Womenswear

T

he year 1869 marked a moment of transition in fashionable dress. Fashion moved away from the crinoline and made its first steps towards the bustle. Narrower skirts were topped with overskirts and aprons, some in the form of panniers. But as we will see, 1869 begins with a small revival of old fashions (Fig. 1); in the January “New York Fashions” column subtitled “Ball Toilettes,” a Harper’s Bazar columnist wrote:

“The present revival of the styles of the last century is nowhere so plainly seen as in the fanciful ball toilettes of the winter. Many of the dresses now worn are copied in detail from the costumes of the time of Louis XV. A few years ago this picturesque array was only seen at masquerades and fancy-dress balls. Now many ladies make a careful study of old French pictures, and, with the assistance of a skillful seamstress, fashion their own evening dresses in imitation thereof, sure that they will be in the prevalent mode.” (51)

Highlighting the changing tide in skirts, in March 1969, the British journal World of Fashion, commented:

“In commencing our observations on the Spring Fashions of 1869, we would first state that one of the greatest changes that has taken place since last season is the adoption of the Panier style of looping up (…)” (1)

Then, the following month, a World of Fashion writer discussed skirt styles at length, describing a particular skirt and how it formed a large ‘bouffant’ (1) all around the waist. This style—the bustle—grew in popularity during 1869, edging out the crinoline (Fig. 2).

In The Peterson Magazine “Fashions for August” column, one writer commented:

“With regard to the make of dresses, we are glad to say that no change has taken place, for so numerous have been the new styles lately, that the fashion would almost change between the time a lady took her dress to her dress-marker and got it sent home. Short dresses for street wear, for both old and young; short dresses for the morning for the young; long dresses for afternoon, or visiting, seems to be the rule. But the make of these is so varied, and when not too exaggerated, the looped and puffed skirts are so bewitching that one never tires of them.” (157)

In 1869, English artist William Frith produced a painting of a young woman with her face half-turned to the viewer, holding a dove on her right hand (Fig. 7). She wears a white dress with small decorative lavender flowers printed on the fabric, and it is paired with a large lavender bow at the waist that cascades down the back of her dress. There is a small presence of a potential bustle here, but it is definitely nowhere close to those seen in other examples. The ruffled neck is delicate and precise, meant to highlight the woman’s facial structure, youth, and beauty. The soft drapery at the wrists allows for her hands to move freely, and the material creates a feeling of wispiness and gentleness. The strong and powerful lavender bow serves as a contrast to the white fabric of the dress, accentuating both the woman’s waist and how small it is; and also as a means to draw attention to her as a whole. The painting reflects the changes in waist-skirt designs, as well as the use of brighter colors by designers. Compared to the other dresses of 1869 (like the reference images on this page), we can see that the dress worn in this Frith painting is quite subdued and far less intricate than the others; this dress most likely belonged to a bourgeois woman as it’s quite decorative to an extent, but not enough to be worn by an upper-class woman. It serves more as an everyday dress. Moreover, the simple headband and humble dove downplay any extravagance this dress may have presented otherwise.

The corset (Fig. 8) remained a mainstay in women’s fashion as the undergarment of choice; it kept dresses structured and it kept women’s bodies looking ‘prim and proper’ in them. Likewise, wedding dresses were still a white or cream color (Figs. 9 and 10).