The 1800’s are referred to as the Late Victorian era and the Mauve decade. Overall Style was occasion dependent.
One wouldn’t wear a glamourous dress to a day-event or sharp tailored skirts and a jacket wouldn’t be worn to an evening event.
Popular clothing items included bustle skirts, evening gowns, bonnets, skirts and jackets.
The aim of fashion at the time was to portray a distinguished lifestyle.
A typical upper-class western woman of the 1800’s would be adorned in ruffles, lace, bows and beautiful silks.
Her evening wear would usually comprise of an elegant structured hoop dress,
a three-quarter-sleeved spencer jacket and a square neckline, with various accessories.
Only the wealthy could afford a dressmaker. The lower and working class women had to sew their own clothing.
In 1824 the first ever department store opened in Paris, which later paved the way for affordable fashion.
Fashion evolved tremendously throughout the 1800’s.
The invention of aniline dye allowed clothing to be dyed in bold and beautiful colours
and the rounded bustle skirts became less popular, as oval-shaped skirts allowed for easier mobility and a more natural curve.
By the time the 1900’s came around, the mauve decade would soon evolve even further, binging popular fashion trends, which we may even still be wearing today.
The glorious invention of the safety-pin happened in 1849 and Vogue, our fashion bible, also started in the 1800’s –
allowing women to view the most sought after clothing, as department stores grew and became more popular
when women became infatuated with trends and fashion.
The 1800’s was a century of change, as the fashion industry grew and evolved dramatically,
paving the way for the 1900’s, which shaped the fashion industry into what we know today.
Next week we’ll explore some iconic moments in fashion, during the 1900’s.
Stay logged in to All Bags online, for Part 2 of our blog series.
Happy shopping xx