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
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.
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.
1867 – White piqué afternoon dress with black cording
In the 1860s, white cotton piqué afternoon dresses like this one with black cording were often recommended for summer walking for their sturdy breathability.
1868 – Green silk day dress
This green silk afternoon dress is made fashionable for a woman in 1868 by its vibrant green color, its high neck and bustled skirt silhouette, and its embellishments of bows, trim, and tasseled fringe.
1870 – Green silk day dress with tassel trim
This green silk day dress, patterned with an abstracted floral design, displays aspects of style associated with the early 1870s. Its bustle silhouette, vibrant hue, and abundance of trimmings all speak to its fashionability and provide an insight into the trends of the year.
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