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The nineteenth century marks the period beginning January 1, 1801 and ends December 31, 1900. It was a period of dramatic change and rapid socio-cultural advancement, where society and culture are constantly changing with advancement of time. The ''Fashion of the 19th Century'' strongly reflected the technology, art, politics and culture of the time of which were highly influential to the styles and silhouettes. For women, fashion was an extravagant and extroverted display of the female silhouette with
corset A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting eff ...
pinched waistlines, bustling full-skirts that flowed in and out of trend and decoratively
embellished In sewing and crafts, an embellishment is anything that adds design interest to the piece. Examples in sewing and craft * appliqué can be made by sewing machine of decorative techniques and or * embroidery, done either by machine or by hand ...
gowns. For men, three piece suits were tailored for usefulness in business as well as sporting activity. The fashion in this article includes styles from the 19th Century through a Western context - namely
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
.


Historical overview and fashions


Early 1800s (1800-1829)


Technological innovations

At the turn of the 18th century, the Western world – namely Europe and the United States – were revelling in the prosperity of the rapid progress that came with the rise of the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. The period from approximately 1760 to between 1820 and 1840 saw the transition to new
manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
processes from traditional hand production methods to new machine production methods.Landes, D.S. (1969). ''The Unbound Prometheus: technological change and industrial development in Western Europe from 1750 to present.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. The
textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, textile, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be Natural material, natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry. Industry p ...
was the first to use modern production techniques, namely mechanised cotton spinning with automatic machine looms. With the arrival of automated methods, through industrialisation came too the creation of factories which maximised productivity and enhanced efficient production. The unprecedented rapid and sustained economic growth demonstrated by the textile industry – through employment and value output – saw huge changes in the affordability of clothes and
material Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geolo ...
s as prices fell.


Art, culture and politics

The early 19th century saw a shift from 18th century Enlightenment ideologies of order, reason and rationalism to new values of imagination and emotion with the emergence of
Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
.Galitz, K.C. (2004). Romanticism. In ''Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.'' New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm Retrieved September 7, 2020. The period of Romanticism from around 1800-1840 emphasised an opposition to stability, celebrating an appreciation of the chaotic which admires creativity, individuality, subjectivity, spontaneity, the sensory and the transcendental. In England, this period is also known as the Georgian Regency.html"_;"title="Regency_era.html"_;"title="r_Regency_era">Regency">Regency_era.html"_;"title="r_Regency_era">RegencyEra_which_saw_great_change_with_rapid_
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as cities grew, trade expanded, and a Capitalism">capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private ...
-driven consumer culture emerged. The fashion of the time reflects this transitional period as it gradually moves away from the Empire silhouette and Neoclassicism, Neoclassical influences of Enlightenment which take inspiration from 'classical antiquity'. The shift towards a new Romantic style inspired by creativity and imagination, is defined by more theatrical and dramatic designs which are inspired by a blend of the mysterious
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
past with lavish and dramatic
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
decoration. The extravagance of these displays reaches its peak nearing the end of Romanticism as 'exuberance becomes sentimentality'. For both men and women, silhouettes were increasingly exaggerated with the establishment of curvaceous shapes pointing to an obvious rejection of previous Neoclassical
geometric Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is ca ...
style.Bassett, L. (2016). ''Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion and Its Legacy''. Hartford: Connecticut Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Layers of colour and pattern added to the dramatic and expressive display which became characteristic of Romanticism and again contrasted the 18th century
monochromatic A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochro ...
palette.


Mid 1800s (1830-1869)


Technological innovations

By mid-nineteenth century people were settling into the normal routine of life as shaped by the changes and innovations that came with the First Industrial Revolution. Further discoveries in mathematics, science and engineering saw advancements in medicine as well as huge progress for communication and transportation.Oxford Reference. (2012). Timeline: 19th century 1800-1900. ''HistoryWorld.'' Retrieved September 10, 2020 from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/ The introduction of
telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
and the opening of major railways connected people in major industrial cities to one another. Emerging
globalisation Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
and world-wide economic integration saw new trade routes and brought wealth to the capitalist powers of the Western world. As standards of living slowly improved and income per capita was on the rise, the middle-class were beginning to spend more on indulgent rather than solely necessary goods. The modernisation of communication and transportation technologies saw a shift in the traditional consumption patterns of
retail Retail is the sale of goods and Service (economics), services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturing, manufacturers, dire ...
consumers. The invention of mail order business by Pryce Pryce-Jones in 1861 revolutionised shopping patterns and enabled people to order clothing and accessories ia telegramfrom other parts of the world o then be delivered via traina much similar concept to contemporary
online shopping Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of t ...
habits.


Art, culture and politics

The mid-19th century again shifts from Romanticism to
Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: * Classical Realism *Literary realism, a mov ...
, sometimes called Naturalism. This ideological art movement 'sought to convey a truthful and objective vision of contemporary life'. 1837 marked the beginning of the
Victorian Era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...
, a time that saw tremendous progress, change and power for the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
and one that characterises an entire genre of fashion history.English Heritage. (2020). An Introduction to Victorian England (1837-1901). Retrieved September 10, 2020 from https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/victorian/ Women's fashion at the beginning of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
's reign became more modest – constraining
corset A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting eff ...
s were paired with swelled skirts to depict the female figure as weak and submissive which aligned with early Victorian ideals of the modest domestic lady stereotype. Layered petticoats with
crinoline A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which w ...
and steel-hoop structures weighed women down making them physically rigid, symbolically representing a restricted participation in society and an imposed passivity. Menswear of the early Victorian Era was understated with the rise of the respectable male
bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. ...
gentleman. However, soon after both men's and women's fashion became more colourful and relaxed with more exuberant styles and new techniques including passementerie trims thanks to increasing availability of the
sewing machine A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with Thread (yarn), thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies. ...
. By the latter half of mid-nineteenth century it becomes clear that fashion technologies revolutionised the designs of particularly womenswear fashion with cage crinoline enabling a larger but more lightweight
hoop skirt A hoop skirt or hoopskirt is a women's undergarment worn in various periods to hold the skirt extended into a fashionable shape. It originated as a modest-sized mechanism for holding long skirts away from one's legs, to stay cooler in hot climat ...
.Franklin, H. (2020). 1860-1869, 19th century decade overview. ''Fashion History Timeline.'' Retrieved September 10, 2020 from https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1860-1869/ In align with the trend of offering greater comfort, menswear 'relaxed into wide, easy cuts'.


Late 1800s (1870-1900)


Technological innovations

The late-19th century constituted further industrialization with the
Second Industrial Revolution The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of rapid scientific discovery, standardization, mass production and industrialization from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. The ...
, also known as the
Technological Revolution A technological revolution is a period in which one or more technologies is replaced by another novel technology in a short amount of time. It is an era of accelerated technological progress characterized by new innovations whose rapid applic ...
, which was responsible for illustrious innovations. The modern social and economic infrastructure continued to revolutionise consumption patterns as the prices of consumer goods decreased dramatically with the increase in productivity. The growth of urban centres and 'new technologies, such as the introduction of electricity into clothing manufacturing, produced a boom in the ready-to-wear market'.Franklin, H. (2020). 1890-1899, 19th century decade overview. ''Fashion History Timeline.'' Retrieved October 15, 2020 from https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1890-1899/ Progress in communications and the media meant that fashionable styles and silhouettes were widespread globally and accessible to the everyday person. With the rise of publications, magazines aimed especially at women depicted the styles in vogue at the time and began to introduce paper patterns.Victoria & Albert Museum. (2016). Introduction to 19th-Century Fashion. Retrieved October 11, 2020 from http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/i/introduction-to-19th-century-fashion/ The popularity of these patterns paired with machine innovation and ease-of-use saw a rise in the popularity of at home dressmaking.


Art, culture and politics

Late 19th century movements in art and culture include
Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passa ...
and
Post-Impressionism Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction ...
which are characterised by their rebellion against classical subject matter and that which embraces depictions of modern life including new technology and ideas – 'concentrating on themes of deeper symbolism to express emotions, rather than simply optical impressions'. The
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...
and
suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to member ...
movement towards the turn of the
20th century The 20th (twentieth) century began on January 1, 1901 ( MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 ( MM). The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, nucle ...
also saw a shift in gender roles and new empowerment for females. As the 19th century neared its end, the world began to transition away from stiff Victorian fashions with the rise of the
Edwardian era The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Vic ...
to new freedoms of healthier and more simplistic dress structures and silhouettes. As women were enjoying new levels of independence, with female employment outside the home nearly doubling, the 'New Woman' of the era was young and intellectual, able to participate in traditionally male-exclusive activities such as work and sport. Women's fashion of the late 19th century saw an introduction of styles with a long, slim, body-hugging silhouette that revealed the natural figure, including the popular ' princess line' and later ' artistic' style dresses. These styles featured seamless waists, streamlined skirts and a slow move away from restrictive corsetry, much more practical than the conventional attire. These 'slender and angular'Franklin, H. (2020). 1880-1889, 19th century decade overview. ''Fashion History Timeline.'' Retrieved October 15, 2020 from https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1880-1889/ styles, had excessive decoration which compensated for the rebellion against heavy, ultra-restrictive trends. Dress embellishments included bows, emphasised ruching, thick rich fabrics and trims.Victoria & Albert Museum. (2016). History of Fashion 1840-1900. Retrieved 31 October 2020 from http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-fashion-1840-1900/ Menswear began to have a significant influence on women's clothing with masculine styles and
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 ...
ing becoming increasingly popular, women sometimes wore a shirt collar and tie, particularly when exercising. For men,
lounge suits A suit, lounge suit, or business suit is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt suit is similar, but with a matching skirt instead of tr ...
were becoming increasingly popular and were often quite slim, maintaining an overall narrow silhouette. A three-piece suit was a more casual attire regularly worn by businessmen, with jackets open or partially undone with a
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. ...
underneath. Heavily starched collars on shirts were worn high and stiff-standing, with turned down wingtips.


Women's Fashion


Dress style by the decade


1800s-1810

File:1810 Women's Dress American Empire Silhouette.jpg, Empire Silhouette ca. 1810 (American) File:Evening dress MET C.I.X.646 S.jpeg, Evening Dress 1805-1810 (French)


1810s-1820

File:Ball Gown ca. 1820 - American.jpg, Ball Gown ca. 1820 (American) File:Evening Dress ca. 1820 (American).jpg, Evening Dress ca. 1820 (American)


1820s-1830

File:1820s Dinner Dress.jpg, Dinner Dress 1824-1826 (British) File:Dress Late 1820s British.jpg, Dress Late 1820s (British) File:Morning dress MET 1977.197.3 F.jpg, Morning Dress mid. 1820s (British)


1830s-1840

File:Dress 1832-1835 American.jpg, Dress 1832-1835 (American) File:Morning Dress 1837-1839 American.jpg, Morning Dress 1837-1839 (American)


1840s-1850

File:Evening Dress 1840-42 American.jpg, Evening Dress 1840-1842 (American) File:Dress MET 1999.216.4 F.jpg, Dress ca. 1840 (British)


1850s-1860

File:Dress MET 1983.157.1 F.jpg, Dress ca. 1850 (British) File:Afternoon Dress 1850-1955 (American).jpg, Afternoon Dress 1850-1955 (American) File:Evening Dress 1850-1955 (American).jpg, Evening Dress 1850-1955 (American)


1860s-1870

File:Dress MET C.I.37.46.7ab F.jpg, Dress 1860-1864 (British) File:Dress MET C.I.43.7.2ab F.jpg, Dress 1860-1861 (French) File:Promenade dress MET DT267070.jpg, Promenade Dress 1862-1864 (American)


1870s-1880

File:French Romantic Style Dress ca. 1872.jpg, Romantic Gown ca. 1872 (French) File:Dinner Dress 1870 (American).jpg, Dinner Dress 1870 (American File:Walking Dress 1870-1875 (American).jpg, Walking Dress 1870-1875 (American) File:Dress ca. 1870 (British).jpg, Dress ca. 1870 (British)


1880s-1890

File:Dress 1885-1888 (American).jpg, Dress 1885-1888 (American) File:Dress MET 39.83.2ab F.jpg, Dress ca. 1880 (American)


1890s-1900

File:Tea gown MET CI44.122dig.jpg, Tea Gown 1890 (French) File:Tea gown MET CI44.122dig2.jpg, Tea Gown 1890 (French)


Hairstyles and headwear


Up-do's


Accessories

Handmade shawls, fans and umbrellas, hats, purses and handbags were popular.


Makeup and jewellery


Shoes


Men's Fashion


Suit style

File:19th Century Men's Suit.jpg, 19th Century Men's Suit (American) File:19th Century Men's Suit Jacket.jpg, 19th Century Men's Suit Jacket (American) File:19th Century Men's Suit Jacket Detail.jpg, 19th Century Men's Suit Jacket Detail (American)


Children's Fashion

For most of the 19th century babies wore 'long, white dresses with short sleeves'Buck, A. (1996). ''Clothes and the Child: A Handbook of Children's Dress in England, 1500-1900''. New York: Holmes & Meier. whilst toddlers and young children wore 'short dresses with frilled drawers peeking out underneath'. As children grew into young adults the dress styles mimicked that of the elder generation, with the only difference being more simplistic styles and shorter lengths.


Workwear


See also


19th century fashion history (Western Countries)

* 1795–1820 in fashion *
1820s in fashion During the 1820s in European and European-influenced countries, fashionable women's clothing styles transitioned away from the classically influenced "Empire"/"Regency" styles of c. 1795–1820 (with their relatively unconfining empire silhoue ...
* 1830s in fashion * 1840s in fashion *
1850s in fashion 1850s fashion in Western and Western-influenced clothing is characterized by an increase in the width of women's skirts supported by crinolines or hoops, the mass production of sewing machines, and the beginnings of dress reform. Masculine s ...
*
1860s in fashion 1860s fashion in European and European-influenced countries is characterized by extremely full-skirted women's fashions relying on crinolines and hoops and the emergence of "alternative fashions" under the influence of the Artistic Dress moveme ...
*
1870s in fashion 1870s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by a gradual return to a narrow silhouette after the full-skirted fashions of the 1850s and 1860s. Women's fashions Overview By 1870, fullness in the skirt had mo ...
*
1880s in fashion 1880s fashion in the in Western and Western-influenced countries is characterized by the return of the bustle. The long, lean line of the late 1870s was replaced by a full, curvy silhouette with gradually widening shoulders. Fashionable waists ...
*
1890s in fashion Fashion in the 1890s in European and European-influenced countries is characterized by long elegant lines, tall collars, and the rise of sportswear. It was an era of great dress reforms led by the invention of the drop-frame safety bicycle, wh ...


References

{{Reflist History of fashion