Women's Fashion in late 19th Century

Women's Fashion in late 19th Century

For my research paper I will be focusing on women's clothing in the 1850's and on and how it defined them. Below are two pictures from a book I found in the library by Elisabeth McClellan titled "Historic Dress in America 1800-1870" and it goes into deep detail of the types of clothing that were popular for both men and women during this era. The first image shows how the women dress from 1850 - 1860, and the second how they dressed from 1860 - 1870. The first collection of illustrations shows the various features associated with a hoop shirt, such as the wire webbing underneath and all the intricate lace decorations. During the 1850's women were just beginning to become more involved with society and they wanted to be defined by their dress. They would try to look as elegant as they could by wearing these elaborate dresses to make them look beautiful. Beauty at that time was defined by how big and decorated your dress was and how tight your waist was. Beauty was a shape and what you looked like on the outside, rather than health and inner beauty. As for the second set of illustrations, they focus more on the idea of the "New Woman." In these pictures the women are featured in dresses that are looser and without the wire netting. The picture in the middle is the most important because it is the "croquet costume," and an example of the dresses women would wear to the sporting events. This type of dress was significant because it defined women as an active part of society and although the dresses were still elegant they allowed the women to do more. Women still tried to look beautiful, but also embraced their new look that allowed them to take part more in societal activities, such as sports. I thought this was significant because one can relate it to Henry James' "Washington Square." These women expressed themselves through their dress, just as Catherine did with her lively dress. Catherine was so dull in personality she tried to make up for it by showing off in her elegant dress, and it did work, but it attracted a man that only made her life more difficult.

Elisabeth McClellan (author), Sophie B. Steel and Cecil W. Trout (illustrators)

McClellan, Elisabeth. "Historic Dress in America." Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Company, 1910. Print.

George W. Jacobs & Company, 1910.

December 7, 2015

Taylor Caldwell

1850s -1870s