1840s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing A feature of nearly all human societies is the wearing of clothing or clothes, a category encompassing a wide variety of materials that cover the body. The primary purpose of clothing is functional, as a protection from the elements. Clothes enhance safety during activity by providing a barrier between the skin and the environment. Clothing also is characterized by a narrow, natural shoulder line following the exaggerated puffed sleeves of the later 1820s During the 1820s in European and European-influenced countries, fashionable women's clothing styles transitioned away from the classically-influenced "Empire"/"Regency" styles of ca. 1795-1820 and re-adopted elements that had been characteristic of most of the 18th century (and were to be characteristic of the remainder of the 1 and 1830s 1830s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by an emphasis on breadth, initially at the shoulder and later in the hips, in contrast to the narrower silhouettes that had predominated between 1800 and the 1820s. The narrower shoulder was accompanied by a lower waistline for both men and women.
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Women's fashion
Gowns
Princess di Sant' Antimo's evening gown of watered silk Watered silk is a type of silk fabric which has been passed through a set of rollers as a fabric finishing process, to give the surface a moiré pattern shows the short sleeves, lace flounce collar, and long pointed waist of the early 1840s. The tiny pleats that gather her skirt can be seen at the waistline. 1840-44.Shoulders became narrow and sloping, waists became low and pointed, and sleeve detail migrated from the elbow to the wrists. Where pleated fabric panels had wrapped the bust and shoulders in the previous decade, they now formed a triangle from the shoulder to the waist of day dresses.
Skirts evolved from a conical shape to a bell shape, aided by a new method of attaching the skirts to the bodice In common usage, bodice refers to an upper garment that has removable sleeves or no sleeves, often low-cut, worn in Europe from the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century, either over a corset or in lieu of one. To achieve a fashionable shape and support the bust, the bodice was frequently stiffened with bents , or whalebone. The bodice was using organ or cartridge pleats which cause the skirt to spring out from the waist. Full skirts were achieved mainly through layers of petticoats. The increasing weight and inconvenience of the layers of starched petticoats would lead to the development of the crinoline Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread. The fabric first appeared around 1830, but by 1850 the word had come to mean a stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman’s dress into the required shape. In form and function it is of the second half of the 1850s.
Sleeves were narrower and fullness dropped from just below the shoulder at the beginning of the decade to the lower arm, leading toward the flared pagoda sleeves of the 1850s 1850s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by an increase in the width of women's skirts supported by crinolines or hoops, and the beginnings of dress reform and 1860s 1860s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing 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 movement.
Evening gowns were worn off the shoulder and featured wide flounces that reached to the elbow, often of lace. They were worn with sheer shawls A shawl is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, that is often folded to make a triangle but can also be triangular in shape. Other shapes include oblong shawls an opera-length gloves A "glove" is a type of garment which covers the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each finger are sometimes.
Another accessory was a small bag. At home bags were often white satin and embroidered or painted. Outdoor bags were often green or white and tasseled.[1] There were also crocheted linen bags.
Shoes were made from the same materials as handbags. There were slippers of crocheted linen and bright colored brocade satin slippers that tied around the ankle with silk ribbon. [2]
Hairstyles and headgear
Hairstyle of 1840 1848 fashion plate shows bonnets and winter-wear.The wide hairstyles of the previous decade gave way to fashions which kept the hair closer to the head, and the high bun or knot on the crown descended to the back of the head. Hair was still generally parted in the center. Isolated long curls dangling down towards the front (sometimes called "spaniel curls") were worn, often without much relationship to the way that the rest of the hair was styled. Alternately the side hair could be smoothed back over the ears or looped and braided, with the ends tucked into the bun at the back.
Linen caps A cap is a form of headgear. Caps have crowns that fit closer than hats and have no brim or only a visor. They are typically designed for warmth and, when including a visor, blocking sunlight from the eyes with frills, lace, and ribbons were worn by married women indoors, especially for daywear. These could also be worn in the garden with a parasol.
Bonnets for street wear were smaller than in the previous decade, and were less heavily decorated. The decorations that did adorn bonnets included flowers on the inside brim or a veil that could be draped over the face. Married women wore their caps under their bonnets. the crown and brim of the bonnet created a horizontal line and when tied under the chin, the brim created a nice frame around the face. [1]
For evening, feathers, pearls, lace, or ribbons were worn in the hair. There was also a small brimless bonnet worn with the ribbon untied at the nape of the neck. [1]
Underwear
Women's undergarments Undergarments or underwear are clothes worn under other clothes, often next to the skin. They keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, urine, semen, feces, shape the body and provide support for parts of it. When the weather is cold, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional warmth. Some undergarments are intended for were essentially unchanged from the previous period; a knee-length chemise The term chemise or shift can refer to the classic smock, or else can refer to certain modern types of women's undergarments and dresses. In the classical usage it is a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils, the precursor to the modern shirts commonly worn in Western nations was worn beneath a boned corset A corset is a garment worn to mold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes . Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though women are more common wearers and masses of starched petticoats A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt or a dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist. Also, some undergarments, like the corset, were worn to make women look thinner.
Outerwear
With the narrow, sloping shoulder line of the 1840s, the shawl returned to fashion, where it would remain through the 1860s. It was now generally square and worn folded on the diagonal.
Riding habits consisted of a high-necked, tight-waisted jacket with long snug sleeves, worn over a tall-collared shirt or chemisette, with a long matching petticoat or skirt. Contrasting waistcoats or vests cut like those worn by men were briefly popular. Tall hats or broad-brimmed hats like those worn by men were worn.
With the new narrower sleeves, coats and jackets A coat is a long garment worn by both men and women, for warmth, protection or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of these. Other possible ornaments include collars and shoulder straps returned to fashion. These were generally knee-length with a cape-like collar. Ankle-length cloaks with cape-collars to cover slits for the arms were worn in cold or wet weather. Ermine muffs with attached handkerchiefs were worn to keep hands warm and be fashionable. [3]
The pelerine was a popular name for wide, capelike collars that extended over the shoulders and covered the upper chest. Sometimes they had layers of tiered fabric, long front panels hanging down from center front, or were also belted at the natural waistline.
The mantlet was a general name for any small cape worn as outerwear.
Style gallery - 1840-44
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1 - c. 1840 |
2 - 1841 |
3 - 1841 |
4 - 1841 |
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5 -1842 |
6 - 1842 |
7 - 1844 |
8 - 1844 |
- Transitional gown, c. 1840. The fullness at the shoulder has moved down the arm, and although the gown is still belted in the 1830s manner, the fabric is gathered in to accentuate the V-shaped front rather than the breadth of the shoulders. This is an early image of hair worn in cascades of curls or ringlets.
- 1841 fashion plate shows lower sleeve fullness, triangular or V-shaped emphasis in the bodice, and a sloping shoulder line. The indoor cap is trimmed with ribbon loops and frills.
- Viennese summer fashions for 1841 feature pleated panels at the breast and sloping shoulder over long sleeves. The waist is narrow and slightly pointed, and skirts are bell-shaped.
- Marie-Louis, Queen of the Belgians wears a red velvet evening gown with a pointed waist. He hair is worn in a mass of sausage curls, 1841.
- A fashion plate from La Mode which seems to play up the contrast between a menswear-influenced riding habit and more ordinary high fashion.
- Fanny Hensel wears the V-neckline, sloped shoulder, and cascades of side curls fashionable in 1842.
- Fashion plate from Le Moniteur de la Mode. Day dress (left) with cape-collared jacket and evening dress (right).
- Day dresses of August 1844 show detail on lower sleeves. The dress on the left is an evening style.
Style gallery - 1845-49
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1 - 1845 |
2 - c.1845 |
3 - 1846 |
4 - c. 1847 |
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5 - 1847 |
6 - 1848 |
7 - 1848 |
8 - 1849 |
- Vicomtess Othenin d'Haussonville wears her hair parted in the center and smoothed over her ears.
- Hairstyle of c.1845, with a central part, long sausage curls, and a bun on the back of the crown, is a fashionably romantic echo of mid-seventeenth century Fashion in the period 1600-1650 in Western European clothing is characterized by the disappearance of the ruff in favour of broad lace or linen collars. Waistlines rose through the period for both men and women. Other notable fashions included full, slashed sleeves and tall or broad hats with brims. For men, hose disappeared in favour of breeches styles. This style would remain popular into the next decade. German, c. 1845.
- Young lady of Holland wears a lace collar and ruffled chemise or chemisette with her dark dress.
- Fashion plate of a riding habit c.1847 features a cutaway jacket over a contrasting waistcoat and shirt with a stiff turned-down collar. The lady wears dashing plumed hat.
- Underwear of 1847: This woman is unlacing her corset, having stepped out of her petticoats. Her chemise is knee-length, with sleeves ending just above the elbow.
- Baroness Rothschild wears a pink satin evening gown with rows of ruching at the hem and lace frills at the collar and sleeves, all trimmed with ribbon bows. Her hair is smoothed over her ears and decorated with ostrich plumes, 1848.
- In Winterhalter's portrait of 1848, Princess Maria Carolina Augusta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies wears her hair parted in the center and hanging in sausage curls. Her skirt is gathered with wide, flat pleats, and the pleating on her bodice is visible through the black lace.
- Fashion illustration of 1849. The lady on the left wears a low-waisted gown and an outdoor bonnet. The lady on the right wears a short jacket over her gown and a lacey indoor cap.
Men's fashion
Landscape painter Oswald Achenbach wears a broad-brimmed hat for a painting tour of Italy. He wears a striped ascot and his waiscoat has the rounded chest and lowered waistline of the late 1840s. He waistcoat is finished with two points at the lowered waist and contrasts with both his striped trousers and brown coat. Similar styles were worn in the American West The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West", traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time. Prior to about 1800, the crest of the Appalachian at this time.Overview
In this period, men's fashion plates show the lowered waistline taking on a decided point at the front waist, which was accompanied by a full rounded chest. Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the husband of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of Queen Victoria, had a high influence on male fashion, primarily because of his young age at the time of his wife's coronation, and his great attention to his appearance. Therefore, the clothing, particularly of upper class gentleman, continued to follow the trend of earlier decades with full shoulders and chest, and a tightly-cinched waist.
Shirts and cravats
Shirts A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become in American English a catch-all term for almost any upper-body garment other than outerwear such as sweaters or coats, or undergarments such as bras. The term "top" is sometimes used in ladieswear. In British English, a shirt of linen or cotton featured lower standing collars In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. A collar may also be a separate or detachable accessory worn around the neck, occasionally turned down, and were worn with wide cravats or neck ties tied in several different ways. 1. around the neck, knotted in front and puffed up to hide the shirt collar and create a pigeon like neck, 2. similar to the first version but tucked down into the waistcoat, 3. around the neck and knotted into a bow tie. 4. The "Osbaldiston" - a barrel shape knot under the chin, 5. knotted in a wide pointy bow. Dark cravats were popular for day wear and patterned ones were worn in the country. [1]
At this time, the dickey was introduced, a false shirt front usually made of satin. It was worn as an "intentionally messy" look. [4]
Coats and waistcoats
Frock coats A frock coat is a man's coat characterised by knee-length skirts all around the base, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The double-breasted style is sometimes called a Prince Albert . The frock coat is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at the back, and some features unusual in post-Victorian dress. These include the (in French redingotes The redingote is a type of coat that has had several forms over time. The name is derived from a French alteration of the English "riding coat") were worn for informal day wear, were calf length, and might be double-breasted. Shoulders were narrower and slightly sloped. Waistcoats A waistcoat , sometimes called a vest or a vestee in Canada and the US, is a sleeveless upper-body garment worn over a dress shirt and necktie (if applicable) and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear, and as the third piece of the three-piece male business suit. Once a virtually mandatory article of men's clothing, it has become or vests were single- or double-breasted, with shawl or notched collars, and might be finished in double points at the lowered waist.
A cutaway morning coat A tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away, so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt, known as the tails. The historical reason coats were cut this way was to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse, but over the years tailcoats of varying types have evolved into forms of formal dress for both day and evening wear was worn with light trousers for any formal daytime occasion; evening dress called for a dark tail coat and trousers.
A frockcoat was a tight fitting coat with the front cut up to the waistline, this was for casual wear. A vest The term vest derives from French veste, Italian vesta, veste "robe, gown," and Latin vestis. The sleeveless garment worn by men beneath a coat may have been first popularised by King Charles II of England, since a diary entry by Pepys records that "[t]he King hath yesterday, in Council, declared his resolution of setting a fashion replaces the waistcoat A waistcoat , sometimes called a vest or a vestee in Canada and the US, is a sleeveless upper-body garment worn over a dress shirt and necktie (if applicable) and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear, and as the third piece of the three-piece male business suit. Once a virtually mandatory article of men's clothing, it has become at this time, they were still very decorative with no collar. A pardessus for men was a large, black formal cape with a yoke across the shoulder line. A chesterfield Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of the city of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Including Staveley, the population is 100,879, although that of the town itself is 70,260. It is Derbyshire's largest town, although the county town of Derbyshire is Matlock in the Derbyshire was a calf-length, fur-lined coat, with a fur collar, cuffs and lapels. There was also no waistline seam.
Trousers
Full-length trousers Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately . Such items of clothing are often referred to as pants in countries such as Canada, South Africa and the United States. Additional synonyms include slacks, kegs or kex, breeches (sometimes pronounced /ˈbrɪtʃɨz/) or had fly fronts. Breeches Breeches are an item of male clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles.The breeches were normally closed and fastened about the leg, along its open seams at varied lengths, and to the knee, by either buttons or by a draw- remained a requirement for formal functions at the British court (as they would be throughout the century). Breeches continued to be worn for horseback riding and other country pursuits, especially in Britain, with tall fitted boots.
Hats and hairstyles
The crowns of tall hats Top Hat is a 1935 screwball musical comedy in which Fred Astaire plays an American dancer named Jerry Travers, who comes to London to star in a show produced by Horace Hardwick . He meets and attempts to impress Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) to win her affection. The film also features Eric Blore as Hardwick's valet Bates, Erik Rhodes as Alberto were straighter than in the previous period, and grew taller on the way to the stovepipe shape of the 1850s 1850s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by an increase in the width of women's skirts supported by crinolines or hoops, and the beginnings of dress reform. They were essential for formal occasions and in cities.
Wide-brimmed hats A hat is a head covering. It may be worn for protection against the elements, for religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status. In the military, they denote rank and regiment were worn outdoors in sunny climates. Curled hair and sideburns remained fashionable, along with moustaches.
Style gallery
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1 - 1841 |
2 - 1841 |
3 - 1840s |
4 - 1845 |
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5 - 1847 |
6 - 1848 |
7 - 1849 |
- Viennese fashion plate of 1841 shows at-home wear (a patterned dressing gown) and visiting wear. The top hat is becoming taller.
- Alessandro Manzoni wears tan fly-front trousers with a dark coat and waistcoat. Italy, 1841.
- British civil servant Charles Edward Trevelyan wears a boldly checked waistcoat and a patterned cravat with fly-front trousers and a dark frock coat, 1840s.
- The Duke of Beaufort wears a dark coat and breeches with a deep red waistcoat. His black cravat is fastened with a stick pin, and he wears heeled boots, 1845.
- 1848 fashion plate shows the lowered waistline and full, rounded chest popular in the latter 1840s (compare to the waistline of the 1841 styles).
- Alexandre Cabanel wears his cravat loosely tied and secured with a stickpin, 1847.
Children's Fashion
In this period, children's wear followed trends found in adult fashion. Wool and cashmere were popular textiles for baby cloaks while cotton was still widely accepted for toddler dresses, drawers and play wear. A popular silhouette for toddlers was a cotton bodice, pleated skirt and long sleeves. Small boys (ages 3 through 6) commonly wore a Tunic suit, also known as “Hussar tunics”. The jackets were fitted to the waist and then flared out to a full skirt ending at knee length. This was worn over trousers, or for very small boys with white drawers. A round-collared shirt was usually worn underneath the jacket. Elementary to older age boys wore an Eton suit, which was a short, waist-level jacket, trousers, round-collared shirts, vest and sometimes neckties. In 1840 flat caps were popularly worn for boys. Small girls wore cotton drawers, cotton chemise, petticoats and stockings. As girls got older in age they followed the trend of their mothers and began to wear stays or tight corsets
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Young boy in tunic, shirt, and trousers, 1840 |
French boy, 1843-44 |
Prince Albert Edward, The future King Edward VII Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910. He was the first British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which was renamed the House of Windsor by his son, George V in a sailor suit,1846 |
Fashion plate of young girl's costume, 1849 |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Warren, Geoffrey. Fashion Accessories. New York: Drama Book Publishers, 1987.
- ^ Baynes, Ken & Kate. The Shoe Show. London: Crafts Council, 1979.
- ^ Warren, Geoffrey. Fashion Accessories. New York: Drama Book Publishers. 1987.
- ^ Bigelow, Marybelle S. Fashion In History. Minneapolis: Burgess Publishing Company, 1979.
Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500-1914, Abrams, 1996. ISBN 0-8109-6317-5
Goldthorpe, Caroline: From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress 1837-1877, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, ISBN 0-87099-535-9
Tozer, Jane and Sarah Levitt, Fabric of Society: A Century of People and their Clothes 1770-1870, Laura Ashley Press, ISBN 0-9508913-0-4
External links
- The Romantic Era: Fashions 1825-1845
- 1840s Men's Fashions - circa 1840 Men's Fashion Photos (Daguerreotypes) with Annotations
- Men's fashion plates of the 1840s at Victoriana.com
Categories: 1840s | History of clothing (Western fashion)
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