![Picture](/uploads/5/2/7/0/52702273/1624471.jpg?158)
Petticoats, full skirts, puff sleeves and cloaks. For women in the 1800`s, these words defined fashion. One decade your fancy ball gown was in, and the next, it couldn’t be in the least bit fashionable. Skirt shapes became almost impossible to achieve, unless you wore numerous petticoats that would put a strain on your back. Before you went to a ball, you would need to wear a tight corset to achieve that “V” shape that everyone was going for. You would have to put in several days’ worth of practice, just to be able to function in your new crinoline. Your impossibly full skirt could lead to fire hazards if you weren’t careful enough, but you wore it anyway, all in the name of fashion. Living in the 1800`s, women had to put in much more effort to look presentable than they do today.
In the early 1840`s , making extravagant gowns were no easy task. According to Connor Prairie , “Every stitch of the sewing had to be done by hand; Elias Howe didn't even invent the sewing machine until 1846, and Isaac Singer's version didn't come about until 1850”.(Wheeler,2015).It was common for people to only have about two outfits, one for dressy occasions, and the other for everyday/casual wear. In middle to lower class households, the women of the house took up the sewing, and made clothes for the whole family. If they lived in a rural area, they likely would also have to weave the fabric. For the Upper class, they would either buy their clothes ready-made or hire a seamstress to create the garments for them. For people who lived in cities, they were usually able to buy their fabrics from a shop. Although synthetic dyes had not been invented yet, people still had a wide variety of colors to choose from. Clothing was dyed naturally using variations of plants to achieve the desired colors.
The Gothic fashion era arrived in London in the 1840`s. Contrary to the trends that have been popular for decades, things became more relaxed. Skirts became less full, and sleeves lost their poof. Colors also became less flamboyant. The gothic era, although looking more relaxed than older dresses, was grander. The new dome shape of the skirt became very popular and required yet more heavy petticoats to achieve the desired look. Adding some interest to the forefront, prints began to be used in clothing. Unlike the traditional solid color dresses, it added more interest to the gowns. The Vintage Fashion Guild says “The Substantial expanses of fabric were crying out for visual interest which large plaids and border prints provided “(Admin,2010).
To keep up with the ever-changing gown styles, women had to be resourceful. Too much work had been put into making a dress. Fabric had to be ordered from faraway places and take months to arrive. Most families made their own fabric, which was no easy task. Creating or obtaining dyes was not easy either. To fix this problem, women would often re-alter their gowns. Less wealthy women would try to incorporate modern trends into their old garments by changing sleeve styles, altering waistline heights, replacing pleats with gathers or vice-versa, and changing ribbons and trim. Dresses were altered and re-altered again and sometimes, eventually made into a dress for a child.
With the 1850`s, came the arrival of the first commercial sewing machine, invented by Elias Howe. It no longer took hours upon hours to create garments and people could now add more variety to their wardrobe. It was more likely for people to have different outfits for different occasions. Outfits could be more easily made for work, sleep, casual wear, and formal wear. In 1856 William Henry Perkin invented Synthetic dye. Dresses could now come in every color imaginable.
In the 1850s- the caged crinoline was invented, providing some relief to women who wore heavy petticoats to achieve their desired shape. The caged crinoline was very light compared to petticoats, so skirts reached an all-time fullness. Women would wear slightly smaller hoops for casual wear, and then switched to much bigger hoops to wear to dressier occasions such as balls. The hoop was inexpensive compared to petticoats, so more women were able to wear them. According to the Vintage Fashion Guild “The hoop was worn almost universally and could be seen on ladies, maids, and the middle class and shop girls. Women working hard in fields and those scrubbing floors were some of the few exceptions.”(Admin 2010).
The Crinoline was a great invention in the 1850`s, but having skirts that were larger than life came with its own set of problems. Doing daily functions like walking and sitting had to be re-learned while wearing a crinoline. If you did not sit down properly, the crinoline could fly up and hit you in the face, exposing your undergarments. Although the cage came with flexible metals, it was still hard for women to fit into tight spaces. The crinoline could be as wide as 6 feet in diameter and made it difficult for women to get through doors and into carriages. The skirts were also a fire hazard. Women had to be aware of all surroundings because the huge gowns could easily knock things over or catch on fire, due to the flammable fabrics that were typically used.
In The 1860s, the both revolutionary and infamous crinoline began to change shape. The traditional dome-like shape of the crinoline shifted to an oval, with more emphasis being added to the backside. This crinoline style was very popular for this era, and was dubbed the crinolette. The bodice also became slightly shorter, and drooped sleeves with tighter wrists were widely worn. Many gowns featured square necklines and it was common for women to add trim to show off this style. According to the Vintage fashion Guild “To emphasize the wide neckline on evening dresses, Bertha collars following the décolleté were made of pleated fabric, ruffles, or lace.”(Admin,2010).
In the 1800`s fashion began to change more constantly and dramatically. More work was put into clothing families as ready-made items were few and far between. People went to great lengths to achieve a full skirt or a perfect puffed sleeve. Showing any skin besides your face and hands were frowned upon and women wore several different garments in an attempt to cover up. Women often sacrificed comfort for fashion and wore unbearably tight corsets, heavy petticoats, and crinolines that made daily functions a struggle. In the 1800`s people put much more work into clothing themselves and their families then they do now.
In the early 1840`s , making extravagant gowns were no easy task. According to Connor Prairie , “Every stitch of the sewing had to be done by hand; Elias Howe didn't even invent the sewing machine until 1846, and Isaac Singer's version didn't come about until 1850”.(Wheeler,2015).It was common for people to only have about two outfits, one for dressy occasions, and the other for everyday/casual wear. In middle to lower class households, the women of the house took up the sewing, and made clothes for the whole family. If they lived in a rural area, they likely would also have to weave the fabric. For the Upper class, they would either buy their clothes ready-made or hire a seamstress to create the garments for them. For people who lived in cities, they were usually able to buy their fabrics from a shop. Although synthetic dyes had not been invented yet, people still had a wide variety of colors to choose from. Clothing was dyed naturally using variations of plants to achieve the desired colors.
The Gothic fashion era arrived in London in the 1840`s. Contrary to the trends that have been popular for decades, things became more relaxed. Skirts became less full, and sleeves lost their poof. Colors also became less flamboyant. The gothic era, although looking more relaxed than older dresses, was grander. The new dome shape of the skirt became very popular and required yet more heavy petticoats to achieve the desired look. Adding some interest to the forefront, prints began to be used in clothing. Unlike the traditional solid color dresses, it added more interest to the gowns. The Vintage Fashion Guild says “The Substantial expanses of fabric were crying out for visual interest which large plaids and border prints provided “(Admin,2010).
To keep up with the ever-changing gown styles, women had to be resourceful. Too much work had been put into making a dress. Fabric had to be ordered from faraway places and take months to arrive. Most families made their own fabric, which was no easy task. Creating or obtaining dyes was not easy either. To fix this problem, women would often re-alter their gowns. Less wealthy women would try to incorporate modern trends into their old garments by changing sleeve styles, altering waistline heights, replacing pleats with gathers or vice-versa, and changing ribbons and trim. Dresses were altered and re-altered again and sometimes, eventually made into a dress for a child.
With the 1850`s, came the arrival of the first commercial sewing machine, invented by Elias Howe. It no longer took hours upon hours to create garments and people could now add more variety to their wardrobe. It was more likely for people to have different outfits for different occasions. Outfits could be more easily made for work, sleep, casual wear, and formal wear. In 1856 William Henry Perkin invented Synthetic dye. Dresses could now come in every color imaginable.
In the 1850s- the caged crinoline was invented, providing some relief to women who wore heavy petticoats to achieve their desired shape. The caged crinoline was very light compared to petticoats, so skirts reached an all-time fullness. Women would wear slightly smaller hoops for casual wear, and then switched to much bigger hoops to wear to dressier occasions such as balls. The hoop was inexpensive compared to petticoats, so more women were able to wear them. According to the Vintage Fashion Guild “The hoop was worn almost universally and could be seen on ladies, maids, and the middle class and shop girls. Women working hard in fields and those scrubbing floors were some of the few exceptions.”(Admin 2010).
The Crinoline was a great invention in the 1850`s, but having skirts that were larger than life came with its own set of problems. Doing daily functions like walking and sitting had to be re-learned while wearing a crinoline. If you did not sit down properly, the crinoline could fly up and hit you in the face, exposing your undergarments. Although the cage came with flexible metals, it was still hard for women to fit into tight spaces. The crinoline could be as wide as 6 feet in diameter and made it difficult for women to get through doors and into carriages. The skirts were also a fire hazard. Women had to be aware of all surroundings because the huge gowns could easily knock things over or catch on fire, due to the flammable fabrics that were typically used.
In The 1860s, the both revolutionary and infamous crinoline began to change shape. The traditional dome-like shape of the crinoline shifted to an oval, with more emphasis being added to the backside. This crinoline style was very popular for this era, and was dubbed the crinolette. The bodice also became slightly shorter, and drooped sleeves with tighter wrists were widely worn. Many gowns featured square necklines and it was common for women to add trim to show off this style. According to the Vintage fashion Guild “To emphasize the wide neckline on evening dresses, Bertha collars following the décolleté were made of pleated fabric, ruffles, or lace.”(Admin,2010).
In the 1800`s fashion began to change more constantly and dramatically. More work was put into clothing families as ready-made items were few and far between. People went to great lengths to achieve a full skirt or a perfect puffed sleeve. Showing any skin besides your face and hands were frowned upon and women wore several different garments in an attempt to cover up. Women often sacrificed comfort for fashion and wore unbearably tight corsets, heavy petticoats, and crinolines that made daily functions a struggle. In the 1800`s people put much more work into clothing themselves and their families then they do now.