1840 – Queen Victoria’s Wedding Dress
When Queen Victoria wore this white dress of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace to her wedding in 1840, she broke from royal custom and encouraged a lasting tradition for Western bridal fashion.
Category: garment analysis
1855 – Black Taffeta Day Dress with Rose and White Stripes
This intricate 1855 day dress includes many fashionable elements of the time period, including beautiful silk fringe trimming and stripe designs.
1855 – English Blue and White Print Day Dress
This crinoline-style day dress from 1855 combines decorative elements such as fringe and bold patterns and reflects the rise of voluminous tiered garments, improved cloth printing, and luxurious colors and embellishments utilized during the 1850s.
1859 – Gold silk day dress with floral brocade
While the silhouette of this day dress, its floral brocade, and its use of fringe were fashionable for 1859, its choice of gold silk fabric and naturalistic coloring for the flowers was less so.
1860 – Cream silk evening dress
This light pinky peach dress covered in ruched bows and with full crinoline-supported skirt epitomizes the early 1860s ball gown. With delicate detailing and a simple color palette this garment is sophisticated yet effortless–perfectly in line with the fashions of the day.
1861 – Elizabeth Keckley, Purple velvet day and evening dress
This lush purple velvet dress designed by Elizabeth Keckley for Mary Todd Lincoln features both an evening and day bodice paired with a wide crinoline skirt. The ensemble, worn in 1861-62 while Lincoln was First Lady, reflects fashionable dress trends of the time.
1862 – Cream and mint silk day dress
This cream patterned dress trimmed with pleated green ribbons was considered a fashionable garment in 1862 with its full crinoline skirt and simple, but deliberate trimmings.
1862 – Elizabeth Keckley, Green plaid day dress
This striking plaid ensemble designed by Elizabeth Keckley for Mary Todd Lincoln was on the cutting edge of fashion, but also in good taste – embracing the latest French trends while relying on a distinctively American plaid and minimal trimmings in light of the ongoing Civil War.
1863 – Blue silk dress with black floral embroidery
This 1863 dress has a simple and standard silhouette for the period—buttoned bodice, wide sleeves, full skirt—but is made fashionable by the floral embroidery, sash, and “Mexican blue” color.
1863 – Elizabeth Keckley, Striped evening dress for Mary Todd Lincoln
This 1863 gown, worn by Mary Todd Lincoln, is an exquisite example of fashionable dress from the early 1860s. With its elegant fabric and thoughtful details, it reveals more about the wearer and the creator, Elizabeth Keckley, an accomplished seamstress who is integral to the history of African-American fashion.
1865 – Cream silk taffeta evening dress
This charming 1865 cream silk taffeta dress features many design details of fashionable evening looks of the time, like a defined waist and passementerie.
1866 – Silk afternoon dress with a trompe l’oeil bolero jacket
This gold-colored silk afternoon dress with its green bows and ruffles that help to emphasize the back of the silhouette was on trend in 1866, but its coordinating trompe l’oeil jacket was very fashion-forward.
Recent Essays
1855 – English Blue and White Print Day DressIn 1850-1859, 19th century, garment analysis
dashikiIn 19th century, 20th century, Africa, Americas, BIPOC, D, term definition
1948 – Christian Dior, Eugénie evening gownIn 1940-1949, 20th century, garment analysis
1885 – Henry Lerolle, The Organ RehearsalIn 1880-1889, 19th century, artwork analysis
1880s – Amédée François, Blue Silk Day DressIn 1880-1889, 19th century, garment analysis
