1880s fashion in the in Western and Western-influenced countries is characterized by the return of the
bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
. The long, lean line of the late
1870s
The 1870s (pronounced "eighteen-seventies") was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 1870, and ended on December 31, 1879.
The trends of the previous decade continued into this one, as new empires, imperialism and milit ...
was replaced by a full, curvy silhouette with gradually widening shoulders. Fashionable waists were low and tiny below a full, low bust supported by a
corset. The
Rational Dress Society was founded in 1881 in reaction to the extremes of fashionable corsetry.
Women's fashion
Overview
As in the previous decade, emphasis remained on the back of the skirt, with fullness gradually rising from behind the knees to just below the waist. The fullness in back was balanced by a fuller, lower chest, achieved by rigid corseting, creating an S-shaped silhouette, foreshadowing the more radical form of this shape that would become popular in the early 1900s. These gowns typically did not have a long train in the back, which was different from the gowns worn in the 1870s, and were extremely tight. They were known as the "hobble-skirt" due to the tightness of them. Winter gowns were made in darker hues whereas summer ones were made in lighter colors. Velvet was also a very popular fabric used during this period.
Skirts were looped, draped, or tied up in various ways, and worn over matching or contrasting colored underskirts. The ''
polonaise
The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...
'' was a revival style based on a fashion of the 1780s, with a fitted, cutaway overdress caught up and draped over an underskirt. Long, jacket-like fitted bodices called
basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
s were also popular for clothing during the day.
Gowns were sleeveless and low-necked (except for matrons), and were worn with
long over the elbow or shoulder length gloves of fine
kidskin
Kidskin or kid leather is a type of soft, thin leather that is traditionally used for gloves (hence the phrase ' kid gloves,' used since at least 1888 as a metaphor for careful handling). It is widely used for other fashion purposes such as footwea ...
or suede.
Choker
A choker is a close-fitting necklace worn around the neck, typically 14 inch to 16 inch in length. Chokers can be made of a variety of materials, including velvet, plastic, beads, latex, leather, metal, such as silver, gold, or platinum, etc. T ...
necklaces and
jewelled collars were fashionable under the influence of
Alexandra, Princess of Wales, who wore this fashion to disguise a scar on her neck.
Underwear
The
bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
returned to fashion and reached its greatest proportions c. 1886–1888, extending almost straight out from the back waist to support a profusion of drapery, frills, swags, and ribbons. The fashionable corset created a low, full bust with little separation of the breasts.
A usual type of
undergarment
Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...
was called ''combinations'', a
camisole
A camisole is a sleeveless undergarment or innerwear typically worn by women, normally extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of satin, nylon, silk, or cotton.
Historical definition
Historically, ''camisole'' referred to jackets ...
with attached knee- or calf-length drawers, worn under the corset, bustle, and petticoat. Woolen combinations were recommended for health, especially when engaging in fashionable sports.
Outerwear
Riding habit
A riding habit is women's clothing for horseback riding.
Since the mid-17th century, a formal habit for riding sidesaddle usually consisted of:
* A tailored jacket with a long skirt (sometimes called a petticoat) to match
* A tailored shirt o ...
s had become a "uniform" of matching jacket and skirt worn with a high-collared shirt or
chemisette
A chemisette (from French, "little chemise") is an article of women's clothing worn to fill in the front and neckline of any garment. Chemisettes give the appearance of a blouse or shirt worn under the outer garment without adding bulk at the wai ...
, with a
top hat
A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditional ...
and veil. They were worn without bustles, but the cut of the jacket followed the silhouette of the day.
In contrast, hunting costumes were far more fashionably styled, with draped ankle-length skirts worn with boots or
gaiters
Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and bottom of the pant or trouser leg, and used primarily as personal protective equipment; similar garments used primarily for display are spats.
Originally, gaiters were made of leather or canvas. ...
.
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.
History
Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
ed costumes consisting of a long jacket and skirt were worn for travel or walking; these were worn with the bustle and a small hat or bonnet. Travelers wore long coats like
dusters to protect their clothes from dirt, rain, and soot.
Aesthetic dress
Artistic or Aesthetic dress remained an undercurrent in Bohemian circles throughout the 1880s. In reaction to the heavy drapery and rigid corseting of mainstream Paris fashion, aesthetic dress focused on beautiful fabrics made up simply, sometimes loosely fitted or with a belt at the waist. Aesthetic ideas influenced the
tea gown
A tea gown or tea-gown is a woman's dress for informal entertaining at home. These dresses, which became popular around the mid-19th century, are characterized by unstructured lines and light fabrics. Early tea gowns were a European development in ...
, a frothy confection increasingly worn in the home, even to receive visitors.
Hairstyles and headgear
Hair was usually pulled back at the sides and worn in a low knot or cluster of ringlets; later hair was swept up to the top of the head.
Fringe or bangs remained fashionable throughout the decade, usually curled or frizzled over the forehead, often called "Josephine Curls."
Bonnet
A Bonnet is a variety of headgear, hat or cap
Specific types of headgear referred to as "bonnets" may include
Scottish
* Blue bonnet, a distinctive woollen cap worn by men in Scotland from the 15th-18th centuries And its derivations:
** Fea ...
s resembled
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
s except for their ribbons tied under the chin; both had curvy brims. Sometimes people wore ribbons too.
Style gallery 1880–1884
Image:Genin leona barel.jpg, 1 – 1880
Image:Tennis costyme1881.jpg, 2 – 1881
Image:Frederick Hollyer portrait of Georgiana Burne-Jones c1882.jpg, 3 – c. 1882
Image:ModeArtistiqueAugust1882.jpg, 4 – 1882
Image:James Abbot McNeill Whistler 011.jpg, 5 – 1882
Image:Polonaise 1883.jpg, 6 – 1883
Image:Bathing-dresses 1883.gif, 7 – 1883
Image:Elizabeth of Austrua Habit.jpg, 8 – 1884
#
Leona Barel of New Orleans wears a long, fitted jacket with three-quarter-length striped sleeves over a matching striped skirt. A nosegay of flowers is pinned at her waist, c. 1880.
#
Sketch of an extremely modish tennis costume.
#
Georgiana Burne-Jones
Georgiana, Lady Burne-Jones (Birmingham, 21 July 1840 – 2 February 1920) was a painter and engraver, and the second oldest of the Macdonald sisters. She was married to Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood artist Edward Burne-Jones, and was also the mothe ...
wears a princess-line gown trimmed with ruched panels and ruffles, c. 1882
#
August 1882 fashion plate shows the return of the bustle: the tight overdress is looped up behind.
#
Whistler's Portrait of Lady Meux (1881–1882) shows the fashionable full bosom.
#
Misses' Polonaise has fitted bodice with a low point in front. The front of the skirt is cutaway and the back is looped up after the fashion of the 1780s. It is shown over a gored skirt with ruffles. Throughout the century, younger teenage girls ("misses" in fashion plates) wore their skirts just above their ankles.
#
Bathing dresses of 1883 show fashionable rear fullness.
#
The Empress of Austria in a
riding habit
A riding habit is women's clothing for horseback riding.
Since the mid-17th century, a formal habit for riding sidesaddle usually consisted of:
* A tailored jacket with a long skirt (sometimes called a petticoat) to match
* A tailored shirt o ...
, 1884. Her habit has the fashionable corseted silhouette, with a simpler skirt suited for riding, tall shirt collar, and top hat.
Style gallery 1885–1889
Image:Woman's dress c. 1885.jpg, 1 – 1885
Image:Sargent Madame Paul Poirson.jpg, 2 – 1885
Image:Woman's embroidered boots 1885.jpg, 3 - c. 1885
Image:1886-menswearinfluenced-bustle.gif, 4 – 1886
File:Woman with a fan made of feathers (3247280227).jpg, 4 — c. 1886
Image:Carolus-Durand Lilia.jpg, 5 – 1887
Image:Robe en surah uniRobe en mousseline de laine.png, 6 – 1887
Image:Princess Alix of Hesse 1887 (b).jpg, 7 - 1887
Image:1888 Peterson's Magazine Fashion plate.jpg, 8 – 1888
Image:Sargent Mrs Adrian Iselin.jpg, 9 – 1888
Image:Tissot Montmorand.jpg, 10 – 1889
#
Two-piece dress of c. 1885 the "back shelf" bustle. The bodice is draped up at both sides and worn over a matching underskirt.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum).
LACMA was founded in 19 ...
, M.2007.211.34a-b.
#
Madame Paul Poirson wears the fashionable neckline of mid-decade, wide at the bust and narrower at the shoulder. Flowers trim her bodice, hair, and draped skirt, 1885.
#
Pair of embroidered suede boots by F. Pinet, Paris, c. 1885. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, M.58.4a-b
#
"Woman with a fan made of feathers", photograph by
Alvan S. Harper
#
Outfit
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
which is both strongly influenced by menswear and bustled. Hair is upswept, with bangs. Elbow-length gloves meet the shorter sleeves.
#
Hairstyle of 1887 is swept up into a knot, with the front hair curled and frizzled over the forehead.
#
Fashions from ''La Mode Illustrée'' show dresses made of contrasting fabrics worn with "shelf" bustles and
opera-length gloves, 1887.
#
Princess Alix of Hesse wears a high-necked day dress, 1887.
#
Fashions of 1888 feature full busts, large "shelf" bustles, and wide shoulders. Gloves reach the elbow or slightly above.
#
Eleanora Iselin wears a high-necked black satin costume trimmed with beaded
passementerie
Passementerie (, ) or passementarie is the art of making elaborate trimmings or edgings (in French, ) of applied braid, gold or silver cord, embroidery, colored silk, or beads for clothing or furnishings.
Styles of passementerie include the tas ...
, 1888.
#
Vicomtesse De Montmorand wears a gown fastened in back, without a bustle, signalling the styles of the next decade. Her hair is twisted into a small knot on top of her head and is worn with a curly
fringe or bangs, 1889.
Atypical high-fashion
Image:Miss-Annie-Oakley-peerless-wing-shot.jpg, 1 – second half of decade
Image:1887-Japanese-women-Western-Bustled-fashions.jpg, 2 – 1887
#
The 1880s idea of practical women's attire is seen in this poster showing
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.
Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...
wearing shorter skirts and a complete lack of a bustle (acceptable for poorer rural frontier women and/or paid public performers).
#
Japanese print showing two young ladies dressed according to the latest Western fashions of time — except that the colors and designs of the fabrics are to Japanese tastes.
Men's fashion
Coats, jackets, and trousers
Three piece suits, "
ditto suits", consisting of a sack coat with matching
waistcoat
A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit), or vest ( US and Canada), is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. ...
(U.S. ''vest'') and
trousers
Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and ...
(called in the UK a "lounge suit") continued as an informal alternative to the contrasting
frock coat
A frock coat is a formal men's coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods (1830s–1910s). It is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at th ...
, waistcoat and trousers.
The cutaway
morning coat was still worn for formal day occasions in Europe and major cities elsewhere, with a dress shirt and an
ascot tie. The most formal
evening dress remained a dark tail coat and trousers with a dark waistcoat. Evening wear was worn with a white bow tie and a shirt with a winged collar.
In mid-decade, a more relaxed formal coat appeared: the
dinner jacket
Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...
or
tuxedo
Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...
, which featured a shawl collar with silk or satin facings, and one or two buttons. Dinner jackets were appropriate when "dressing for dinner" at home or at a men's club.
The
Norfolk jacket
A Norfolk jacket is a loose, belted, single-breasted tweed jacket with box pleats on the back and front, with a belt or half-belt. It was originally designed as a shooting coat that did not bind when the elbow was raised to fire. Its origin is un ...
was popular for shooting and rugged outdoor pursuits. It was made of sturdy tweed or similar fabric and featured paired box pleats over the chest and back, with a fabric belt.
Full-length
trousers
Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and ...
were worn for most occasions; tweed or woollen breeches were worn for hunting and other outdoor pursuits.
Knee-length
topcoats, often with contrasting velvet or fur collars, and calf-length
overcoats were worn in winter.
By the 1880s the majority of the working class, even shepherds, adopted jackets and waistcoats in fustian and corduroy with corduroy trousers, giving up their smock frocks.
Shirts and neckties
Shirt
collars were turned over or pressed into "wings". Dress shirts had stiff fronts, sometimes decorated with
shirt stud
A shirt stud is a decorative fastener that fits onto a buttonhole on the front of a pleated shirt, or onto the starched bib of a stiff-front shirt. Such shirts have special buttonholes solely for shirt studs.
A shirt stud may be fashioned from all ...
s, and buttoned up the back.
The usual
necktie was the four-in-hand and or the newly fashionable
Ascot tie, made up as a neckband with wide wings attached and worn with a stickpin.
Narrow ribbon ties were tied in a bow, and white bowtie was correct with formal evening wear.
Accessories
As in the 1870s,
top hat
A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditional ...
s remained a requirement for upper class formal wear;
bowlers and soft felt hats in a variety of shapes were worn for more casual occasions, and flat straw
boaters were worn for yachting and other nautical pastimes.
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture ...
s of the 1880s had higher heels and a narrow toe.
Style gallery
Image:Tissot Victoria Detail2.jpg, 1 – c. 1880
Image:Sargent, John Singer (1856-1925) - 1880 ca. - by Paul Berthier (1879-1916).jpg, 2 – c. 1880
Image:Hermann von Helmholtz by Ludwig Knaus.jpg, 3 – 1881
Image:Theodor Mommsen by Ludwig Knaus (1881).jpg, 4 – 1881
Image:John Bennet Lawes.jpg, 5 – 1882
Image:George-Étienne Cartier.jpg, 6 – After 1882
File:DodgeCityPeaceCommission.jpg, 7 - 1883
File:Rubinstein repin.jpg, 8 - 1887
#
British traveler wears a grey frock coat and matching trousers with a grey top hat, 1880. The coat has two covered buttons at the back waist.
#
Painter John Singer Sargent wears a formally pleated
Ascot tie. His shirt collar has softly curled wings, c. 1880.
#
Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (31 August 1821 – 8 September 1894) was a German physicist and physician who made significant contributions in several scientific fields, particularly hydrodynamic stability. The Helmholtz Associatio ...
wears a dark coat, waistcoat, and trousers with a stiff-fronted and stiff-collared shirt, German, 1881.
#
Theodor Mommsen
Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th centu ...
wears a narrow necktie tied in a bow with his dark suit, German, 1881.
#
''Vanity Fair'' sketch of agricultural scientist
John Bennet Lawes
Sir John Bennet Lawes, 1st Baronet, FRS (28 December 1814 – 31 August 1900) was an English entrepreneur and agricultural scientist. He founded an experimental farm at his home at Rothamsted Manor that eventually became Rothamsted Research, ...
portrays him in walking clothes. His coat with a waist seam and skirts cutaway in a smooth curve is worn with matching trousers and collared waistcoat, 1882.
#
George Etiene Cartier wears a dark frock coat, a decorative double-breasted waistcoat, and a narrow bow tie. Montreal, after 1882.
#
Lawmen of
Dodge City
Dodge City is the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States, named after nearby Fort Dodge. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. The city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town ...
wear their coats with only the high top button fastened.
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which l ...
(front row, second from left) wears a three-piece "ditto" suit with contrasting binding around the coat collar and lapel, 1883.
#
Composer Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sa ...
conducts in formal evening wear (dark coat, trousers, and waistcoat, white shirt and tie), 1887.
Children's fashion
Young girls wore dresses with round collars and sashes. Fashionable dresses had dropped waists.
Pinafore
A pinafore (colloquially a pinny in British English) is a sleeveless garment worn as an apron.
Pinafores may be worn as a decorative garment and as a protective apron. A related term is ''pinafore dress'' (known as a ''jumper'' in Ameri ...
s were worn for work and play. When going out, especially in the winter, girls wore many layers to keep warm. A warm coat was worn with kid leather gloves. Gloves were worn under a muff hand warmer, so when the girl removed her hands from the muff, her gloves would keep them warm. Just like ladies, all upper-class Victorian girls wore gloves when going out. A hat or bonnet was worn as well, along with long, knee-length button-up boots or shorter boots with
gaiters
Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and bottom of the pant or trouser leg, and used primarily as personal protective equipment; similar garments used primarily for display are spats.
Originally, gaiters were made of leather or canvas. ...
to give the appearance of wearing long boots.
Older boys wore knee-length
breeches
Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's c ...
and jackets with round-collared shirts.
Image:KingAtAge6.jpg, Canada, c. 1880
Image:Portrait_of_Édouard_and_Marie-Louise_Pailleron.jpg, France, 1881
Image:Tissot Garden Bench Detail2.jpg, 1882
Image:The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, John Singer Sargent, 1882 (unfree frame crop).jpg, 1882
Image:Albert vonKellerKleinePariserin1883.jpg, Paris, 1883
Image:Girl with a hoop.jpg, France, 1885
File:John Singer Sargent - Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - Google Art Project.jpg, 1885–1886
Image:GrandsMagasinDuLaSamaritaineSaionDEte1886page23a.gif, Bustled fashions for girls. 1886
Image:Fig606COSTUME_JUPEen_etoffe_rayee.png, Boy 5 years old in skirt. 1887
Image:Fig704MANTEAU_Fig705CARRICK.png, Bustled fashions for girls. 1887
Image:Sargent John Singer Portrait of Two Children aka The Forbes Brothers.jpg, 1887
Image:Wassilij Iwanowitsch Surikow 007.jpg, Russia, 1888
Working clothes
File:Talollisia Ruokolahdelta.jpg, Freeholders of Ruokolahti, Finland, 1882
File:Dan Casey2.jpg, Baseball pitcher Dan Casey, c. 1885
File:Henry Herbert La Thangue - The Return of the Reapers - Google Art Project.jpg, French reapers, 1886
File:Cowboy.jpg, Cowboy, c. 1888, South Dakota
See also
*
Victorian fashion
Victorian fashion consists of the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and developed in the United Kingdom and the British Empire throughout the Victorian era, roughly from the 1830s through the 1890s. The period saw ...
*
Victorian dress reform
Victorian dress reform was an objective of the Victorian dress reform movement (also known as the rational dress movement) of the middle and late Victorian era, led by various reformers who proposed, designed, and wore clothing considered more ...
*
Artistic Dress movement
*
Corset controversy
The corset controversy concerns supporters' and detractors' arguments for and against wearing a corset. The controversy was contemporary with the time that corsets were popular in society. Corsets, variously called ''a pair of bodys'' or ''stays ...
*
Svenska drägtreformföreningen
References
*
Arnold, Janet: ''Patterns of Fashion 2: Englishwomen's Dresses and Their Construction C.1860–1940'', Wace 1966, Macmillan 1972. Revised metric edition, Drama Books 1977.
* Ashelford, Jane: ''The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500–1914'', Abrams, 1996.
* Black, J. Anderson and Madge Garland: ''A History of Fashion'', Morrow, 1975.
* Nunn, Joan: ''Fashion in Costume, 1200–2000,'' 2nd edition, A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd; Chicago: New Amsterdam Books, 2000. (Excerpts online a
The Victorian Web
* Payne, Blanche: ''History of Costume from the Ancient Egyptians to the Twentieth Century'', Harper & Row, 1965. No ISBN for this edition; ASIN B0006BMNFS
External links
1880s Fashion Plates of men, women, and children's fashionfrom The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries
* Fro
:
**
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20030421054917/http://costume.osu.edu/Reforming_Fashion/image_exhibition/tea56.htm Olive wool tea gown, 1882*
Bustle, corset and combination, 1884-1890*
*
Children's fashion of the 1880s
{{DEFAULTSORT:1880s In Fashion
Fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion i ...
1880s fashion