1860s in Western fashion

1860s fashionin European and European-influenced countries is characterized by extremely full-skirted women's fashions relying oncrinolinesandhoopsand the emergence of "alternative fashions" under the influence of theArtistic Dress movement.

Fashions of the 1860s include square paisley shawls folded on the diagonal and full skirts held out by crinolines.Auguste Toulmouche'sReluctant Brideof 1866 wears white satin, and her friend tries on her bridal wreath of orange blossoms.

In men's fashion, the three-pieceditto suitof sack coat, waistcoat, and trousers in the same fabric emerged as a novelty.

Women's fashions

Colors

A blue silkwedding dressfromc. 1860

MauveineAniline dyes(first chemical dyes) were discovered in 1856 and were quickly utilized to make use of fashionable colors to fabrics.The first ones were mauve and bright purple. In 1860, two fashionable brilliant pink aniline dyes were named after battles inItaly's fight for independence:magenta,named after the Italian town ofMagenta, Lombardy,and the similar solferino, named afterSolferino.Magenta was popularized in England by theDuchess of Sutherlandafter she was appealed to by theSpitalfieldssilk weavers.

Gowns

By the early 1860s,skirtshad reached their ultimate width. After about 1862 the silhouette of the crinoline changed and rather than being bell-shaped it was now flatter at the front and projected out more behind.This large area was largely occupied by all manner of decoration. Puffs and strips could cover much of the skirt. There could be so many flounces that the material of the skirt itself was hardly visible. Lace again became popular and was used all over the dress. Any part of the dress could also be embroidered in silver or gold. This massive construct of a dress required gauze lining to stiffen it, as well as multiple starched petticoats. Even the clothes women would ride horses in received these sorts of embellishments.

Croquetplayers of 1864 loop their skirts up from floor-length over hooped petticoats. Small hats with ribbon streamers were very popular for young women in the mid-1860s.

Day dresses featured wide pagodasleevesworn over undersleeves orengageantes.High necklines withlaceortattedcollarsorchemisettescompleted the demure daytime look.

Gowns had low necklines and short sleeves, and were worn with shortglovesorlaceorcrochetedfingerlessmitts.The voluminous skirts were supported by hoops, petticoats, and orcrinolines.The use of hoops was not as common until 1856, prior supporting the skirts with layers of starchedpetticoats.Large crinolines were probably reserved for special occasions.

Skirts were now assembled of shaped panels, since gathering a straight length of fabric could not provide the width required at the hem without unwanted bulk at the waist; this spelled the end of the brief fashion for border-printed dress fabrics.

A cotton dress fromc. 1865

Heavysilksin solid colors became fashionable for both day and evening wear, and a skirt might be made with twobodices,one long-sleeved and high necked for afternoon wear and one short-sleeved and low-necked for evening. The bodices themselves were often triangular, and featured a two-piece front with a closure and a three-piece back construction.

As the decade progressed, sleeves narrowed, and the circular hoops of the1850sdecreased in size at the front and sides and increased at the back. Looped up overskirts revealed matching or contrasting underskirts, a look that would reach its ultimate expression the next two decades with the rise of thebustle.Waistlines rose briefly at the end of the decade.

Fashions were adopted more slowly inAmericathan in Europe. It was not uncommon forfashion platesto appear in American women'smagazinesa year or more after they appeared inParisorLondon.

Long coats were impractical with the very full skirts, and the common outer garments were squareshawlsfolded on the diagonal to make a triangle and fitted or unfitted hip-length or knee-length jackets.

Three-quarter-length capes (with or without sleeves) were also worn.

For walking, jackets were accompanied by floor-length skirts that could be looped or drawn up by means of tapes over a shorter petticoat.

Undergarments

Feminine undergarments, including a linenchemisewith cottonbroderie anglaiseand lace (c. 1850–1870); a bustle cagecrinolinemade of wool twill, cotton plain weave with stamped grid pattern, cotton twill tape, cotton-braid-covered steel, and metal (c. 1862–1870); and a cottoncorsetwith cotton lace trim (c. 1865–1875)

As skirts became narrower and flatter in front, more emphasis was placed on the waist and hips. Acorsetwas therefore used to help mold the body to the desired shape. This was achieved by making the corsets longer than before, and by constructing them from separate shaped pieces of fabric. To increase rigidity, they were reinforced with many strips of whalebone, cording, or pieces of leather. As well as making corsets more constricting, this heavy structure helped prevent them from riding up, or from wrinkling at the waist. Steam-molding also helped create a curvaceous contour.Developed by Edwin Izod in the late 1860s, the procedure involved placing a corset, wet with starch, on a steam heated copper torso form until it dried into shape.While tight lacing continued to be a hotly debated topic among moralists and physicians, most extreme descriptions came from male sexual fantasies.

Thecrinolineor hooped petticoat had grown to its maximum dimensions by 1860. As huge skirts began to fall from favor, around 1864, the shape of the crinoline began to change. Rather than being dome-shaped, the front and sides began to contract, leaving volume only at the back. The "American" cage, a hooped petticoat partially covered in fabric, came in bright colors made possible by the newaniline dyes.This was followed by a hybrid of thebustleand crinoline sometimes called a "crinolette". The cage structure was still attached around the waist and extended down to the ground, but only extended down the back of the wearer's legs. The crinolette itself was quickly superseded by the true bustle, which was sufficient for supporting the drapery and train at the back of the skirt.Under the corset, a chemise was worn. Achemiseis typically short sleeve and knee length made of linen or cotton. The chemise and stockings worn were meant to soak up any perspiration and protecting the outer clothing. Due to the many layers of dress, the women of the southern elite would take short naps to rest from wearing their large dress and escape the harsh southern heat and the constraining whalebone corsets.

Military and political influences

TheGaribaldi shirtor "Garibaldi jacket" was popularized byEmpress Eugénieof Francein 1860.These bright red woolen garments featured blackembroideryorbraidand military details. Following a visit by the Italian revolutionaryGiuseppe GaribalditoEnglandin 1863, the shirt became all the rage there. InAmerica,the early years of theCivil Waralso saw increased popularity of military-influenced styles such asZouavejackets. These new styles were worn over awaist(blouse) orchemisetteand a skirt with abeltat the natural waistline. Women's fashion overall was highly influenced by the reigningQueen Victoriaof the United Kingdom.

Rise ofhaute couture

Empress Elisabeth of Austriain 1865, wearing a pinktullegown created byCharles Frederick Worth,who is usually considered the father ofhaute couture

The EnglishmanCharles Frederick Worthhad established his firstfashion housein Paris in 1858. He was the firstcouturier,adressmakerconsidered an artist, and his ability to dictate design in the 1860s led to the dominance of Parisianhaute couturefor the next hundred years.

Artistic dress

The followers of thePre-Raphaelite Brotherhoodand other artistic reformers objected to the elaboratelytrimmedconfections of high fashion with their emphasis on rigidcorsetsand hoops as both ugly and dishonest. An "anti-fashion" forArtistic dressspread in the 1860s in literary and artistic circles, and remained an undercurrent for the rest of the century. The style was characterised by "medieval"influences such asjuliette sleeves,the soft colors of vegetabledyes,narrow skirts, and simple ornamentation with handembroidery.Material used in the southern American elite weresilk,velvet,muslinand fine lawn.

Hairstyles and headgear

Hair was worn parted in the middle and smoothed, waved, or poofed over the ears, then braided or "turned up" and pinned into a roll or low bun at the back of the neck. Such styling was usually maintained by the use of hair oils and pomades. Styled hair was often further confined in decorative hairnets, especially by younger women. (NOTE: Although many modern reenactors refer to this garment as a "snood",it is not a period term for this article of clothing; snoods were something else entirely.) These hairnets were frequently made of very fine material to match the wearer's natural hair color, but occasionally more elaborate versions were made of thin strips of velvet orchenille(sometimes decorated with beads). Whether plain or resplendent, many hairnets were edged with ruchings of ribbon that would serve to adorn the crown of the wearer's head.

A composite of two fashion engravings from an early 1860sGodey's Lady's Book,showing ensembles withbonnets,richly decorated with trimmings like laces and wide ribbon ties

Fashionbonnetsfor outdoor wear had small brims that revealed the face. Earlier bonnets of the decade had lower brims. However, by mid-century Spoon Bonnets, which featured increasingly high brims and more elaborate trimmings, became the vogue. Bonnets were made specifically to accessorize a dress. Other less common variants, such as the Marie Stuart Bonnet, with its heart-shaped brim, and the fanchon bonnet, with its very short brim and back curtain, made appearances in the realm of fashionable headwear.

Bonnets could be made of a variety of materials. Bonnets formed from buckram and wire and covered with fashion fabric were very popular. During the warmer seasons, bonnets made of straw, woven horsehair, or gathered net were also seen. Heavier materials like velvet were favored for winter bonnets, though quilted winter hoods were much more practical and warm.

Trimmings varied according to the changing styles and whims of the individual wearer, but most bonnets of the period followed some general rules with regards to form. Rows of gathered net lining the brim was a fashion carry-over from the decade before, and a decorative curtain (also referred to as a "bavolet" ) appeared on most bonnets in order to shade the wearer's neck and accommodate for the low hairstyles. Another standard of 1860s bonnets is bonnet ties. There were often two sets, a thin pair of "utility ties" to take the strain of tying the bonnet, and another set of wide ties of silk or another fancy material. These rich ties were tied below the chin in a bow or left untied to show off the beautiful print or material.

Bonnets fell out of fashion over the decade in favor of small hats.

Style gallery 1860–1864

• 
  1 –c. 1860
• 
  2 – early 1860s
• 
  3 – 1861
• 
  4 – 1862
• 
  5 – 1862
• 
  6 – 1862
• 
  7 – 1862
• 
  8 – 1864
• 
  9 – 1864

1. Gowns from around 1860 with full skirts held out by crinolines
2. Gownsfrom the early 1860s.
3. Italian womanwears a gray striped jacket with turned-back pagoda sleeves trimmed in contrasting fabric and a matching skirt. Her blouse sleeves or engageantes are full over her lower arms, 1861.
4. 1862 portraitofJenny Linddepicts her in a white gown with a wide lace collar. Her hair is parted in the center, rolled or "turned up" at the sides, and decorated with flowers.
5. Viennafashion plate, showing male and female attire.
6. Carte de visiteofSara Forbes Bonetta,in a dark silk dress.
7. Artistic dresshas romantic, vaguely medieval lines with a slight train, and is worn without a corset or hoops. This young girl wears her hair down. 1862.
8. Zouave jacketin bright red with ball fringe and braid trim is waist length and cutaway in front, 1864.
9. Fashion plateof 1864 shows the fashionable braided Zouave-style cutaway jacket worn with a shirtwaist (blouse), skirt, and wide belt. The lady on the right wears a knee-length velvet coat.

Style gallery 1865–1866

• 
  1 – 1865
• 
  2 – 1865
• 
  3 – 1865
• 
  4 – 1865
• 
  5 – c. 1865
• 
  6 – 1866

1. Emilia Włodkowskawears a bronze-colored satin gown with bands of trim on the skirt, 1865.
2. Clara Bartonwears a typical American hairstyle of 1865–66.
3. Countess Karolywears her hair in a net or snood. Her hat is tipped forward over her forehead, and is trimmed with ostrich plumes, 1865.
4. Ellinor Guthriewears a black satin dress trimmed withpassementerie,1865.
5. Englishshot (changeable) silk taffeta morning dress is trimmed with silk satin and machine-made lace, c. 1865.Los Angeles County Museum of Art,M.2007.211.942a-b.
6. Emilie Menzelwears her hair in a net snood. Her morning dress has a pointed waist and slightly puffed, long sleeves, 1866.

Style gallery 1867–1869

• 
  1 – 1867
• 
  2 – May 1868
• 
  3 – Late 1860s
• 
  4 – 1869
• 
  5 – 1869

1. Riding habitsof 1867 feature short to hip-length jackets and trailing petticoats for riding sidesaddle.
2. Fashions of May 1868.Paris designs for May 1868. Relatively understated but showing developing back detail.
3. Margherita of Savoy-Genoawears an outdoor walking costume consisting of a loose jacket and matching skirt. The skirt is drawn up for ease of walking over an ankle-length underskirt or petticoat and hoops. She wears a bowler-like hat wrapped in a scarf or veil. Latter half 1860s.
4. Fashionsof 1869 show a high waist and an elliptical skirt. Draped styles suggest a separate underskirt or petticoat. Jackets are knee-length.
5. FashionsfromThe Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine,1869, show the beginnings of the bustle: high-waisted skirts are looped up over underskirts. Hats are worn tipped forward over the forehead, and short gloves are worn with long, tight sleeves.

Caricature gallery

The crinoline style gave wide scope to satirists, and many cartoons and comic odes to the crinoline appeared.

• 
  1 – c. 1860
• 
  2 – c. 1860
• 
  3 – 1862

1. Il y a encore une place,satire on traveling in a train compartment, c. 1860.
2. 1860,Caricature of men being "squeezed" by women's expansive crinolines, c. 1860.
3. 1862,A fashionably dressed woman tells off her maid for wearing a crinoline hoop, unaware that she looks just as ridiculous in hers, 1862.

Men's fashion

Parisian composers: The Circle of the Rue Royale, 1868

Men's fashion saw continuous changes from the previous decade.

Shirtsof linen or cotton featured high upstanding or turnovercollars,andnecktiesgrew wider and were tied in a bow or looped into a loose knot and fastened with a stickpin. Heavy padded and fittedfrock coats(in Frenchredingotes), now usually single-breasted and knee length, were worn for business occasions, over waistcoats or vests with lapels and notched collars. Waistcoats were generally cut straight across the front and had lapels.

Notably the familiar 'four-in-hand' tie ubiquitous in the modern three-piece suit emerged as a popular style in this decade.Detachable collars,invented in 1827, were widely the norm for men.

The loosely fitted, mid-thigh lengthsack coatcontinued to slowly displace the frock coat for less-formal business occasions, and was often sported for holidays and informal day-to-day events. The decade is recognized for the emergence of the popularity of the modern suit formed by a sack coat with matching trousers and waistcoats, though the sack coat previously dated to the 1840s.

The slightly cutawaymorning coatwas still worn for formal day occasions. The most formalevening dressremained a dark tail coat and trousers, with a white cravat; this costume was well on its way to crystallizing into the modern "white tie and tails." While during the first half of the decade the waist was long, after 1865 the waist became shorter, with pockets in the pleats.

Full-lengthtrouserswere worn, generally of a contrasting fabric. Costumes consisting of a coat, waistcoat and trousers of the same fabric (called a "ditto suit") remained a novelty at this time. In domestic settings, the sack coat or a lounge jacket could be worn with a waistcoat and trousers of the same fabric. This form of ditto suit, referred to as a lounge suit in the United Kingdom was generally made of wool, with baggy tailoring. However, the lounge suit was not considered appropriate for public settings until the1870s.

Overcoats had wide lapels and deep cuffs, and often featured contrasting velvet collars.

Top hatsbriefly became the very tall "stovepipe" shape, but a variety of other hat shapes were popular. During this time, thebowler hatgained popularity as an informal hat. This new type of hat was normally made of felt, black for most of the year or brown for the summer months.

In 1865 hatmakerJohn B. Stetsoninvented theBoss of the Plainshat. It gained immediate success in theOld Westamong cowboys and settlers, due to its practicality. It had a vaguely round ribbon-lined crown and a wide brim, originally straight but soon becoming stylized into the iconic rim of the typical cowboy hat. Its dense felt could be rugged enough to carry water.

Style gallery

• 
  1 – 1855–1865
• 
  2 – 1860
• 
  3 – 1860–1865
• 
  4 – 1855–1865
• 
  5 – 1860–1862
• 
  6 – 1862
• 
  7 – 1868
• 
  9 – 1869

1. Eduard de Stoecklwears a frock coat over a waistcoat with a low front and lapels. He wears a patterned tie. 1855–1865.
2. Manet's unidentified manwears a tie secured with a jewel at the neck, a shawl-collared waistcoat, and a contrasting coat, 1860.
3. George Augustus Salawears an overcoat with black velvet collar, wide lapels, and deep cuffs over a frock coat, waistcoat, and tweed trousers. He wears leather gloves and carries a top hat. c. 1860–1865.
4. William Curtis Noyeswears an overcoat with very wide lapels, wide cuffs, a contrasting (probably velvet) collar, and braid trim over a frock coat, waistcoat, and trousers which appear to be made of matching fabric. The ends of his large necktie are loosely looped and secured with a stickpin, and then tucked into his waistcoat. 1855–1865.
5. John Tylerwears a cravat tied in a floppy bow. His coat has wide lapels and contrasting waistcoat have wide lapels, 1860–1862.
6. Wilhelm Taubertwears a dark necktie tied in a bow and slightly winged collar. German, 1862.
7. Thomas D'Arcy McGeewears a dark double-breasted frock coat over a high-buttoned single-breasted waistcoat and trousers., 1868.
8. Robert E. Lee(center) wears a jacket with matching trousers and waistcoat. He wears a four-in-hand knot black necktie and holds a boss-of-the-plains style straw hat in his hand. August 1869.

Note: Photographs from the Library of Congress's Brady-Handy collection are collectively dated 1855–1865. Where possible, tighter dates have been applied based on known facts about the sitters. SeeMathew Brady.

Children's fashion

Both boys and girls wore skirts from the time they could walk until they reached age 5 or 6. Very small girls wore their skirts just below knee-length overpantalettes.Skirts became very gradually longer as girls grew up until they reached ankle length at coming-out (in their later teens, usually 16–18). Older girls wore hoops to hold out their skirts. Young girls wore washablepinaforesover their dresses for work and play to keep them clean, as typified by the eponymous heroine of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel, and herAlice in Wonderland dress.

Boys wore simple jackets and trousers.

• 
  Alice Liddell,1860
• 
  Girls in pinafores, 1860–1862
• 
  Germany, 1861
• 
  Sweden, 1860s
• 
  German girls, 1866
• 
  Boy, 1867
• 
  Boy, 1868
• 
  English boy, 1869
• 
  A girl's dress with a pinafore, 1865

See also

• Victorian fashion
• Artistic Dress movement
• Crinoline
• Corset controversy

References

• Arnold, Janet:Patterns of Fashion 2: Englishwomen's Dresses and Their Construction C.1860–1940,Wace 1966, Macmillan 1972. Revised metric edition, Drama Books 1977.ISBN0-89676-027-8
• Ashelford, Jane:The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500–1914,Abrams, 1996.ISBN0-8109-6317-5
• Cashin, Joan E. "Torn Bonnets and Stolen Silks: Fashion, Gender, Race, and Danger in the Wartime South."Civil War History61#4 (2015): 338-361.onlineOn theConfederate States of America
• Goldthorpe, Caroline:From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress 1837–1877,Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988,ISBN0-87099-535-9(full text available online from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Digital Collections)
• Johnston, Lucy:From the Crinoline, to the Crinolette, to the Bustle: 1860–1880,V&A Museum, Collections, Corsets and Crinoline.
• Payne, Blanche:History of Costume from the Ancient Egyptians to the Twentieth Century,Harper & Row, 1965. No ISBN for this edition; ASIN B0006BMNFS
• Steele, Valerie:Paris Fashion: A Cultural History,Oxford University Press, 1988;ISBN0-19-504465-7
• Takeda, Sharon Sadako, and Kaye Durland Spilker,Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700–1915,Prestel USA (2010),ISBN978-3-7913-5062-2
• Tortora, Phyllis G. and Keith Eubank.Survey of Historic Costume.2nd Edition, 1994. Fairchild Publications.ISBN1-563-67003-8
• Tozer, Jane, and Sarah Levitt:Fabric of Society: A Century of People and Their Clothes 1770–1870,Laura Ashley Ltd., 1983;ISBN0-9508913-0-4

External links

• 1860s Fashion Plates of men, women, and children's fashionfrom The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries
• 1850s and 1860s Fashion
• 1860s Men's Fashions— c. 1860 Men's Fashion Photos with Annotations
• FashonikUpdos for long hairArchived2016-05-20 at theWayback Machine
• 1864 Wedding Dress— Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute
• 1860s Fashions in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database