Bustles became extremely popular in the late 19th century, the first created between 1870-1875. A bustle was commonly worn as an undergarment, which added magnitude to women's skirts and dresses. Made out of straw, steel, wires, and fabric, the bustle ensured that heavy clothing material did not drag onto the floor or flatten the dress. Normally, a bustle dress accompanied by a sleeved jacket was worn during the day, while a sleeveless ruffled dress was favorable in the evening.
Bonnets were another fashion staple in the late 19th century. The creation of these hats was often called "millinery" and done by a milliner. They began as 'Spoon' bonnets and collectively got smaller throughout the century, until they became 'Fanchon' bonnets. Bonnets were traditionally decorated according to each season: gold ornaments in the winter, and flowers in the spring and summer. Other accessories customarily found on bonnets included feathers, velvet, ribbons, and lace lining. I find it to be exceedingly interesting that bonnets similar to the ones pictured could run for well over several hundred dollars.
In the 19th century, wide-brim hats were worn for the fashion and for protection against the sun. A lady out of doors almost always wore a hat. A fashionable hat usually had a very shallow, flat crown, and wide brim. A hat is much more than a piece of clothing, it is a cerebral fashion accessory to the people of this time. In the 19th century wearing hats was a popular type of fashion that both men and women wore.
A corset is a close-fitting piece of clothing that has been stiffened by various means in order to shape a women's body. They were long, soft, and had a more natural shape. These long, soft corsets reflected the fashion of the era for long, flowing, high waisted dresses made out of diaphanous materials, such as, fine muslins and silks. They were very popular in the 19th century for women to wear. They were made of sateen, cotton, silk, or linen and contained minimal boning.
The 19th century cap was a modest necessity worn by spinsters and matrons both young and old, it neatly covered a lady's hair while she was at home and abroad. It was a very unique fashion accessory women wore in the 19th century. Their were different types of caps that both women and men wore. These caps said as much about a woman’s personal style as her French bonnets, cashmere shawls, and Indian muslin gowns.
Primary Sources:
One primary source that I found to be intriguing was the first ever cover of Vogue, as I had no idea that Vogue was first published at such an early date. The magazine, which is still in publication today, was originally published in 1892 by Arthur Baldwin Turnure in NYC. When Vogue first went into publication, it was a magazine that provided styling options and advice to exclusive members of society, and was published frequently, once a week. It is is interesting to recognize how much Vogue has changed and how much the company has grown over the years. Since 1892, Vogue has changed from publishing weekly to monthly, and has generated other editions, including both Men's Vogue and Teen Vogue.
Blue jeans are an everyday fashion piece worn by a variety of people all over the world. What I found surprising was the fact that blue jeans have been around as early as the late 19th century. Jacob Davis, a tailor, began working with businessman Levi Strauss in order to achieve a pant that was reliable for the everyday worker. Using brown cotton duck and true blue denim, the men successfully created the first blue jean in 1873. In 1890, the XX style waist overall (the original name for blue jeans) was given the number "501". It is interesting that these colloquial, dependable pants were once a necessity for those who worked, but are now worn by most individuals for fashion reasons.
The following ad is from an 1898 issue of the Dalles Weekly Chronicle. The advertisement depicts a man wearing fashionable suit, and is targeting other men to wear them as well. It is made known that the suits are set at low prices, the first beginning at $3.85 for an entire suit. It is astonishing to find how cheap even the most frugal suits ran for, when today suits are priced in the hundreds. The suit type mentioned at the bottom of the publication, from "Counter number 3", runs for only $7.85, but says that it is the quality of a $14.00 suit. It prevalent that inflation has occurred throughout history, and is interesting to see how this has affected the prices of famous clothing staples
The images pictured are from a monthly fashion spread, published on March 25th, 1892. The purpose of these monthly spreads was to showcase items that were in season or trendy for that specific month. Due to the fact that this advertisement was produced in March, many of the clothing pieces depicted include long coats with buttons down the front, as well as, capes with matching skirts. Many of the dresses in season included puffy "bell" sleeves with warm material in dark colors. Below each item includes its price, all of which are under a dollar. Typically, these outfits ranged from $0.25 to $0.30, which is a further example of how inflation has occurred throughout centuries.