’s not practical is when it’s very hot. Also wool is good because you can use heavy or light weights and you can drape as many levels as you need for it. During the warmer days when wool is impractical linen was used because it’s much lighter than wool. Linen is also less fire resistant than wool was. Even when wool is wet it’s still warmer than wet linen which makes it even more practical for wearing. That’s why it is worn more than linen. The colors were very plain or dull because they only had natural dyes, but wool held the dye color more than linen does. The most common colors that were used were blues and browns. There also weren’t very many patterns that were used. Most were just plain but it is said that some may have been vertically striped, that’s quite unlikely though. Could wear even 5, 6, or 7.

VI. Leisurely Clothing
A. riding habit
In the 18th and 19th century a lot more women were taking up riding so they needed something they could wear riding sidesaddle. The tailors and dressmakers of course made something that would go with the mainstream of fashionable clothing. In the 1850’s and 1860’s the habit was a jacket style bodice that went up high on the neck with a long basque and peplum. A peplum was a sort of ruffle at the waist and a basque was a jacket extension and was almost like a corset. In the 1860’s another part of the riding habit was a very large, long, full skirt. True sidesaddle riding was done with a full skirt that reached the ground. Since women could not put hoops and cages under their skirts while riding they wore stretched petticoats to add fullness to their skirts. Also, they also wore breeches underneath all that, these breeches were usually made of wool or leather, they didn’t add much volume but they still added some. Even though women took precautions while riding by not wearing hoops there were still so many accidents caused by their skirts and their large outfits they had to wear to look proper. The bottoms of their outfits got get tangled in the horses feet or could get tangled in the saddle horns when women fell off. In the 19th century a safety apron was created to try to stop so many incidents, but because women were so concerned with looking proper riding their outfits, including the riding habit were just too much to ride with.

B. standard pieces of men’s clothing
C. bathing dresses
D. Norfolk jacket
E. bloomers
During the 19th century living standards were improved and people actually had time to do things like leisurely activities, such as sports. Standard pieces of men’s clothing items were still used, but informally during sports and traveling. Clothing that women wore regularly was somewhat appropriate for their sports including, hunting, tennis and horseback riding. They did have different clothing items, it just wasn’t drastically different from everyday wear. They had bathing dresses that they used for swimming and some other sports but primarily swimming. For sports like golf and skiing new clothing items came into play. Things like knitted sweaters and there was a men’s jacket, the Norfolk jacket that was changed slightly to be wearable as women’s hunting wear. This is also where bloomers played a large part because for things like biking women needed to cover themselves. Bloomers were thought of by Amelia Jenks Bloomer who was a feminist during the mid-19th century. These bloomers, that were named after her, arrived during the same time as the women’s rights campaigns began.

VII. Dresses
A. house dress
B. visiting dress
C. walking dress
D. carriage dress
E. riding dress
F. dinner dress
G. evening dress
H. ball dress

Women needed to be dressed for the occasion in this period of time, and there were many different dresses for different occasions. The house dress was worn by women at their own home and it was very simple and sensible. It was a made for comfort and sometimes was even shapeless. The visiting dress was made for women to wear when visiting people during the day. It was seasonal and they were worn with a bonnet usually. These dresses were made as to not outdo the hostess. The walking dress is for exactly what the name states. It’s like the carriage dress which was made for traveling in coaches and trains. They were made easy to clean and in colors that didn’t show dust very bluntly. A riding dress was worn for riding horses and was only worn up until the late 19th century; it was very similar to a male’s outfit. A dinner dress was worn to show off the woman’s great taste and was very elegant. An evening dress was worn for formal dinners, concerts, parties or theatre shows. These were worn to show off and emphasize a woman’s beauty, wealth, and elegance. Unlike some of the other dresses these were more colorful and more decorated. A ball dress, it was very similar looking to an evening dress. It was a lady’s best dress that was worn for dancing and courtship. It showed off beauty and wealth to attract a man. Finally a wedding dress became popular when women realized it was fashionable to wear white to be married if it was affordable. Women were to be married in their best dress (but not a ball dress), and they could be worn for dinner dresses afterwards because of their sensibility. GETTING MORE INFO

I. wedding dress
Before the 19th Century the wedding dress was a very informal dress that involved into a more elaborate dress after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s wedding. The American wedding dress evolved from European wedding dresses and they were only worn by the wealthy people who were getting married. White was the preferred color for both informal and formal dresses which really took off during the 1840s. The 1870s were when the train and veil began to show up on women’s dresses. But unlike Europeans, Americans were more likely to save their dresses, and so the tradition of daughters wearing their mother’s dresses began. Although there are some dresses that are multicolored, bride’s usually wear white dresses because it represents purity and then they also wear something old and blue which is good luck for the new couple. Because American brides saved their dresses a few were uncovered and a couple years ago were featured at an exhibit in Washington D.C. Most of these traditions are Victorian and they were considered in the 19th century and people did wear white dresses, and save them, just like it says but that was really only among wealthy people and it is more common in weddings today.

VIII. Sleepwear
A. bed gowns for middle and lower class
B. bed gowns for upper class
The bedgown was essentially a nightgown, but it didn’t always have to be worn that way. They were more popular right before the period of the Revolutionary War. Working women and non-working women had different types, mainly just the material they were made out of was different. Bedgowns for non-working women are made out of quilted silk or linen and the ones for working women were made out of cotton or wool depending on the climate. For example some women who were married to fisherman wore dark plain ones that were made out of wool. The prints were usually striped or none, women were very cautious of making it look like they were wearing furniture covers. They have no collars but a round cut neckline and at the end of the 18th century it changed to have longer, more slender sleeves. Some were pleated but that wasn’t the case with everyone’s, there were some with no pleats as well. It always came below the hip down to at least the mid-hip but it could be longer. It should close easily in the front at the center, a perfect reason for it not to be worn with a stomacher and open.

IX. Accessories
A. parasols
Parasols were accessories for women in the 18th and 19th century. It was created in Italy to protect people from the sun. It is basically an umbrella but it is made of lighter, less stable material. They were also not strong enough to protect from the rain only the sun. They became popular in the mid-18th century but really took off in the 19th century to help women keep their pale faces. Eventually it became so impractical it was just a fashion statement. It soon was made out of fabric such as satin, silk or lace and they became very small, which did almost nothing to create shade. They became a show for social status and display and were used to draw attention to themselves, especially when they did the classic twirl of it. Men did not carry them because they were so dainty and it was also not very manly to carry an umbrella. It was only acceptable for men of lower classes to use them because if wealthy men used them it implied that they couldn’t afford a carriage for themselves. Eventually people realized that instead of looking fashionable keeping yourself dry was far more sensible.

B. shoes
MORE INFO

X. How fashion was affected by wars and revolutions
A. lack of resources
B. what happened to the clothes
C. women made their own dresses
During the French Revolution in 1789 there was a large change in fashion. Things like fabric changed from silk to cotton because of the failure of the economy. Fashion was also used rebelliously during this period, revolutionaries wore the clothing of lower classes to rebel and the people that were still wearing brightly colored, elaborate clothing were anti-revolutionary. The modernization of English clothing happened in a similar way, but more so during the Industrial Revolution.
GET MORE INFO - HAVE SEEN SOME

XI. Conclusion
A. when/why fashion started to become more practical
B. comparison to today