As the 1880s progressed, day dress style increasingly became characterized by an emphasis on a sharply defined silhouette with clean lines, uncluttered by excesses of trim. This is in stark contrast with the 1870s where day dresses often took on the appearance of layers of fabric and time loosely arranged in a train/bustle silhouette. By the mid-1880s, one begins to see a general simplification in styles characterized by a more restrained use of trim and far less draping and layering of fabrics. In contrast to the previous decade, style’s aesthetic effects were the result of the fabrics themselves and their arrangement than external additions.

In our last post, we noted that style effects could be a achieved through the use of contrasting fabrics such as solid colors and stripes; fabrics in contrasting or complementary colors; and same-colored fabrics with different textures (e.g., silk satin with silk brocade in the same color). One interesting example of these elements can be found with this dress:

This dress is constructed of a medium blue silk dupioni (at least what we could tell from close-ups of the pictures) for the skirt and bodice combined with panels of dark blue silk with dark blue velvet flocking. The panels make up the bodice front and collar and pieces are strategically placed in the front and then lead along the sides, culminating as part of the train. Depending on the light, the base fabric appears to have a hint of lavender.

With this close-up, one can get a better look at the flocked fabric panels. The velvet dots appear to be the same basic color as the background silk fabric (probably dupioni) but their luster is different, thus creating a contrast in textures. When placed against the lighter colored base fabric, we see yet a third contrast. The only trim is a series of pleating and ruffles running along the rear hem. The overall effect is somewhat subtle and this was one of the major characteristics found in mid to late 1880s style.

Just to illustrate the effect of lighting (and computers) on fabric colors, the following pictures are also of the same dress but were taken at a different time in different lighting:

In these pictures, the base fashion fabric takes on more of a lavender color while the decorative panels seem to retain their dark blue color only with the velvet dots appearing darker while the background fabric is lighter. However, allowing for the variables of lighting and computer color rendition, we still see that the dress achieves its effect by utilizing the fabric’s characteristics (primarily luster) combined with a narrow color range.

Needless to say, analyzing style is a somewhat subjective process which sometimes defies easy explanations but fortunately we are blessed with a large number of extant original dresses that we can look at and draw our own conclusions. More importantly, we can see the results before our eyes and use that as a guide for our own designs and hopefully achieve results as dramatic of those achieved by those who went before us. 🙂

For day dresses, color and texture were two major elements in the styles of the mid to late 1880s and often effects were achieved through the use of one color combined by differing fabric textures. The highly sculpted smooth silhouettes of the 1880s further enhanced this effect in that emphasis was placed on the fabrics themselves rather than through the use of trim or draping. Typically, style effects were typically achieved through the use of contrasting fabrics:

Day Dress, American, c. 1887; Metropolitan Museum of Art (1978.295.2a–c)

Or with contrasting colors:

Sometimes, the two ideas of contrasting fabrics and colors could be combined:

With either method, a wide variety of aesthetically pleasing effects could be achieved and the possibilities were nearly endless. However, there was one other way a style effect could be achieved and that was through the use of different fabrics in the same color:

What is striking about this dress is that it uses two different fabric textures through the use of wine red silk fabrics- a plain silk satin combined with a floral silk brocade. The two fabrics are different but their colors are identical (at least from examination of the pictures); this contrast is very apparent if one examines the front bodice and cuff details:

And just for interest since the view was available is the interior of the bodice:

While the style effect of the above dress is not as dramatic as contrasting fabrics and colors, it is still effective although much more subtle. This effect projects a more restrained, conservative image and as such is representative of a more middle class aesthetic that was unaffected and not meant to be fashion-forward (i.e., “we’ve got money but we’re not going to be too ostentatious about it.”).

Here is another example of the same type of effect, only this time the contrast in textures is achieved through patterns of soutache:

The contrast in textures is achieved through soutache which is most prominent on the front and neck of the bodice and at the tops of the overskirt on both sides. Here’s a better view of the bodice:

Four our final example, we now view a court dress that was made for the Empress Elisabeth of Austria in c. 1885:

With this dress, we see the texture of the base fashion fabric, in this case a silk moire, create the major style effect- the Moire catches the light at different angles and creates a three-dimensional effect that is further enhanced by the black-gray lace trim.The Moire effect is further brought out with the large court train and overall, this is a dress that  readily catches the viewer’s eye. Truly the fabric speaks for itself. 🙂

In each of the three above examples, each dress is of a single color and depends on either the construction of the fabric or the addition of soutache to create texture and depth. Brocades and Moires can provide some striking effects that transform an otherwise flat surface into something more. In the case of the blue dress with matching soutache, the end effect is also the same.

In the end, fabrics and trim also played major roles in creating dress styles in the 1880s and while perhaps these were not employed as often as contrast colors and fabrics, they still played a role and should not be overlooked in attempting to recreate historic fashions of the period.

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