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.
Fukai Akiko, Tamami Suoh, and Miki Iwagami. The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute FASHION A history from the 18th to the 20th Century. Vol. 1. TASCHEN, 2005. Print.
