The second silhouette of the 1870s began around 1876 (Laver 196). The bustle collapsed into the the “princess line” style (Fig. 6). Named for Alexandra, Princess of Wales, who popularized the look, it consisted of a dress without a horizontal waist seam, fitted instead with long, vertical tucks and darts to create an extremely slim, body-conscious look (Fukai 126, 214). Similarly, the princess line was echoed in the cuirass bodice (Fig. 7); it did not have a waistline seam and was lengthened to fit over the hips (Cumming 61; Tortora 386). Snug around the hips, princess line dresses and cuirass bodices lacked a bustle, with volume instead spilling from below the hips, and sometimes from below the knees (Fig. 8). This fullness could extend into long trains, even on day dresses (C.W. Cunnington 256).

The waistline dropped to the natural waist in princess line looks. Additionally, shoulder seams began to creep slowly upwards, and sleeves tightened, further accentuating the long, slim line. This newly figure-framing style required more severe corsetry (Fig. 9). Corsets lengthened over the hips to secure the body into the fashionable slim princess silhouette (P. Cunnington 179). The new process of steam-molding created corsets that fiercely formed the female body (Shrimpton 20). Additionally, the tightly fitted gowns required less bulky undergarments, and ladies began wearing combinations, a single garment that connected the chemise and drawers. While combinations had been available as early as the late 1850s, they only became commonly chosen in the 1870s (Tortora 386).

Throughout the decade, dresses generally followed the nineteenth-century customs delineating morning, afternoon, and evening wear. The chief differences were in the cut of the neckline and the length of sleeves (Font 26-28). Note the evening gowns in Beraud’s Une soirée (Fig. 5 in the Menswear section below). It was not uncommon to have two bodices for each skirt, a day and an evening option (Coleman 45; Tortora 390). Outerwear changed during this period from earlier decades. Previously, shawls and capes had been the most fashionable, but the new bustle styles were better served by coats and jackets (Fig. 10). Some even borrowed from menswear styles; both the chesterfield, with its signature velvet collar, and the caped ulster became fashionable choices for women (Cumming 46, 213; Shrimpton 21; Tortora 392).

Throughout the decade, bonnets, defined by the strings tied around the chin (Cumming 26), were seen alongside the ever more fashionable hat, differentiated by its lack of strings. By the 1880s, the bonnet was relegated to Sunday best ensembles and older women (Ginsburg 91). Hairstyles were elaborate during the first half of the 1870s. Women’s hair, usually parted in the center and waved around the face, was piled up in intricate knots and braids with cascades of curls falling down the back; false hair was generally worn (C.W. Cunnington 296). This “waterfall hairstyle” pushed headwear up and forward to perch over the forehead (Figs. 4-5) (Tortora 393). These precariously tipped hats and bonnets were frequently heavily trimmed with falls of flowers and ribbons. The tumbling trim and curls echoed the softly draped bustle (Laver 191). Hairstyles simplified with the introduction of the princess line, and by the end of the decade, hair was worn in high, tight chignons without loose curls. Sometimes, a short curly fringe was cut in the front (Shrimpton 22). With the new, neat hairstyles, hats took on more definite shapes, created out of dense felts and straws (Fig. 13). In her history of millinery, Madeliene Ginsburg noted that “the trimmings were architectural in their clarity of form but naturalistic, horticultural, zoological, and even entomological in content” (92).

In 1871, a tailoring trade journal observed, “Gentlemen dress as quietly as it is possible to do and there are no extremes in dress” (Shrimpton 35). Indeed, menswear in the 1870s was marked by sobriety and understated style. The overall silhouette slimmed a bit from the boxy, oversized jackets of the 1860s (Fig. 1). Shirts became plain, no longer pleated and heavily starched, which only underscored the crisp, clean line (Tortora 401). Men cropped their hair shorter than earlier years, and wore it neatly parted. A clean-shaven face was rare; full “muttonchop” whiskers or trim mustaches were the mode (Fig. 2). Fashion historian Jayne Shrimpton wrote:

“the average middle-class businessman carefully avoided exagerrated or effeminate fashions. With a gold watch chain displayed prominently across his waistcoat front, and bushy mutton-chop whiskers or a beard lending an air of authority, the sober-suited Victorian male aimed for a respectable, efficient, industrious image.” (36)

The basic elements of menswear remained generally the same. The frock coat (Figs. 1-2), featuring a waist seam with a full skirt (Cumming 87), was the most formal daywear for business or formal calls in town (Laver 202; Shrimpton 37). In the first half of the decade, there was a trend for very short frock coats, with hemlines well above the knees (Foster 99). A less stuffy choice was the morning coat, a cutaway jacket with a waist seam (Cumming 135). During the 1870s, the morning coat, single or double-breasted, featured three or four buttons, and could be bound with silk braid for an elegant finish (Fig. 3). The morning coat possessed a surprising versatility, becoming formal when tailored in dark cloth paired with grey trousers or stylishly relaxed when made in tweed (Shrimpton 37).

Finally, the sack or lounge suit was increasingly fashionable, particularly among the working classes. The sack jacket, marked by its lack of a waist seam, was often paired with a matching waistcoat and trousers to make a coordinated suit (Fig. 4) (Tortora 401). This suit, most often worn with a plain white shirt featuring a turn-down collar and a four-in-hand tie, arguably formed the foundation for the modern three-piece suit (Shrimpton 37). Evening occasions called for the formal black tailcoat, featuring knee-length tails, a matching double-breasted waistcoat, starched white shirt and bow tie, and black trousers, usually with braid down the outer side seams (Fig. 5) (Tortora 402).

In the 1870s, as throughout most of the nineteenth century, boys and girls were almost indistinguishable from one another during infancy and toddlerhood (Olian v). Babies were dressed in white linen or cotton gowns with high necks and long sleeves (Fig. 1), reflecting the burgeoning attitude that newborns required extra warmth. As the child became old enough to walk, they progressed into short dresses usually featuring rows of tucks and smocking (Fig. 2) (Shrimpton 43).

Young girls simply echoed the fashions of adult women, with a shorter hemline that gradually fell to the floor through their adolescence (Olian 25-27). The early 1870s padded bustle effect was seen in girls’ dresses with looped overskirts and large bows, all made in the bright colors and heavy trims that their mothers wore (Fig. 3) (Severa 345; Shrimpton 52). When the princess line came into vogue, girls dresses reflected that trend as well, collapsing into a narrow tube with tight sleeves. Frequently, the slim line was emphasized with a contrasting panel running down the center of the dress or bodice (Fig. 4) (Rose 85). Girls wore their hair long and curled, sometimes with a fringe in the front, similar to the waterfall hairstyle worn by adult women. In the late 1870s, when adult hairstyles became neatly tucked up into chignons, girls began wearing their hair up when they reached young adulthood, around sixteen years old. A young girl’s accessories, from jewelry to millinery, also reflected adult fashions (Olian iv).