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s a follow-on for yesterday’s post, I got to thinking about women’s outerwear of the late 19th Century and especially in the context of smaller towns, muddy streets, et al. (and especially in the West). In the course of doing an online search for some examples of outerwear, I was struck by the fact that while examples abound of more stylish garments, there are few that are focused on functionality such as those depicted in this picture:

Yankton, South Dakota, 3d street looking west from Walnut. 1881

However, not all was lost and I did manage to find this interesting example from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Women’s Coat, American, c. 1883; Metropolitan Museum of Art (1982.348.3)

Side Profile

Rear View

This coat is almost very similar to the one worn by the woman in the center front of the picture. Now, just for fun, here’s a more elaborate design by John Redfern:

Redfern, Women’s Coat, 1888; Chicago History Museum (1987.471.1a-)

Close-Up

Three-Quarter Side View

Three-Quarter Rear View

This coat design is a women’s version of the Inverness coat/cloak with tailored lines designed to work with the bustled dress style characteristic of the late 1880s. The above is only a small sample but it does give an idea of the sort of outerwear that was found in the 1880s. In future posts, I will be looking for more tie-ins between fashion in action (i.e., being worn) and the garments themselves. Stay tuned! 🙂