Everyday Fashion in Found Photographs : American Women of the Late 19th Century

"In the last half of the 19th century, the women of America were beginning to develop their own sense of style. Although influenced by European fashions and the social and economic changes of the time, they made clothing choices based upon their personal aspirations and their practical everyday needs. Providing an overview of fashion influences for each decade from the 1860s to the end of the century, Everyday Fashion in Found Photographs presents iconic garments, using sources from the period, to provide commentary and detailed description of the styles of the time. Previously unpublished vintage photographs show women across the social spectrum wearing items such as the Garibaldi shirt, the cuirass bodice, the Mother Hubbard, bicycle bloomers, and much more. Names, dates and functions of garments are examined in detail, and ties are established between social and historical contexts and the evolution of clothing styles. This illustrated book is for readers who want to identify and understand specific clothing items as well as gain insight into the mind-set of fashionable women from Victorian-era America. Dress history scholars, costume designers, curators of costume collections, social and cultural historians and those who appreciate vintage photographs can learn about elements of late 19th century women's dress and thereby develop an understanding of what was fashionable, and why."-- Cover Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Preface: The Lens of Fashion Chapter One: The 1860s – Beauty in Austerity Early decade dresses The cage crinoline The bonnet The sheer dress The Garibaldi shirt The skirt and jacket ensemble The cloak The silk dress The mourning dress The alpaca dress Straps and stripes The dinner dress The print dress The visiting dress The Zouave jacket The plain dress Military details The maternity dress Out and about The little hat The gored skirt The short dress Late-decade jewelry The chemisette The skating costume The daily dress The walking dress The plaid dress Chapter Two: The 1870s – Change and Choice The basque bodice The silk apron The walking suit The riding habit The calico dress Jewelry The scarf The striped dress The polonaise The practical wedding dress The tournure Flounces The round hat The reception dress The fichu Sack waists and paletots The big bow Shirring The cuirass basque The narrowing silhouette The jacket basque The promenade costume The asymmetric dress The Princess dress The turban bonnet The mourning dress Separates Contrasting sleeves The Derby hat Chapter Three: The 1880s – Contrasts and Control The formfitting dress The dolman and the ulster The cloth suit The street dress Mourning The long lace collar The polonaise walking dress The jersey basque Velvet The Mother Hubbard Wash dresses Battlements and vandykes The blouse waist The bird trimmed hat The return of the tournure Dressed for a stroll The everyday dress T?he sealskin coat High hats Corseted Menswear style The graduation dress The long overskirt The nurse’s dress Tennis attire The swimming suit The influence of the tea-gown The end of the large bustle The wedding dress The slim silhouette Fitted dresses and statement hats The house dress The Directoire redingote Chapter Four: The 1890s – The New Woman The tailor-made Everyday dresses The watering-place dress The dark print dress Cross-dressing for the stage Capes and coats Tight lacing High-shouldered sleeves The little bolero and the Swiss belt The Watteau back The evening dress The trained gown Dresses for Western girls Clothes for college girls The tea-gown, the morning gown The traveling suit The cycling costume By the sea The graduation gown The boa Fancy collars, plastrons, and yokes The huge sleeve Big boxy coats The pouched front Hunting gear The bell skirt Working girls The late-decade wedding dress The late-decade tea-gown Summer dresses Trimmed hats The hourglass shape The puff sleeve Coaching outfits The ruffled dress The casual shirtwaist The man’s collar and tie The turn-of-the-century suit Notes Bibliography Photographer credits Index