Fashion 1840-1850

The shapes of the dresses from this period were full of angles which pointed to the clinched in waist which was now extremely low. The shoulders drooped and the sleeves were tight and the full skirts almost touched the ground. The Bodice and skirt were usually made as one with a row of hooks and eyes up the back.

A jacket bodice, separate from the skirt was a style adopted from 1846 and The Princess Robe, without a seam at the waist, the skirt being much gored, appeared in 1848 but was very uncommon.

Day dresses

The Bodice

The bodice was tight and fitted to the body shape, long-waisted, and generally carried down to a point in the front. Dresses of light materials were sometimes round-waisted and then worn with a sash tied in front with floating ends.

The bodice was lined and boned in front with three bones spreading up in a fan shape from the pointed waist. Sometimes the lining had its own hooks and eyes under those which fastened the dress. The bodice itself was fastened with hooks and eyes.

Many Bodices were padded with cotton-wool over the bosom and dress protectors of chamois leather were now used to protect the fabric under the armpits.

The corsage was high and closed round the neck, or half high with a ‘V’ opening. All added decorations was usually arranged as to converge from the shoulders down to the pointed waist to emphasise the gothic angle.

The Jacket Bodice

Close-fitting and buttoned down the front from neck to waist and there finished with short basques.  It was worn with a separate skirt which was fastened at the back though some were joined and merely made to look like a separate jacket in front.

The Sleeve

1.       Tight to the wrist and sometime made with a tight short sleeve over the top with a few Macherons on the shoulder.

2.       The Victorian sleeve, same as above but with fullness at the elbow while still tight above and below. Rouching and a few bouffants were common.

3.       A tight sleeve with a small bell shaped fullness just below the elbow became popular in 1848. These sleeves were finished with white washable half sleeves ending in closed cuffs or open frills known as ‘engageants’. These were tied to the arm under the fullness.

The skirt

The skirt was long enough now to just touch the toes of the shoe and was very full with the material being tightly gathered at the waist at first with organ pleating and later with flat pleats.  The skirts were always lined except for some of the one made from lighter summer materials. The bustle at the back and many layers of petticoats gave the skirt its distinctive domed shape.

In this decade some important innovations were made:

1.       A skirt lining made partly or horsehair was used to give stiffness and support the skirts shape. It was known as a Crinoline and was later replaced by a hooped petticoat.

2.       Skirt hems were braided to protect them against wear.

3.       Large pockets were put into dresses instead of placket holes and small pocket watches were hidden in waistbands.

Double skirts were also introduced with the upper layer ending just above the knee. These were most common for summer wear.

Open robes had a pyramidal opening in the front to show off a decorative petticoat underneath. This was a style commonly used for redingotes and pelisse-robes. The shape of the opening was also often imitated by an arrangement of frills and embroidery.

Skirt trimmings

1.       Flounces could be either one or two deep flounces or a series of smaller ones reaching to above the knees. Flounces were sometimes curved upwards at the from to imitate the open robe.

2.       Rows of material were cut on the cross and often scalloped and laid on the dress in tiers. This form of decoration was used with light fabrics towards the end of the decade.