Women's dress is one of the most successful inventions of mankind, because only it can endow its owner with charm, which has a special grace and mystery. Starting a story about what a dress of the 19th century is, it should be noted that its length never rose above the ankles. This garment began to be shortened already in the rapid 20th century.
What was the dress like in the early 19th century
The history of clothing is most closely connected with the styles that dominated the art of one time or another. The beginning of the 19th century was marked by the emergence of the Empire style in Europe. This name comes from the French word for "empire" and refers to the military successes of Napoleon, whom the bourgeoisie adored. The Empire differed from classicism, which is going down in history, by greater solemnity and pomposity.
Instead of delicate color overflows, he offered expressive contrasts. And the lines of the costume resembled tall, slender columns. In order to make the resemblance as complete as possible, in the manufacture of dresses, dense monophonic fabrics withsymmetrical patterns in the decoration. A flowing silhouette made it possible to create thin fabrics - gauze, muslin, batiste, which were used to sheathe the dense base of the dress. The proportions remained the same as in the 18th century - a high waist and a straight skirt in a ratio of 1:6. But there were much more decorative details: ruffles and frills, lace and embroidery. The dress of the 19th century (beginning) had a low neckline and a puff sleeve on the cuff. Often it was decorated with a train. The dress could be complemented by a shawl - silk or woolen, with a fringe or a border in the form of an ornament.
How style has changed
By the beginning of the thirties of the 19th century, the high waist began to return to its rightful place. The romanticism that reigned in art glorified sensuality and "otherworldly" worlds, and in the style of clothing demanded that the figure seem delicately fragile. Instead of a slender and impregnable ancient goddess, the woman now resembled a light, exquisite statuette. Narrow corsets came into fashion, the dress was supposed to emphasize the thinness of the waist of its owner. To visually enhance this effect, the designers expanded the skirts, which began to resemble a bell, and reduced their length. The dress of the 19th century exposed the graceful ankles of women and demanded elegant stockings as an accessory. The highlight of the new style was a special cut of the sleeve - the so-called gigot ("lamb's leg"). The sleeve was very wide at the shoulder, and tapered heavily from the elbow to the cuff. The neckline was intended for evening outings, while during the day the ladies covered it with scarves, shawls or capes. The dress was generously decorated with ribbons and lace.
19th century dress: forties and fifties
During this period, corsets tightened the waist even tighter, and skirts expanded due to the abundance of lower layers. The lowest skirt was made of horsehair and dense linen, thus the term "crinoline" was born. The length of the dresses returned to the previous one, the silhouette of the sleeves was not as pretentious as it was a decade ago. Jewelry on clothes also became more restrained. In the 50s, crinolines began to be made from whalebone or even steel wire. They were large and very reminiscent of a round birdcage. The skirts were incredibly wide. Horizontal flounces in several rows decorated them below. White collar and cuffs came into fashion. Shining silks from Lyon were the most sought-after material, from which the 19th century ball gown was sewn, and the exquisite outfit for a summer walk. True, the first ones were supplemented with luxurious decorations.
Turnures and pujas
By the end of the sixties, the silhouettes of dresses had changed.
Behind they were voluminous and lush, but in front and from the sides they became narrow and flat. This effect was achieved through the use of overhead elements - bustles, which were placed behind the waist line. The volume of the lower part of the dress was emphasized by folds of fabric on the back. In front, the lower part of the dress was decorated with embroidery, bows, lace or pleating. The silhouette seemed slender and fabulously graceful. An abundance of decorative elements distinguishes women's dresses of the 19th century of the 70-80s. The more intricate and inventive the jewelry, the better. Flounces, festoons, embroideredpatterns with pearls, etc., hid the natural figure of the lady from the eyes. The only stylistic exception to the rule was the so-called “princess” dress, which was one-piece and revealed the natural outlines of the figure.
Transition Time
The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the new century passed under the banner of modernity. The aesthetics of artificiality in the fashion of the past gave way to pragmatic-natural silhouettes. The bustle has changed to tren - a long, gathered in assemblies, canvas behind. The bodice has become tighter and narrower. The dress in the style of the 19th century (late) had a characteristic S-shaped silhouette: the "pigeon chest" was balanced by a puffy back. Gradually, the skirts acquired a simpler, flared shape, the collar of the dress became high and closed. The fashion of the past for the “ram's leg” sleeves that flared up quickly faded, giving way to simple contours.
French taste
France remained the trendsetter, as in the previous century. Parisian styles freely "walked" from country to country, not even passing by orthodox Japan. The design developments of the Gallic couturiers determined the look of the dress of the 19th century (photo). England responded with more restrained models in terms of open body parts, Russia strictly adhered to the given forms. Germany has made adjustments to the proposed samples, in accordance with its somewhat straightforward attitude to reality.
19th century ball gown
Contemporaries recalled that the balls of that time could be admired as antique bas-reliefs or Etruscanvases. Women's outfits were so marvelous and amusing. A decollete was an obligatory element: deep - for married ladies, and less defiant - for unmarried ones. Long gloves of white or ivory color, passing beyond the line of the elbows, a lush fan, shoes with stable and low heels are details of a women's ball costume. Age determined the style of the outfit. The youth flaunted in elegant, unpretentious light-colored dresses, while older women demonstrated the splendor of designer delights in full force. But in both cases, a woman at a 19th-century ball looked like an exquisitely prepared biscuit cake with cream and cream.
