1870s Design

August 17, 2020January 5, 2022 / Adam Lid / Leave a comment

When designing an 1870s dress, one is often faced with an overwhelming number of choices. While the basic 1870s style was characterized by the all-encompassing bustle silhouette, all of the other details were far from uniform and there were a bewildering variety of choices available in selecting the fabrics and trims. Moreover, there were many available choices in bodice, skirt, sleeve, and train design to include the princess line that came into vogue in the late 1870s. Moreover, compared to earlier eras, there is also a variety of color choices, all made possible by the development of aniline dyes.

With all these choices, where does one begin? One of the most effective methods that we have successfully employed throughout the years is through the use of contrasting colors. Below are some examples of the possibilities:

The Englishwomen’s Domestic Magazine, June 1876

The color contrast could come in the form of a striped fashion fabric with one basic color and the stripes with the other color as shown on the above left figure. On the right, the contrast comes from the trim, in this case large bows and ribbons.

With the above plate, the contrast comes from the fabrics themselves. The dress on each figure consists of two sets of fashion fabric and in some instances, one of the fabrics could be patterned. Below is another example of this:

In the above plate, we see a base fashion fabric combined with a second fabric that’s been draped over the first. The large scale use of fringe enhances the contrast and in the case of the left figure, the second fabric looks like it’s ready for slide off. Of course this is fashion plate and a bit of artistic licence is to be expected. 🙂

Fashion Plate c. 1876

Wide stripes could also be used for a more dramatic effect as demonstrated with the above two figures. The cuirass bodice offered a wider “canvas” for these effects because of its larger continuous surface era. The princess line dress offered even greater scope for dramatic effect as seen below:

Le Moniteur de la Mode, 1876

In the above plate, the dress on the left uses contrast to its fullest extent by unifying the contrasting colors in a continuous flow of fabric and especially with the train. The dress on the right is a little different in that contract color is limited to stripes and edge trimming and with the embroidered back panel on the bodice enhancing the overall effect.

The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine, July 1877

In the above plate, the contrast effect is achieved through the use of striped trims to “outline” the dress in key areas. Once again, the princess line allows for this technique to be used to its greatest effect, Now let’s look at some examples of extant garments:

Day Dress, American, 1876; Philadelphia Museum of Art (1969-147-1a,b).

A color contrast can be achieved through a variety of methods. One of the easiest, as shown above, is to utilize two solid colors with one color acting as the base fashion fabric that covers the largest expanse while the other plays a secondary role with the contrast color. Note that the backside of the fashion fabric that has been turned out as shown along the bottom of the skirt while on the bodice there are revers and a faux waist coat. Below is another example of the solid color method:

With the above example, the secondary contrast fabric has been used to create a series of stripes running in a up the skirt on a diagonal angle to create a spiral effect. On the front of the bodice is a large panel in the same color along with two large sleeve cuffs.

Another creative way to approach contrast colors are to use two different colors in two different fabrics as with the silk velvet combined with a silk faille in the dress below:

Day Dress, French, 1875; Philadelphia Museum of Art (1976-120-1a–c).

But why stop there? 🙂 Contrast can be also achieved by having one of the fabrics be a stripe or other type of pattern as with the dress below:

Day Dress, Emile Pingat, French, c. 1874; Philadelphia Museum of Art (1938-18-12a,b)

In the above example, the two contrast fabrics are nearly equal in volume with the striped fabric being employed as an overskirt on the bottom and as trim on the bodice. Plaids and checks were also employed as with this dress:

Day Dress, c. 1873; McCord Museum (M20277.1-2)

Note how the striped fabric is dominant in the above dress, comprising most of the bodice, overskirt, and train. The solid color fabric shows up in the sleeves and underskirt and it’s the same color as the stripes in the patterned fabric with the ecru providing the contrast. This is just one possibility of many.

The princess line dress also offers many possibilities. While is maintains the bustle silhouette, the fact that there is no separate bodice and skirt creates a unified whole that runs smooth and uninterrupted as with this dress:

Day Dress, 1870s; National Museum, Prague (H2-193316)

All right, so we went a bit overboard with the last dress but it’s an interesting color combination of light pink and steel grey (although it’s hard to detect with the lighting- it shows up best on the rear). In the front is a wide panel of light pink that’s offset by the steel grey on the remainder of the dress (with the exception of some detail on the rear). The above examples are just a small sampling of the color possibilities that are available. Combinations could simply be a matter of varying color shades such as dark and light blue or they could involve a combination of two different colors.

In choosing an effective color combination, keep in mind that while Victorians loved combining different colors, they also sought to have those colors harmonize at the same time, acting as complementary colors. Below is an illustration of a Victorian era color wheel developed in 1867 by Charles Blanc:

In the above illustration, the complementary colors are directly opposite of each other (e.g., yellow-purple, green-red, blue-orange). Naturally there are various shades in between and the complementary pairs will shift. The above is admittedly an over-simplification but it does give an idea of what designers were aiming for during the late 19th Century.

Just to complicate matters further is the idea of saturation. Saturation refers to the intensity/vividness of a color. Colors that are highly saturated are bold and rich, while those that are desaturated lack in vibrancy.

color_saturation

An effective color combination could employ the principle of using two colors that are the same except for the difference in saturation. This is somewhat related to juxtaposing fabrics of two fabrics of different color shades as mentioned above:

The above is by no means a comprehensive overview and admittedly a lot of this is subjective. The best suggestion we can give is to look and pictures of original fashion plates and extant garments, making allowances for fading and deterioration. Certain combinations are going to look “right”, others not so much (and some could be downright ghastly- no different than today).

We hope that this has provided some ideas to help you get started. 🙂

A Lobster Tail Bustle…

July 10, 2020July 8, 2020 / Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

In keeping with our current 1880s them, we recently came across this fantastic example of an 1880s “lobster tail” bustle or tournure from the from the collection of Anton Priymak of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Although fabric coverings on bustles tended towards solid colors, occasionally one sees more colorful fabrics used such as the floral print above. In the absence of a more close-up examination in person, we’d venture to guess that the fabric is most likely a cotton print and the pattern motif is very reminiscent of Japonisme. This is certainly an interesting example and just the fabric alone is amazing- that’s definitely going to be an inspiration for the future. 🙂

Revisiting The Natural Form/Mid-Bustle Era

June 11, 2020September 30, 2021 / Adam Lid / 3 Comments

Aa you have no doubt discovered by now, the Mid-Bustle Era or Natural Form Era is one of our most favorite periods of the late Nineteenth Century and it has been a constant source of inspiration for many of our designs, especially because it runs counter to the popular perception of what characterized the “typical” look of the Bustle Era. At the risk of being redundant, we offer some further observations about this relatively short-lived period.

Edmond-Louis Dupain, Elegant Lady Walking Her Greyhounds on the Beach

The early 1880s were an interesting time in the fashion world in which we see the bustle silhouette style characteristic of the early and mid-1870s give way in the late 1870s to a slim, upright, cylindrical silhouette. Often referred to as the “natural form era” or Mid-Bustle Era, the period from roughly 1878 through 1883 saw a dramatic reversal in dress styles: where once the style focused on draping and gathering of varied fabrics over a bustle, the emphasis was now on the controlled use of fabrics and trim to create a style with clean, sharp lines.

Peterson’s Magazine, September 1880

Below are some examples, albeit idealized, of the basic style which could be found for both day and evening wear:

Journal Des Demoiselles, 1880

Revue De La Mode, 1880

Journal Le Printemps, October 1881

Journal Le Printemps, June 1881

Journal Des Demoiselles, 1881

In examining this relatively short-lived period, it must be noted that “natural form” is somewhat of a misnomer in that the term refers to the ideal of the reform dress movement which centered around the idea that clothing should enhance the body’s natural form rather than constrict and re-shape it. The styles of 1878-1883, like there predecessors, relied on structured undergarments to modify the body’s appearance- something that dress reformers did not have in mind.

So with that said, let us explore a bit…

We start with this reception dress from the early 1880s:

Reception Dress, French, c. 1881 – 1883; Metropolitan Museum of Art (C.I.38.61a, b)

Close-Up Of Front

Side Profile

Three-Quarters Rear View

Rear View

Just for completeness, here’s some details:

Detail of bodice.

The above dress illustrates several elements of the Mid-Bustle Era style and in particular, the silhouette which is slim and cylindrical with a minimal bustle. Day dresses tended to have either no train or at most, a demi-train while evening dresses and ball gowns retained a longer train. However, either way, the train was low, flowing from the bottom of the skirt rather than off of an elevated bustle.

The use of rows of vertical pleating on the rear of the skirt combined with rows of flounces trimmed with embroidered leaves on the front help emphasize the vertical lines. Finally, the ruching on the bodice front also reinforces the idea of vertical lines.

And because we just can’t resist, here is Charles Worth’s take on the wedding dress:

Wedding Dress, Charles Worth, c. 1879 – 1880; Victoria & Albert Museum (T.62 to B-1976)

The dress silhouette is characteristic for a formal dress of the Mid-Bustle Era. Also, while it is not easy to make out, the trim on the front and sides also helps to emphasize the vertical lines. Here’s one more from Worth, circa 1880, where the trim pattern on the front can be readily seen:

Finally, one more example to illustrate some of the trends happening in the late 1870s – early 1880s:

Day Dress, c. 1878 – 1883; McCord Museum (M2003.76.1.1-3)

Note in the above example that the bodice extends over the hips and that there is no bustled train. At the same time, there is a train extending out, above the hem of the skirt; an train extending out at a low level was one style variation found during this period and in extreme cases was known as the “mermaid tail.” This was probably meant as more of a reception dress and a dress meant for everyday activity. Also, note that these dresses often came equipped with a “train hook,” a small loop attached to the end of the train that allowed the dress’ wearer to pick up end of the train so it would not drag on the ground.

In terms of color, we see the use of two shades of red with silk for the lighter shade and velvet for the darker shade that read as a jewel tone. The use of velvet for the dark burgundy red provides a contrast to the lighter silk in that the velvet traps the light while the lighter silk provides a more reflective luster. This is a common effect used during much of the late 19th Century but a beautiful one nonetheless.

No discussion of the Mid-Bustle Era would be complete without some discussion of the princess line style. The princess line style further refined the era’s trend towards a more upright, slender silhouette. The primary characteristic of the princess line style was that the bodice and skirt were one unified body which provided a large, continuous space for decoration. Below is one example of the princess line style:

Day Dress, Princess Line, c. 1878 – 1880; Victoria & Albert Museum (CIRC.606-1962)

Close-Up Of The Front

Rear View

The dress design attempts to create the effect of a contrasting bodice/outer skirt and under skirt; the lines are somewhat reminiscent of an 18th Century coat worn with an outer and under skirt. The dress itself consists of a top and rear train made from a blue silk woven in the Jacquard manner combined with a white ruched silk running along the complete and at the bottom of the train. Running along the hem are rows of white silk knife-pleating and the top is trimmed with white lace around the neck. Finally, there is a minimal trailing “tail” on top of the train. Finally, what is striking is the contrast between the silk floral leaf top and train combined with rows of ruching providing a contrast between smooth and textured fabrics as well as color and fabric.

Here is another example, only this time it employs contrasting colors while keeping the same fabric type:

Day Dress, Princess Line, c. 1878; National Museum, Prague (H2-193316)

Three-Quarter Side View

Three-Quarter Rear View

Style-wise, this dress is simpler than the first example in that there is simply two contrasting colors with little added except for rows of knife-pleating along the hem and some ribbon trim on the front and shoulders and some lace around the neckline.

Ultimately, while the Mid-Bustle/Natural Form Era style strove to create a silhouette that was more “natural” to the wearer’s body (as opposed to the bustle/train), it was still a product of sculpting and shaping through the use of foundation garments, principally the corset and various underpinnings such as these:

We hope you have enjoyed this small tour through the late 1870s/early 1880s and it helps illustrate some of the basic Victorian ideas about fashion and style.

Stepping Back To 1878…

May 17, 2020August 4, 2022 / Adam Lid / Leave a comment

And for a change of pace, we step back a few decades to circa 1878 with this wonderful Mid-Bustle Era/Natural Form day dress that’s identified as a wedding dress¹:

Wedding dress, c. 1878; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.18a, b)

Below is a nice close-up showing details of the fashion fabric and some of the details.

Side Profile

This dress is constructed of an embroidered wine colored stripped silk satin for the overskirt and bodice combined with a purple silk satin for the underskirt, bodice front and cuffs. Finally around the cuffs, there’s a think band of the purple silk sating that’s been pleated and finished off with white lace. In terms of silhouette, this one is cylindrical, characteristic of the Mid-Bustle Era and has no train. The bodice is a cuirass style, falling over the hips. The decorate effect on the underskirt hem is interesting, employing a combination of pleating, ruching, and use of the stripped fashion fabric in the form of vertical tabs running along the upper hem.

Now, as for the dress being a wedding dress, this is a very possible. Unfortunately, there’s no documentation posted online at the Met Museum website and we can only assume that there is documentation but that it didn’t make it online for reasons unknown. But nevertheless, this dress could have been used as a wedding dress in that during the late Nineteenth Century, the use of white as THE wedding dress color was not a rigid convention; a wedding dress was often a bride’s best dress and was meant for wear long after the wedding. Moreover, the idea that one would have a specific dress to be worn only on the wedding day and then put away was also not the norm and in fact, was simply not feasible for most people, not to mention that it was viewed as wasteful. The idea of the one-use wedding dress would start to develop towards the end of the Nineteenth Century but only by the very rich.² Ultimately, this dress presents a classic late 1870s/early 1880s day look and works for a variety of social occasions. 🙂

And For A Little Princess Line Style…

April 28, 2020May 21, 2020 / Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Princess line dresses have always been a source of fascination for us, especially since they represented a dramatic break from the previous style characteristic of the early 1870s. Here’s one interesting example, circa 1874-1879 from the National Museum of Scotland that we recently came across while searching for something completely different:

Day Dress, c. 1874-1879; National Museum of Scotland (H.TM 30)

This dress is made from a combination of violet silk taffeta and a dark blue silk velvet. The dress and bodice back and front are made from the lighter violet silk taffeta while the dark blue velvet sleeves, collar, and bodice front panel provide a contrast in both luster and texture. Wide bands of the same velvet also run across the dress front in swags and along the hem and the top of the demi-train. In terms of silhouette, the dress is firmly in the Mid Bustle Era with its cylindrical style and moderate train at the top widening out into a demi-train at the bottom. Finishing the look is a row of cut steel buttons running down the front. And now for some side profile views:

In the above picture, there’s a better view of the demi-train and one can see the row of knife pleating running along the hem of the train as well as the cuffs. On the dress itself, the pleating is larger and wider. In terms of function, this was a more formal train with its demi-train and was probably an afternoon or reception dress meant for daytime wear.

This dress is a wonderful example of various design elements characteristic of the era to include contrasting textures and luster in fabric selection and the use of analogous colors, combined with draping and pleating. This dress hits all the high points and is definitely a source of inspiration for any recreation efforts.

Lily Absinthe

Gowns & Corsetry

Mid Bustle Era

1870s Design

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A Lobster Tail Bustle…

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Revisiting The Natural Form/Mid-Bustle Era

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Stepping Back To 1878…

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And For A Little Princess Line Style…

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