Godey’s Lady’s Book, December 1875 fashion plates
Two-tone dresses were a major element in early to mid-1870s fashion and is one of the major factors that set 1870s style apart from 1880s style (apart from the changes in bustle configuration). A “two-tone” dress was essentially one that combined two major colors to achieve the fashion effect; often these were contrasting colors but they also could be more harmonious color combinations.
When we discuss color combinations, they can either be complementary colors or analogous colors as illustrated here:
As a rule, complementary colors provide the greatest visual impact but neutral colors such as black and gray can also perform the same role. Let’s take a look at some examples:
Day Dress, c. 1868-1872; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.82.272.1a-b)
The color combination on the above dress a harmonious combination of dark red/burgundy and a dark gold/yellow or old gold, both which are warm colors.
Day Dress, c. 1873; McCord Museum (M20277.1-2)
The above color contrast uses a combination of complementary colors- a blue-green and very light red orange. What is interesting is that the red-orange color is further broken up with with blue-green stripes.
Worth, Afternoon Dress, c. 1874; Metropolitan Museum of Art (1975.259.2a, b)
The color combination on the above dress is interesting in that it’s a combination of dark blue and celadon which are analogous colors. The next two dresses feature the use of monochromatic color combinations:
Day Dress, c. 1870; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (64.1003a)
In the above example, we see the use of very dark purple combined with a more medium shade. It also should be noted that the fabrics can also be used to enhance the effect: The dark purple is on a rich velvet while the lighter purple shade is on what appears to be a taffeta. Also it must be noted that the knife pleating running along the bottom of the skirt is a third shade of purple. Here’s another example that uses lavender:
Day Dress, c. 1868-1872; Kent State University Museum (KSUM 1983.1.118a-d)
The dress features a monochromatic color combination of darker and lighter shades of lavender. Note how the contrast colors run vertical for the bodice and horizontal for the skirt. The above examples are only a small hint at the combinations that were possible with early to mid 1870s dresses and as we find some more examples, we’ll be sure to post them here.
