Print, A.E. Chalon

Print, 'Mademoiselle Fleury / La jolie Fille de Gande'
Alfred Edward Chalon, R.A. (1780-1860, artist), Richard James Lane, A.R.A. (1800-72, lithographers), M. & N. Hanhart (printer), John Mitchell (publisher), Goupil & Vibert (publisher)
1 May 1844 (published)
Lithograph coloured by hand
Museum no. E.5010-1968
Given by Dame Marie Rambert

The print is unusual in showing a dancer of the 1840s in a fashionable dress rather than a ballet costume. Her dress is typical of the decade, with low sloping shoulders, a long and narrow pointed waist, and a voluminous bell-shaped skirt. 

Bonnet, designer unknown

Bonnet
Designer unknown
About 1845
Great Britain
Cardboard, linen, silk, cotton, wire; hand sewn
Museum no. T.1039-1913
Given by Messrs Harrods

Covering one’s head was an essential aspect of etiquette in the 19th century. During the 1840s, women wore caps indoors and bonnets outdoors. The bonnet has wide brim sheltering the face, reflecting the heightened sense of propriety brought in when Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837.

Fashions in hats and headwear changed more quickly than other items of clothing. While a dress would be expected to last at least a decade, new styles of hats arrived annually. The latest fashion in bonnets usually featured the latest fabrics and trimmings, rather than a new shape. Most 19th-century women expected a new hat each year, even if it meant recovering an old one themselves. Personal accounts for this period show women buying new ribbons, laces, fabrics and trimmings to update their headwear.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1845
Great Britain
Silk satin, trimmed with velvet ribbon, lined with linen and silk, hand-sewn
Museum no. T.169-1959
Given by Lady Lindsey

This dress is typical of women’s fashions from the mid-1840s. It has long tight sleeves, a high round neck, and a long pointed waistline. It is made of silk satin in a tartan pattern. Tartan fabrics were very fashionable in the 1840s, thanks partly to the continuing popularity of Walter Scott’s historical novels, set in Scotland. Queen Victoria (ruled 1837-1901) had just acquired a royal residence at Balmoral, Scotland, and set the fashion for all things Scottish.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
1845-50
Great Britain
Silk satin, lined with cotton, edged with brush braid, hand-sewn
Museum no. T.856-1919
Given by Mrs C. R. B. Eyre

By the end of the 1840s, the wide neckline had closed up to a high, round opening. The waist remained long and narrow, ending in a point below the waistline. This particular example is made of silk satin, striped in a complex arrangement of purple, crimson, magenta, grey and white. The sleeves are beginning to widen at the wrist into a slight bell shape. This dress was probably made in the mid-1840s and then altered about five years later to accommodate a change in style. The sleeves have had gores inserted at the wrist to bring them up to date with the new fashion.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
1845-50
Great Britain
Printed wool, lined with linen, hand-sewn
Museum no. T.849-1974
Given by Mrs Geoffrey Myers

The popularity of cashmere shawls reached its peak from the 1840s to the 1860s. Originally imported from India in the late 18th century, British manufacturers were making woven and printed versions by the early 19th century, based on the Indian designs. A key motif was the boteh or pine cone, what we know today as the paisley. This design was popular as a dress fabric. This example was printed by the company Swaislands of Crayford in Kent, and registered in the Patent Office between July 1845 and April 1847. The bodice of the dress has vertical slits fastened with buttons on either side of the centre front. This indicates that the owner wore it while nursing her children.

Ensemble, designer unknown

Ensemble (waistcoat with suit and top hat)
Designer unknown
1845-55, and 1871
Great Britain
Jacquard-woven silk, covered buttons, lined with cotton and backed with scrim, foreparts lined with leather (waistcoat)
Museum no. T.10-1951(waistcoat); T.47-1947 (frock coat)
Waistcoat given by Miss W. Shaw

This is an excellent example of a double-breasted frock coat. The jacket, trousers and waistcoat that comprised the suit could be of one colour and were then known as 'dittos'. Alternatively, a contrasting waistcoat and trousers were often worn to add colour and variety to the outfit. This style continued until the 20th century and became identified as the city business man's suit of black coat, striped trousers and bowler hat (replacing the top hat).

Just visible over the collar of the frock coat is a bright waistcoat. In the 19th century waistcoats tended to be one of the more elaborate and colourful pieces of the male wardrobe, which is partly why they survive in relatively large numbers. They might also have been kept for their decorative quality or for sentimental reasons when they went out of fashion.

Floral designs such as this were fashionable in the 1840s and 1850s. In this example a delicate pattern of vine leaves and speedwell is jacquard-woven in blue and cream giving a variety of textural effects.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1842
England
Silk satin, lined with cotton, reinforced with whalebone, and hand-sewn
Museum no. T.848&A-1974
Given by Mrs J. P. Friend Smith

This dress is characteristic of fashionable styles from the early 1840s. The neckline is wide with a deep collar or ‘bertha’. The long, tight sleeves are typical of the 1840s, while the short over-sleeves recall the elaborate sleeves of the 1830s. The waist is lengthened in front with a point both front and back. The elaborate applied decorations of the 1830s are now no longer fashionable. The satin of this dress is left quite plain, except for a braid edging on the collar.

Music sheet, J. Brandard

Music sheet
John Brandard (1812-63, designer); M. & R. Hanhart (printer); S. Chappell & Co. (publisher)
About 1840
Colour lithograph, ink on paper
Museum no. E.2452-1914

This is a music sheet cover with a portrait of the young Queen Victoria, showing her in fashionable dress. Royalty led taste and fashion, and women followed the style set by the Queen. Her dress is off the shoulder, and her bodice is long and pointed at the front. The skirt is made with tiers and frills of lace. Her hair is parted in the centre and looped down over the ears.

The popularity of the young Queen Victoria coincided with a period when large numbers of illustrated music sheets were being published. There were therefore many with images of the Queen and, after her marriage in 1840, of Prince Albert, either as portraits or at particular events.

Opera boots, designer unknown

Opera boots
Designer unknown
1840s
Great Britain
Black leather, with suede leg and silk bow, hand- and machine-sewn
Museum no. T.494&A-1913
Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd.

Opera boots were also known as 'Dress Wellingtons' and were often worn when going out to dinner, the theatre, opera and other social evening occasions. Although they were shaped like a boot, they would have resembled a dress shoe when worn under trousers.

Many opera boots had bows attached, and the uppers were often made of different textures of leather to give the appearance of a dress shoe worn over a stocking. Some even had silk stocking legs laid over the leather to give even more of a stocking-like effect.

'Dress Wellingtons' were named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). Wellingtons first appeared at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, when the army became more socially visible and military costume influenced fashionable dress. Another boot with military links was the Blucher, a laced boot named after the Prussian General Gebhart von Blucher, who played a decisive role alongside Wellington in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

An anonymous cavalry officer described how this style of boot could be used as a substitute for shoes in his book The Whole Art of Dress (1830):

'This boot is invented, doubtless, for the mere purpose of saving trouble in dress; for without attending to silk stockings or the trouble of tying bows, you have merely to slip on the boots, and you are neatly equipped in a moment.'

Paisley dress with shawl, designer unknown

Dress and shawl
Designer unknown
1845-50
Great Britain
Printed wool, lined with linen
Museum no. T.849-1974
Given by Mrs Geoffrey Myers

The popularity of cashmere shawls reached its peak from the 1840s to the 1860s. Originally imported from India in the late 18th century, British manufacturers were making woven and printed versions by the early 19th century, based on the Indian designs. A key motif was the boteh or pine cone, what we know today as the paisley. This design was popular as a dress fabric. This example was printed by the company Swaislands of Crayford in Kent, and registered in the Patent Office between July 1845 and April 1847. The bodice of the dress has vertical slits fastened with buttons on either side of the centre front. This indicates that the owner wore it while nursing her children.

Silk satin dress edged with braid, with lace shawl

Dress
Designer unknown
1845-50
England
Silk satin lined with cotton, edged with brush braid
Museum no. T.856-1919

By the end of the 1840s, the wide neckline had closed up to a high, round opening. The waist remained long and narrow, ending in a point below the waistline. This particular example is made of silk satin, striped in a complex arrangement of purple, crimson, magenta, grey and white. The sleeves are beginning to widen at the wrist into a slight bell shape. This dress was probably made in the mid-1840s and then altered about five years later to accommodate a change in style. The sleeves have had gores inserted at the wrist to bring them up to date with the new fashion.

Block printed wool day dress, designer unkown

Dress (skirt and bodice)
Designer unknown
1848-50
Great Britain
Block-printed wool, lined with cotton and the bodice boned with whalebone
Museum no. T.797&A-1913
Given by Messrs. Harrods Ltd

Curling tendrils separated by undulating lines and a lattice work of simulated trimming adorn this block-printed wool day dress. The delicate scrolling shapes of the tendrils reflects the mid-Victorian interest in 18th century Rococo design which incorporated scrolling naturalistic motifs and a lively sense of movement.

The vertical emphasis of the pattern suits the fashionable shaping of the bodice which is pleated over the bust into a V-shaped point at the waist, while its lighter horizontal stripe complements the fullness of the skirt. Many dresses of this date were decorated with trimmings of self-fabric, focusing the eye on the fabric pattern or richness of the material as well as the fashionable silhouette. On this dress, bias cut strips of fabric decorate the bell-shaped ends of the sleeves, and the neckline, shoulder seams, sleeve head and hem of the bodice are carefully finished with self-piping.

Day dress of moiré silk, about 1858. Museum no. T.90&A-1964

Day dress (bodice and skirt)
Designer unknown
About 1858
Great Britain
Moiré silk trimmed with chenille and lined with silk; with metal buttons, and whalebone strips
Museum no. T.90&A-1964
Given by Miss Janet Manley

This eye-catching day dress formed part of the trousseau belonging to Miss Janet Gilbert. It is beautifully constructed in the latest style as would befit a young fashionable woman, although its pristine condition suggests it might not have been worn. Made of moiré silk, it has a lustrous rippled sheen accentuated by the rich Prussian blue dye, applied chenille flowers and sparkling metal buttons. Box pleated trimmings stand out in relief along the bottom edge and seams of the wide pagoda sleeves, emphasising their width.  Had Miss Gilbert worn this dress, white 'engageantes', or undersleeves tacked to the armholes would have covered her lower arms and a lace collar might have decorated the neckline.

Graceful movements and a perfect silhouette were promoted by the introduction of spring-steeled hooped petticoats in 1856, often referred to as crinolines. Although frequently ridiculed in the press for their cage-like structure and size, they were also hailed as a blessing. Effective, lightweight, economical and comfortable, they ensured women could wear dresses like this one without having to contend with layers of hot and heavy petticoats.

Bracelet by Pierre-Jules Chaise, enamelled gold and diamonds

Bracelet with portrait miniatures
Pierre-Jules Chaise
About 1850
Paris
Enamelled gold, rose and brilliant-cut diamonds, ivory and mother-of-pearl
Museum no. M.12:1-3-1955
Bequeathed by Mrs. H. Digby Neave, granddaughter of Mr and Mrs Ralli

This portrait shows a typical hairstyle of the 1850s.  Hair was worn parted in the middle and loosely swept over the ears into a low bun at the back.

This miniature portrait is part of a bracelet that was made to take the portraits of Mr. Pandeli Ralli and Mrs. E. Ralli.  Mr. Ralli appears as a client in the ledgers of the Royal Goldsmith's R&S Garrard in 1838.  He bought a diamond head ornament for £200 and a matching bracelet for £45.

Photograph of unidentified sitter by Horne & Thornthwaite, about 1850. Museum no. PH.151-1982

Sitter
Horne & Thornthwaite (photographers)
About 1850
London
Museum no. PH.151-1982

This photograph, of an unidentified male sitter, shows men's dress typical of the 1850s. The sitter is wearing a high upstanding collar with a high single breasted waistcoat cut straight across the waist.  His dark necktie is tied around the collar with a small bow at the front. 

He wears a newly fashionable sack coat, a slightly looser fitting coat than the more tailored frock coat.  The sack coat would become increasingly popular over the following decades, worn most often for leisure activities or informal occasions.

Silk satin shoes with ribbon rosette, Latham

Shoes
Latham
1855-65
London
Silk satin with rosettes, ribbons and elastic
Museum no. T.562-1913
Given by Messrs. Harrods

Shoes with high heels were almost non-existent in women's fashions during the first part of the 19th century. Instead simple flat satin slippers or 'sandals' with a bow or rosette at the throat and ribbons or elastic loops to fasten them round the ankle were all the rage. However, by the 1850's the heel had begun to make a comeback. 

This elegant pair of blue and white low-heeled shoes illustrates how the sandal form evolved. The satin upper with square toe and throat, decorative rosette and elastic ties are all features reminiscent of the dainty flat shoes of the early nineteenth century. However, with the addition of a small heel and some striped decoration the form is updated to something more in keeping with modern tastes.

Wool coat with velvet facing, designer unknown

Coat
Designer unknown
1845-1853, United States of America
Wool faced with silk velvet, lined with wool
Museum no. T.176-1965
Given by Capt. Raymond Jones

This coat is an example of men’s formal daywear from about 1850. The sleeves are long and tight, the collar is wide, and the front has a deep fastening in order to show off the waistcoat. Although at this date the frock-coat was gaining in popularity as formal daywear, the cut-away coat was still worn. This coat is reputed to have been worn by William Pierson Johnes, a linen merchant of New York City.

Promenade dress of silk plush with fringing, designer unknown

Promenade dress (skirt, bodice and mantle)
Designer unknown
1855-7
Great Britain
Silk plush trimmed with silk fringe and braid, lined with silk and whalebone
Museum no. T.324&A&B-1977
Given by Madame Tussauds

Luxurious velvet dresses embellished with fringe trimmings were highly fashionable during the 1850s. In 1857 the 'Illustrated London News' announced: 'Fringe was never so greatly in demand as at the present time…Fringe may be said to be the most becoming of all trimmings on a lady's dress; it seems to possess the power of imparting lightness and suppleness to the movements of the wearer.'

When applied in rows, fringes also simulated flounces and made skirts look even wider. In this example the bodice is made with a basque, which was a separate extension below the waist, flaring out over the hips. The skirt is composed of two layers, with the top tier extending from the waistband as far as the fifth row of fringe. The bottom tier is attached to a taffeta underskirt. This accentuates the flounced effect of the fringe and helps to distribute the weight of the heavy skirt over the dome-shaped crinoline cage which would have been worn underneath.

Photograph of Maharaja Duleep Singh in formal day dress, about 1850. Museum no. PH.192-1982

Portrait of Maharaja Duleep Singh
Horne & Thornthwaite
About 1850
London
Albumen print from collodion negative
Museum no. PH.192-1982

This is a portrait of Maharaja Duleep Singh, photographed by the London firm of Horne & Thornthwaite around 1850. He is dressed and bearded according to the fashionable formal English style. He wears a dark double-breasted frock coat over a high buttoned light waistcoat. His collars are starched and upstanding, with a necktie tied in the distinctive 'four-in-hand' style where the corners of a folded kerchief create pointed wings. This necktie style was newly fashionable in the 1850s.

Photograph of Richard Ansdell, by William Henry Lake Price

Portrait of Richard Ansdell, painter
William Henry Lake Price
1857
London
Albumen-silver print on card
Museum no. E.1383-2000
Transferred from the British Museum

William Henry Lake Price, himself a painter and printmaker as well as a photographer, has portrayed his fellow artist Richard Ansdell (1815-85) with the traditional tools of his profession and a still life composed of characteristic materials of the genre in Victorian times. 

His clothing is typical of 'Artistic' dress, fashionable with artists and intellectuals of the time. Artistic dress is characterised by loosely fitting clothes, made of plain, muted fabrics coloured with natural dyes, which they wore in deliberate contrast to the tight and starched rigidity of Victorian formal dress. 

This portrait was first seen at the Photographic Society of London exhibition held at the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in February and March 1858. This was the first photographic exhibition held in any museum in the world.

Printed cotton summer dress, designer unknown

Day dress
Designer unknown
About 1858-60
Great Britain
Printed cotton, trimmed with whitework embroidery
Museum no. T.702-1913
Given by Messrs. Harrods

This is an example of a fashionable summer day dress of the late 1850s. Typical of the period are the full ‘pagoda’ sleeves and the bodice gathered from the shoulders into the lower front waist. Tiered skirts were popular in the 1850s. The fabric was printed with a decorative border expressly for use as tiers of a dress. It was known by the French term 'à disposition'.

Cream satin slipper, designer unknown

Shoes
Designer unknown
About 1850
Great Britain
Satin slipper with ribbon, leather sole
Museum no. T.272&A-1963

The delicate flat satin slipper with ribbon ties first became popular during the last decade of the 18th century. It signified a move away from what were considered to be the extravagant excesses of the late eighteenth century towards a simpler, purer style of dress and footwear influenced by classical antiquity. 

By the middle of the 19th century slippers or 'sandal shoes' were still widespread although by the 1850s they were worn largely only for formal wear in black or white. This pair of shoes is a typical example of that style. The thin leather sole and delicate silk and satin uppers were relatively simple and cheap to produce. They could then be personalised with rosettes or other decorative embellishments if desired. These were simply tacked on to a piece of gauze which was then stitched on at the throat over the top of the existing standard bow which was already in place.

Fashion plate, day dresses

Gaoubaud (publisher) and Legastelois (printer)
Fashion plate
1864
Paris
Museum no. E.1275-1959

This type of illustration is known as a 'fashion plate', and featured in magazines to advertise and promote the latest styles. This plate shows day dresses. The dresses have fashionable wide skirts, reflecting the contemporary popularity of crinolines. Introduced in 1856, and generally made of hoops of spring steel suspended on strips of material, these allowed skirts to expand to proportions beyond those possible using only layers of petticoats. The dress on the right is mauve, a new colour at the time.

In 1860 the publisher of this magazine, the Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine, Samuel Beeton (husband of the celebrated cookery writer Mrs [Isabella] Beeton), began including hand-coloured fashion plates like this one. Beeton also included paper patterns, a new phenomenon that, combined with the fashion plates, ensured the magazine appealed particularly to the increasing numbers of those who owned a domestic sewing machine. The sewing machine itself had only become widely available from the late 1850s. This magazine’s wide distribution ensured an awareness of French fashions among a wider section of society.

Silk day dress trimmed with beads and fringe, designer unknown

Day dress (bodice and skirt)
Designer unknown
About 1866
Great Britain
Silk trimmed with bugle beads and silk fringe, lined with cotton and whalebone
Museum no. T.174&A-1965
Given by Miss M. Frobisher

This dress is a typical example of women’s fashionable day wear from the mid-1860s. The contours of the crinoline have altered from a bell shape to a profile that is fairly flat in front, with the bulk of volume at the back. 'The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine' of 1865 reported the change as follows: ‘Dresses incline more and more to the Princess Shape. All the widths are gored, the skirt is scant and short at the front and forms a long sweeping train at the back.’ The subtle stripes of grey, blue and black are left unadorned, except for a bugle bead and silk fringe which decorates the bodice, the edge of the collar and the over-sleeves.

Fashion plate, from the Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine

Fashion plate from the Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine
Engraved by Jules David (1808-92), printed by Lamoureux & J. De Beauvais, Paris; published by S.O. Beeton, London
1865
Paris and London
Lithograph, coloured by hand, ink and watercolour on paper
Museum no. E.267-1942

This fashion plate shows examples of ball dresses. France dominated the world of fashion during this period and French fashion plates were an important source of information on the latest styles and colours. The dresses have fashionable wide skirts, reflecting the contemporary popularity of crinolines. Introduced in 1856, and generally made of hoops of spring steel suspended on strips of material, these allowed skirts to expand to enormous proportions not possible with layers of petticoats. Towards the end of the 1860s skirts would start reducing again, and fabric would be draped up into a bustle.

In 1860 the publisher of this magazine, Samuel Beeton (husband of the celebrated cookery writer Mrs Beeton), first began including hand-coloured fashion plates by Jules David. Beeton also included paper patterns, a new phenomenon that, combined with the fashion plates, ensured the magazine a particular appeal among the increasing numbers of owners of the domestic sewing machine. The sewing machine itself had only become widely available since the late 1850s. This magazine's wide distribution ensured an awareness of French fashions among a wider section of society.

Photographic study of Isabella and Clementia Maude, Viscountess Hawarden

Photographic study of Isabella and Clementia Maude
Viscountess Clementia Hawarden
About 1861-2
London 
Museum no. PH.457:499-1968
Given by Lady Clementia Tottenham

This photographic study imitates the composition of Raphael's famous painting of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, which is now in Dresden. Nonetheless it is useful for dating purposes as it shows fashions typical of the 1860s. Both girls are wearing full skirts and both wear their hair pulled back and worn in a low bun or chignon. Importantly their dresses feature pagoda sleeves, which were particularly fashionable in the 1850s and 1860s. Pagoda sleeves are set low to create a fashionable sloping line from shoulder to arm, and the sleeve itself flares outwards into a wide cuff.

Silk dress with silk braid and beads, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
Great Britain
About 1862
Silk trimmed with silk braid and beads, lined with glazed cotton, edged with brush braid, hand-sewn
Given by Miss Edith Westbrook
Museum no. T.222-1969

By the 1860s, skirts had reached their fullest point. They were worn over wire ‘cage crinolines’, which gave maximum volume with minimum weight. This dress illustrates the style of the early 1860s. It has only a slightly pointed waist and a sleeve wide at the elbow, but narrow at the wrist. The puffed epaulettes at the top of the sleeves indicate historical influences, particularly the 16th century. They would have been seen in early English portraits.

Photographic study of her daughters, Viscountess Clementia Hawarden

Photographic study of Isabella Grace, Clementia and Elphinstone Agnes Maude on terrace
Viscountess Clementia Hawarden
London
About 1863-4
Albumen print from wet collodion negative
Museum no. PH.302-1947
Given by Lady Clementia Tottenham

This study of Lady Hawarden's three daughters shows them dressed in typical 1860s crinoline skirts. The eldest daughter, seated, reveals part of her underskirt, though underneath this would have been several layers more of crinoline petticoats or a steel cage crinoline to give the skirt its distinctively 1860s bell shape. The shoulders of her dress are sloping, and low-set. Her hair is typical of the decade - parted in the middle and scraped back into loops or buns at the nape of the neck. The little girl on the right is also wearing a bell shaped skirt, though much shorter, as was customary for children.

Lady Hawarden achieved a very short exposure with her large camera, managing to photograph her daughters and a puppy without any discernible movement. To do this she selected a wide aperture, which produced both a short exposure and a shallow depth of field. Thus, the other side of the London Square onto which the balcony looked are out of focus. this concentrates our attention on the little comedy enacted on the balcony. The eldest of the girls formally greets the puppy, while the youngest child looks gravely at the camera clutching an owl, the emblem of wisdom.

Wedding dress of silk satin and lace, designer unknown

Wedding dress
Designer unknown
1865
England
Silk-satin, trimmed with Honiton appliqué lace, machine net and bobbin lace, hand-sewn
Museum no. T.43&A-1947
Bequeathed by Miss H. G. Bright

The bride's dress was a focal point just as it is today. By 1800 it had become usual for her to wear white or cream. This was a popular colour as it implied purity, cleanliness and social refinement. The wide skirt of dress would have been supported underneath by a cage crinoline. In 1865 cage crinolines protruded out more from behind and were flatter in front in contrast to the bell-shaped crinolines of the 1850s.

Queen Victoria helped popularise the fashion for white when she got married in 1840. She set a royal precedent by choosing a simple ivory satin dress which was very much in the fashions of the day. Earlier royal brides had worn white but their dresses were often woven or heavily embroidered with gold or silver.

Weddings were one of the most festive social occasions. They gave families the chance to show off their wealth and even less well-off couples would make an effort to dress appropriately. Not everyone, however, wore white. Widows, older brides and the less well-off often preferred more practical coloured gowns. These could then be worn for Sunday best long after the marriage. They would not have looked out of place as wedding dresses in the 19th century were designed in line with the current fashions.

This dress, veil and a pair of boots also in the museum's collection (T.43B, C-1947) were worn by Eliza Penelope Bright, nee Clay (the mother of the donor) for her marriage to Joseph Bright at St James's, Piccadilly on 16th February 1865. Wedding dresses are one of the rare types of garment for which the name of the wearer and the date of her marriage are often recorded.

Silk and wool day dress trimmed with fringe, designer unknown

Day dress (bodice, skirt and overskirt)
Designer unknown
1868-9
Great Britain
Silk and wool faced with silk, trimmed with silk fringe; lined with glazed cotton and whalebone
Museum no. T.6&A-C-1937
Given by Miss E. Beard

The crinoline went out of fashion quite dramatically about 1868. The lengths of skirt that used to fall over the crinoline were gathered up at the back over a bustle. This ensemble characterises the new style of fashionable women’s dress. It has an over-skirt and the bodice now extends below the waist. The inside of the skirt has a series of tapes, which enable it to be tied up for walking outdoors.

Photograph of Kate Dore, Julia Cameron and Oscar Rejlander

Photograph Kate Dore with frame of plants
Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-79) and Oscar Gustav Rejlander (1813-87)
About 1864
England
Albumen print; the ferns added by the photogram technique
Museum no. PH.258-1982

This print is a photogram, a technique of making a picture without a camera or lens. Photograms are made by placing objects on top of a piece of photographic paper and then exposing the composition to light. In this example, ferns were placed in contact with the glass negative prior to printing-out in sunlight. It was customary for grown women to wear their hair up, but young girls generally wore their hair down. It was only in the 1920s that women started to cut their hair short and so up until that point most girls and women had very long hair, which was often given fashionable waves or ringlets and parted in the middle. The Victorians were fond of collecting and cultivating ferns, which were used as a decorative motif from the 1850s to the end of the century.

Photographic study, by Viscountess Clementia Hawarden

Photographic study
Lady Clementia Hawarden
1861-2
London
Albumen process
Museum no. PH.457:423-1968
Given by Lady Clementia Tottenham

The woman in this photograph sports a hairstyle that was very fashionable in the 1850s. Her hair is parted in the middle, swept down and looped loosely around the ears. However, she wears a distinctly 1860s crinoline skirt. Until about 1868 the fashion was for extremely full skirts, held up by cage crinoline petticoats made of cane, metal or whalebone hoops.

For men, most collars were still upstanding for formal or business wear, but here Donald Cameron wears his collars turned down, a style increasingly fashionable in the 1860s.

The woman in this photograph is either Lady Hawarden herself or her sister Anne. She is holding a photograph of bare trees. The Hawarden family album indicates that the man is Donald Cameron of Lochiel.

Photograph of Clementia Maude, by Viscountess Clementia Hawarden

Photograph of Clementia Maude
Viscountess Clementia Hawarden
About 1862-3
London
Museum no. PH.296-1947
Given by Lady Clementia Tottenham

This dress is typical of a very fashionable early 1860s shape. The skirt is held out by a large cage crinoline petticoat giving the skirt a full bell shape, with extra volume and length at the back. The waist is set quite high and the torso is a pronounced hourglass shape due to the corset commonly worn by women of every class. The waist, although emphasised, is not small because the massive proportions of the skirt make the rest of the body appear dainty.

The hair is very typical of the 1860s. It is parted in the middle and swept down flat into loops or buns towards the nape of the neck.

This photograph gives a good idea of Lady Hawarden's studio and the way she used it. It was situated on the second floor of her house at 5 Princes Gardens in the South Kensington area of London. Here her daughter Clementina poses beside a mirror. A movable screen has been placed behind it, across the opening into the next room. A side table at the left balances a desk at the right. The figure of the young girl is partially balanced and echoed by the camera reflected in the mirror and the embroidery resting on the table beside it.

Cotton muslin daydress with lace and embroidery, designer unknown

Day dress
Designer unknown
England
About 1869
Cotton muslin, trimmed with satin, bobbin lace and machine whitework
Museum no. T.12 to B-1943
Given by Miss Aida B. Cooper

This ensemble is an example of fashionable women’s daywear for summer in the late 1860s. The light muslin bodice and skirt are unlined, but they were probably worn over an opaque under-dress. There is an overskirt over the back of the dress, accentuating the bustle that by this time was worn underneath. The off-the-shoulder seam and sleeves with width at the elbow are typical of the 1860s.

'Carte de visite' (visiting card) photograph of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, John J.E. Mayall

Carte de visite (visiting card)
John Jabez Edwin Mayall (1810-1901), Guy Little Theatrical Photographs
1861
London
Bequeathed by Guy Little
Museum no. 3504-1953

A miniature photographic portrait such as this example, is called a 'carte de visite' (the French for 'visiting card'). This was a photographic format, originating from the visiting card, which was introduced in France in 1854. Cartes were mass produced, and those like Mayall's pictures of the royal couple were ordered by the hundreds of thousands. It was fashionable to collect 'cartes de visite' and compile them in albums.

In this image, the Queen's skirt is tiered for fullness, which was fashionable in the 1850s and very early 1860s. It is held out in a pronounced bell shape by layers of petticoats or a steel cage crinoline. Her bodice is buttoned high at the neck and trimmed with a lace collar, with low-set and sloping shoulders. Her hair is parted in the middle and scraped back into loops and buns at the nape of the neck. Prince Albert wears a high starched collar with a neck-tie tied in a knot around it. His hair and moustache was copied by many men at this time. 

Ribbed silk boot with lace trim, designer unknown

Pair of boots
1865-75
Great Britain or France
Ribbed silk trimmed with lace and ribbon; leather sole
Given by Dr. F. Spencer
Museum no. T.180&A-1984

The red boots, which are of ribbed silk, come up above the ankle and have a 'military' style heel covered in silk to match the uppers. They have lacing at the back and are trimmed at the top with bobbin lace and ribbons.

Frivolous boots of silk and silk satin, some with high heels, were imported into England from France in the 1860s and 1870s. These French styles were also imitated by English shoemakers. The French influence was due to the stylish Empress Eugenie who had married the French emperor, Napoleon III, in 1853. She was probably responsible for the introduction of the shorter skirt which led to a greater emphasis on stockings and shoes.

Additionally, by about 1860 chemical aniline dyes were widely available. Many of the colours they provided were rather gaudy, such as this bright red.

'Carte de visite' (visiting card) for Flora and Julia Bradford, by Camille-Leon-Louis Silvy

'Carte de visite' (Visiting cards), for Flora and Julia Bradford
Camille-Leon-Louis Silvy
1860
Paris
Museum no. E.1027-1992

Photography was a novel and exciting development in Victorian days, and many people had studio photographs taken for ‘cartes de visite’ which could be presented when visiting friends, as introductions or with messages if the person was out. They were albumen prints made from glass negatives, attached to stiff card backing printed with the photographer’s name. ‘Cartes de visite’, the size of formal visiting cards, were patented in 1854 and produced in their millions during the 1860s when it became fashionable to collect them. Their subjects included scenic views, tourist attractions and works of art, as well as portraits. They were superseded in the late 1870s by the larger and sturdier ‘cabinet cards’ whose popularity waned in turn during the 1890s in favour of postcards and studio portraits.

The woman shown here is wearing a fashionably voluminous skirt. From the end of the 1850s up until about 1868-8, skirts were at their fullest. They were held out with layers of crinoline petticoats or with crinoline cages made of steel, cane or whalebone hoops. Towards the end of the 1860s skirt got narrower, with material draped up to create a bustle.

Silk dress with braid, lace and silk fringe

Dress
Designer unknown
Great Britain
1868
Silk, trimmed braid, beads, hand-made Maltese-style bobbin lace and silk fringe
Museum no. T.37 to -1984

During the 1860s the fashionable skirt became flatter in front with the fullness receding towards the back. Women still wore hooped petticoats (crinolines) to give the desired silhouette, but they were no longer bell-shaped and by 1868 they curved out behind forming a kind of bustle. In order to fall gracefully over these new structures, skirts tended to be gored, that is constructed with triangular panels rather than straight widths of fabric. The striped green skirt in this example is composed of eight gores that significantly reduce the amount of bulky pleating and gathering at the waist characterising earlier styles. Contrary to much speculation, these gores did not radically diminish the size of the skirt as The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine pointed out in March 1868: 'Skirts are gored, it is true, but they are ample and flowing. Crinolines, far from being left off, have merely changed their shape; they are plain in front, but puffed out on either side so as to remind one strongly of the hoops or paniers of the last century'.

This dress follows the vogue for historical revival with its separate draped overskirt loosely based on 18th century polonaise gowns. Some looped-up styles were given nostalgic names such as à la Watteau and ‘Marie Antoinette dress' or were raised with cords and ribbon bows in the style of the originals. The resulting puffs and draperies were copiously trimmed with silk fringe, brocaded satin braid, beads, marabou feathers, garlands and applied silk flowers. Beneath all these layers and decorative trimmings it is a wonder that a woman could discreetly find her watch pocket which was often concealed in the waistband of her skirt.

Ribbed silk satin evening dress, Madame Vignon

Evening dress
Madame Vignon
Paris
1869-70
Ribbed silk trimmed with satin
Museum no. T.118-1979

Vivid magenta-coloured silk gives this dress a rich and flamboyant appearance. It was probably dyed with one of the new synthetic colours produced from the late 1850s onwards, although intense hues could also be created using natural dyes. The artificial forms of magenta were very popular and a battle for patents began as dyers sought to distinguish their inventions from those of their competitors. In reality many of the dye samples from different manufacturers looked exactly the same, and it was only the exotic names, claims on colourfastness and improved visual quality that set them apart. Other disputes arose over the health risk posed by the wearing and production of garments coloured with synthetic dyes. In the early 1870s a German chemist found traces of arsenic in fabric dyed with magenta, which could leak out in washing, rain or perspiration. There were also reports of serious skin conditions caused by exposure to aniline dyes, and a dye firm in Switzerland was forced to close in 1864 due to arsenic pollution.

Brightly coloured fabrics also led to words of advice from the fashion magazines. The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine of March 1868 recommended that there should be no more than 'two positive colours in a lady's toilet' and that 'very bright tints' should be toned down with white, black or grey to prevent a gaudy appearance. Two shades of the same colour were considered very fashionable, particularly if the trimmings were of a contrasting fabric. (In this example, the difference in colour between the thread and material may have become more evident over time.) Satin bows and pleated bias-cut trimmings complement the ribbed silk of this dress perfectly, while delicate puffs of tulle inserted into the sleeves soften the impact of the dramatic colour. These details reveal the skill of eminent couturiers such as Madame Vignon, the maker of this gown, who was also patronised by the fashionable Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III.

Silk dress with beads and embroidery, designer unknown

Dress (skirt and bodice)
Designer unknown
1863-5
France
Silk, hand-embroidered in black silk and cut-steel beads, trimmed with black taffeta, with a lace collar
Museum no. T.433&A-1976

Wide skirts were a focal feature of fashion during this period. By 1865 the fullness of the skirt had receded towards the back of the garment creating a flatter front. Women wore crinoline petticoats made of steel hoops under their dresses to give them this distinctive shape. Lightweight dress fabrics such as silk and muslin were popular as they draped gracefully  over the crinoline cage.

High buttoned necks with low-set sloping shoulders and puffed sleeves were also distinctive features of 1860s dress.

Corded silk day dress with beading, designer unknown

Day dress
Designer unknown
About 1862
Great Britain
Corded silk  with glass buttons and velvet
Museum no. T.22-1973
Given by Dr. N. Goodman

This dress is machine-embroidered, but hand sewn. The first machine for embroidery was invented in France. Examples were first brought to Britain in the 1820s. Machine embroidery developed for men’s waistcoats and women’s dresses throughout the 1840s and 1850s. Various inventions of machines for sewing seams occurred in the 1840s, but they did not become commercially available until the late 1850s. It was several decades before the sewing machine was widely used in homes and by professional dressmakers.

Silk dress with bustle, designer unknown

Dress (dress, peplum and belt)
Designer unknown
About 1872
Great Britain
Silk, trimmed with silk braid, lined with glazed cotton and buckram, faced with silk and ribbon
Museum no. T.101&A&B-1972
Given by Miss A. Maishman

This ensemble is typical of fashionable women’s daywear of the early 1870s. The silk has a figured pattern of black and white leaves on a speckled ground. The dress is trimmed with silk braid. There is an overskirt over the back of the dress, accentuating the bustle that was now being worn underneath. Open sleeves of the kind seen here were very fashionable in the early 1870s. The fashion magazine 'The Queen' shows a dress with the same squared-edge sleeve in an issue for August 1870.

Cotton walking dress with braid, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1872
Great Britain
Cotton, trimmed with silk braid, fastened with bone buttons
Given by Miss Julia Reckitt and Messrs G. F. and A. I. Reckitt
Museum no. T.128 to B-1923

This is a jaunty, sensible woman’s outfit of the early 1870s designed for boating or seaside walking. A hemline just at the ankle indicates a garment intended for walking outdoors. The style of the dress has been inspired by the colours and stripes of sailors' uniforms. It is made of cotton, so it is easily washed and dried. Despite its practical use, the ensemble still incorporates the details of fashionable dress, with an overskirt in front and a bustle worn underneath at the back.

Silk day dress, designer unknown

Day dress
Designer unknown
About 1870
Great Britain
Silk, trimmed with silk ribbon and silk satin, lined with glazed linen, machine and hand sewn
Given by Miss R. Wilson
Museum no. T.152 to B-1966

By 1870 the circumference of the skirt had reduced considerably from its proportions in the mid-1860s. Fullness remained at the back, where it was swathed over a bustle and tied with tapes on the inside to allow the skirt to drape in a becoming fashion. This ensemble illustrates the decorations, especially fringing and applied ruffles, that were popular at the time. The unfitted jacket and fairly loose-fitting skirt suggest that the ensemble might have been worn by an older woman.

Fine wool morning coat, designer unknown

Morning coat
Designer unknown
1870-5
Great Britain
Fine wool, with a velvet collar; edges bound with wool braid; buttons covered in sateen; partially lined with twilled silk, and sleeves lined with twilled cotton
Museum no. T.5-1982

The morning coat was originally a single-breasted tailcoat, worn in the early 19th century, and also known as the riding coat (or 'Newmarket'). By the 1850s it was shaped halfway between a riding coat and a frock coat. It was usually single-breasted and was known as the 'cutaway', as the fronts sloped away elegantly to the broad skirts behind.

This example is a variation of the morning coat. It was introduced in 1870 and was known as the 'University' or 'Angle-fronted' coat. The fronts were cut at an acute angle from the second button, exposing much of the waistcoat.

The morning coat was worn during the daytime, as the name suggests. It became so popular that it began to rival the frock coat for day and business wear. Manners for Men (1897), by Mrs Humphry, stated:' For morning wear the morning-coat or jacket of the tweed suit is correct. After lunch, when in town, the well-dressed man may continue to wear his morning coat or the regulation frock-coat, with trousers of some neat, striped grey mixture.'

Morning coats were usually made of dark colours, and the fabrics included worsteds, diagonals, hopsack, ribbed meltons and beavers. The collars were often faced with velvet and the edges were bound, corded or stitched.

This example has large wide sleeves, as was fashionable for the period. It also has wide lapels and is buttoned very low on the chest. After 1875 coats tended to be buttoned much higher. The Gentleman's Magazine of Fashion (1875) justified this fashion for health reasons: 'Medical men ascribe many deaths during the past winter to the fashion of low collars and to gentlemen not being sufficiently protected by their clothing at the throat and neck.'

Cotton velveteen coat, designer unknown

Coat
Designer unknown
1873-5
Ireland
Cotton velveteen, lined with silk, wool twill and cotton, edged with wool braid
Museum no. T.3-1982

As the frock coat became formal daywear in the 1850s, a more informal style of coat, called the morning coat was introduced. It had skirts that were cut away in front. This early 1870s morning coat was known as the ‘University’ style. It is characterised by sharply angled cut-away fronts, short length and double-breasted style. The wide collar and lapels are typical of the 1870s, as is the loose sleeve.

Silk satin evening dress with tiers of lace, designer unknown

Evening dress
Designer unknown
1876-8
Great Britain
Silk satin, trimmed with silk ribbon and machine-made lace, lined with cotton, reinforced with whalebone, machine and hand sewn
Given by Mrs Thérèse Horner
Museum no. T.130&A-1958

This ensemble characterises fashionable evening wear for women in the late 1870s. The elbow-length sleeves and square neckline show that it was probably a dinner dress rather than ball gown. Tiers of machine-made lace adorn the skirt and bodice; an overskirt of satin swathes the front of the dress. The bodice extends into a point below the waistline in front and back. This was a new style, known as a ‘cuirasse’ bodice, which appeared in fashion magazines about 1875 and remained fashionable through the 1880s.

Ruched silk dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1873
Great Britain or France
Silk and ruching
Given by the Marchioness of Bristol, Ickworth, Bury St Edmunds
Museum no. T.51&A-1922

The ruched skirt and draperies on this dress reverberate with intense colour, revealing the fashion for bright new synthetic dyes. Their inception owes much to the work of Sir William Henry Perkin (1838-1907), who discovered the first famous artificial colour by accident in 1856 when he was a student at the Royal College of Chemistry in London. While experimenting with a synthetic formula to replace the natural anti-malarial drug quinine, he produced a reddish powder instead of the colourless quinine. To better understand the reaction he tested the procedure using aniline and created a crude black product that ‘when purified, dried and digested with spirits of wine gave a mauve dye’. This dye created a beautiful lustrous colour that Perkin patented and which became known as ‘aniline violet’ or ‘mauveine’.

Perkin’s discovery led to a revolution in synthetic colour from the late 1850s onwards. Textile manufacturers soon turned to his aniline process and the resulting fabrics were characterised by an unprecedented brilliance and intensity that delighted the consumer. Women’s dresses acted as a perfect advertisement for these rich hues, especially as trimmings usually matched the colour of the gown. In August 1859 the satirical journal ‘Punch’ described the craze for purple as ‘Mauve Measles’, a disease which erupted in a ‘measly rash of ribbons’ and ended with the entire body covered in mauve. Soon other synthetic dyes were being produced with evocative names such as ‘acid magenta’, ‘aldehyde green’, ‘Verguin’s fuchine’, ‘Martius yellow’ and Magdela red’ to match their gaudy appearance. This dress is coloured with a chemical dye which closely resembles the aniline violet and purple fabric samples dyed with Perkin and Sons Colors shown in the ‘Practical Mechanics Journal: Record of the Great Exhibition’, 1862.

Jacquard silk dress with ruching and lace, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
1878-80
Great Britain
Jacquard woven silk, ruched silk trimmed with machine lace
Given by Miss K. Greaswell
Museum no. Circ.606-1962

During the late 1870s the fashionable female silhouette changed. It moved away from the exaggerated padding provided by the bustle (a device worn under the skirt to push it out) to sheath-like dresses that emphasised the natural shapely curves of the body.

Princess dresses, like this one, suited this style particularly well. The bodice and skirt were cut in one piece with no seam at the waist. This construction created a long narrow line and a smooth fit over the contours of the bust and hips, accentuated by the figure-hugging corsets worn beneath.

The fitted look was also achieved by cutting the bodice with five seams at the back and inserting front darts that curved in at the waist and then out again. The bodice was often fastened at the centre front or, as in this example, with a concealed hook and eye closure on one side.

Figured silk and chenille afternoon dress, Halling

Afternoon dress (bodice and skirt)
Halling, Pearce & Stone
1879-81
London
Satin, trimmed with figured silk, chenille tassels and machine-made lace, lined with silk and cotton, reinforced with whalebone
Museum no. T.238&A-1916
Given by Miss Bertha H. Davey

By 1880 women’s fashions were becoming very elaborate. This ensemble demonstrates the ‘over-upholstered’ look, with a variety of fabrics, rows of tassels and lace embellishment, all used on one outfit. Hitherto the train was found only on evening dress, but the high neckline and elbow-length sleeves indicate that this dress was for formal afternoon wear. The bodice is in the ‘cuirasse’ style, extending into a point below the waistline. The dress bears the label of the maker: Halling, Pearce and Stone. Following the example set by Charles Worth in Paris, dressmakers had begun to identify the clothes they made. This can be seen in professionally made clothing from the late 1870s onward.

Evening dress, Mrs. Golding

Evening dress
Mrs. Golding (unknown)
1879
London
Figured silk, trimmed with machine embroidery, net and machine-made lace
Museum no. T.63-1939
Given by Mrs W. A. Horn

This ensemble characterises fashionable evening wear for women in the late 1870s. The elbow-length sleeves and square neckline show that it was probably not a ball gown, but worn for dinner or the opera. By the late 1870s the profile of the skirt had narrowed considerably. The back draped over a bustle, and on evening dresses extended into a train. Cloaks and mantles were still worn for warmth outdoors, but their shape had slimmed down considerably after the 1860s, so as to follow the contour of the dress underneath. Those worn with evening dress were often trimmed with feathers, braid and beaded embroidery.

Corded silk afternoon dress, designer unknown

Afternoon dress
Designer unknown
1872-5
Great Britain
Corded silk, trimmed with corded silk, lined with cotton, faced with silk, edged with brush braid, machine and hand sewn
Museum no. T.112 to B-1938
Given by Miss M. Eyre-Poppleton

The influence of masculine tailoring can be seen in the cuffs and bodice revers of this woman’s afternoon dress. The overall effect is quite severe, with all the decoration based on the application of a darker blue silk. Fashion is moving away from the fussier trimmings of the early 1870s. This garment is well made, with cleanly cut and finished appliqué and seams, indicating the work of a professional dressmaker.

Double-breasted frock coat, designer unknown

Frock coat
Designer unknown
1871
Ireland
Museum no. T.47-1947
Given by Mr A. W. Furlong

This is an excellent example of a double-breasted frock coat. Formal gentleman's daywear of the later 19th century was usually of black or blue-black wool. The jacket, trousers and waistcoat that comprised the suit could be of one colour and were then known as 'dittos'. Alternatively, a contrasting waistcoat and trousers were often worn to add colour and variety to the outfit. This style continued until the 20th century and became identified as the city business man's suit of black coat, striped trousers and bowler hat (replacing the top hat).

This suit is said to have been worn by the donor's father, Robert O'Brien Furlong, C.B., at his wedding in Dublin on 29 June 1871.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
1870-3
Great Britain
Aniline dyed silk, lined with cotton, trimmed with satin and bobbin lace, reinforced with whalebone
Given by Mr Leonard Shields
Museum no. T.182&A-1914

According to the donor, this dress was worn by his mother on her wedding day. It could have been her 'going away' ensemble, or it could have been the dress she wore for the actual ceremony. Because weddings in those days took place in the mornings, daywear with long sleeves and high necks was the acceptable style. For her wedding a woman often wore a coloured dress that would serve as a ‘best dress’ for years to come.

Figured silk and chiffon dress, Sara Mayer & F. Morhanger

Dress
Sara Mayer & F. Morhanger (designed and made by)
1889-92
Paris
Figured silk, overlaid with chiffon, velvet ribbon, machine lace, with striped velvet
Museum no. T.270&A-1972
Given by Lord and Lady Fairhaven

This dress features a high, upstanding collar, which is a distinctive and fashionable feature of 1880s daywear. The sleeves sit close to the line of the body, as opposed to the 1890s when they were exaggerated into a 'leg of mutton' shape. The body itself is curvy, with an emphasised hourglass waist created by a rigid whalebone corset.

It is elaborately trimmed. Many high-end dressmakers of the late 19th century emulated the work of the House of Worth, which produced the most luxurious gowns created from bold French silks, combined with ingenious design touches in embroidery, lace and chiffon.

It was worn by one of the two Rogers sisters, Cara or Anna, daughters of a wealthy American industrialist. Cara Rogers later became Lady Fairhaven - she was a 'Dollar Princess', one of several heiresses who came to Britain in the late 19th century, and married into the British aristocracy bringing much-needed glamour and financial capital. Lady Fairhaven kept several spectacular outfits bought in Paris and New York for her sister and herself in the 1880s and 1890s.

Figured silk and chenille afternoon dress, Halling

Afternoon dress (bodice and skirt)
Halling, Pearce & Stone
1879-81
London
Satin, trimmed with figured silk, chenille tassels and machine-made lace, lined with silk and cotton, reinforced with whalebone
Museum no. T.238&A-1916
Given by Miss Bertha H. Davey

By 1880 women’s fashions were becoming very elaborate. This ensemble demonstrates the ‘over-upholstered’ look, with a variety of fabrics, rows of tassels and lace embellishment, all used on one outfit. Hitherto the train was found only on evening dress, but the high neckline and elbow-length sleeves indicate that this dress was for formal afternoon wear. The bodice is in the ‘cuirasse’ style, extending into a point below the waistline. The dress bears the label of the maker: Halling, Pearce and Stone. Following the example set by Charles Worth in Paris, dressmakers had begun to identify the clothes they made. This can be seen in professionally made clothing from the late 1870s onward.

Evening dress, C.F. Worth

Evening dress (skirt and bodice)
Charles Frederick Worth (1826-95)
About 1881
Paris
Silk satin, trimmed with pearl embroidery and machine-made lace, lined with white silk, the bodice supported with whalebone struts, machine and hand sewn
Given by Mrs G.T. Morton
Museum no. T.63&A-1976

This silk satin evening dress, designed by Charles Frederick Worth, represents the height of couture fashion in the early 1880s. It was worn by Mrs Granville Alexander, a daughter of the U.S. sewing machine pioneer, Isaac Singer. The donor was her great-niece.

The bodice is seamed and gored for a moulded fit. It extends into drapes at the hips and merges with the train, which falls in inverted pleats from the seams of the bodice. The inside of the skirt is hooped at the back, with tapes for adjustment, to create the bustle effect. The elegant cut, combined with the rich materials and embroidery, makes for a flattering silhouette.

Worth was a celebrated Parisian couture dressmaker. He was born in 1825 in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and started working at the age of 12 in a draper's shop in London. Eight years later he moved to Paris, where he opened his own premises in 1858. He was soon patronised by the Empress Eugenie and her influence was instrumental to his success. Made-to-measure clothes from Worth, as from the other great Parisian fashion houses, were an important symbol of social and financial advancement.

Evening dress, E. Wiggins

Evening dress
E. Wiggins (retailer)
About 1887
New York
Silk satin and velvet, with beaded decoration and cotton lining
Museum no. T.278 to B-1972
Given by Lord and Lady Fairhaven

This evening dress shows how fashion was changing in the late 1880s. The bustle is no longer predominant and emphasis is focused on contrasting fabrics and decorative effects. The closely fitting bodice of dark green velvet is embellished with an iridescent beaded panel. The separate skirt is made from shot cream silk, trimmed with iridescent bead motifs over which machine-made lace is asymmetrically draped. One side of the train is faced with a triangular panel of gold and white figured silk. According to the Lady's World of 1887: 'Skirts now never have two sides alike'.

The grosgrain waistband is stamped in gold 'E. Wiggins, 52 West 21st Street, N.Y.' The paper label stitched to the waistband carries the name of the wearer, 'A. P. Rogers'.

The dress is very similar to a fragmentary one from the same source, now in the collection at Norwich Castle Museum and marked 'Laferrière', a well known Parisian couturier.

Portrait of Ellen Terry, Frederick Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Ellen Terry
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
1886
London
Platinum print
Given by Eleanor M. Hollyer, 1938

This photograph shows the actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928), one of the most celebrated and loved actress of her day. She was a famous devotee and advocate of aesthetic dress.

Aesthetic dress was popular in the 1880s and 1890s, particularly amongst artistic and literary circles. Those who supported it repudiated tight corsetry and cumbersome petticoats in favour of looser, less restrictive clothes. In this photograph, Ellen Terry is not wearing a bustle even though exaggerated bustle pads were worn for most of the 1880s. 

Portrait of Ellen Terry with her children, Frederick Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Ellen Terry with her children Edith and Edward
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
1886
London
Platinum print
Museum no. 7862-1938
Given by Eleanor M. Hollyer, 1938

Hollyer was the photographer of choice for the artistic set of the late 19th century. His Portraits of Many Persons of Note fills three volumes with nearly 200 portraits and comprises a pictorial Who's Who of late Victorian and Edwardian celebrities. Ellen Terry (1847-1928) was one of the most celebrated actress of her day, her children Edith and Edward followed in her theatrical footsteps.

Portrait of Mrs Walter Crane, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Mary Frances, Mrs Walter Crane
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
1886
Great Britain
Platinotype
Museum no. 7811-1938

Mary Frances Andrews had married Walter Crane, the painter, illustrator, designer, writer and teacher, in 1871. She is shown here in a high-waisted, uncorseted dress that was derived from classical costume. It was of a kind promoted in artistic social circles as 'Rational Dress'. The photographer, Frederick Hollyer, was a leading specialist in the photographic reproduction of paintings, but he devoted one day a week to sitters from artistic and literary circles. His atmospheric photographs contribute considerably to our understanding of the period.

Dress, C.F. Worth

Dress (skirt and bodice)
Charles Frederick Worth (1826-95), probably
About 1889
Paris
Wool, with figured satin panels, edged with silk braid
Museum no. T.268&A-1972
Given by Lord and Lady Fairhaven

With its minimal bustle and strong emphasis on the sleeves, this day dress illustrates the smoother silhouette that began to appear in the late 1880s. It is said to have been worn by Cara Leland Huttleston Rogers of New York, later Lady Fairhaven.

The bodice is waist length, panelled with satin and edged with black moiré ribbon. It is trimmed at the back with a made-up bow with long pendant ends. The dress fastens at the shoulder over a boned, green silk bodice lining. The sleeves are long with a high pleated shoulder. Collar and cuffs are faced with gold beaded tulle. The skirt has a slightly draped front, with the back flared and arranged in deep pleats. It is mounted over a green silk petticoat, and boned and taped to a bustle shape at the back. The skirt may have been altered and have lost a side panel.

A machine-woven label 'Worth Paris' has been stitched to the waist tape. Charles Frederick Worth (1825-95) was a celebrated Parisian couture dressmaker. He was born in 1825 in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and started working at the age of 12 in a draper's shop in London. Eight years later he moved to Paris, where he opened his own premises in 1858. He was soon patronised by the Empress Eugenie and her influence was instrumental to his success. Made-to-measure clothes from Worth, as from the other great Parisian fashion houses, were an important symbol of social and financial advancement.

Summer dress, designer unknown

Summer dress
Designer unknown
About 1885
Bristol
White cotton, trimmed with Bedfordshire Maltese lace, machine-stitched and hand-finished
Museum no. T.224&A-1927
Given by Mrs. Phayre

This light summer dress would have been ideal for a hot climate. It is said to have been made in 1885 in Clifton, a district of Bristol in the West of England, and worn in Burma. It has the fashionable bustle shape and copious trimmings but is comparatively hard-wearing, light and easy to wear. It would also have been easy to wash, unlike the silk satin dresses that were fashionable during this period. Dresses with asymmetrical drapes and inserted waistcoat effects were in fashion from 1884. The West End Gazette for February 1885 illustrated a similar example (page 178).

Satin and chenille dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1880
Great Britain
Satin, trimmed with applied beading, chenille tassels and needle lace, lined with cotton, reinforced with whalebone, edged with brush braid, machine and hand sewn
Museum no. T.113-1964
Given by Mrs. A. Nicholls

According to the donor, this dress was worn by her mother on her wedding day. It could have been her 'going away' ensemble, or it could have been the dress she wore for the actual ceremony. Because weddings in those days took place in the morning, daywear with long sleeves and high necks was the acceptable style. For her wedding, a woman invariably wore a coloured dress that would serve as a ‘best dress’ for years to come. By 1880 the skirt was quite slender in profile, often with an overskirt swathed in front, gathered over the bustle at the back and falling into a train. The horizontal bands of applied frills and ruching on the skirt are typical decoration for this period. The bodice is tight-fitting and designed to suggest a jacket.

Evening dress suit, Morris & Co

Evening dress suit (jacket, waistcoat, trousers)
Morris & Co
About 1885
London
Wool barathea with satin buttons and ribbed silk lapels; lined with black satin
Museum no. T.171 & A & B-1960
Given by Mr B. W. Owram

This is an example of a formal evening dress which would have been worn to smart dinners, the theatre and other fashionable evening entertainments. It was important at this period to be properly dressed in public and private. A fashionable man needed clothes to suit all occasions, both work and leisure. This meant that he sometimes had to change his outfits six or seven times in the space of a day.

In 1888 the dinner jacket was introduced for more informal evening wear. Unlike the evening dress suit, which was cut with tails, the back of the dinner jacket was cut whole. Since then evening dress has altered very little. Any stylistic changes were very subtle, affecting details such as the length and width of the lapels or the fullness of the trousers. The jacket of this evening suit still has the 'button stand' around the outer edge of the lapels. This is a feature that disappeared in the 1890s.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1888
Great Britain
Satin, with machine-embroidered panels and silk collar, cuffs and front with a velvet warp-figured stripe
Museum no. T.164&A-1937
Given by Miss Sophie B. Steel

This trained overdress is styled to suggest a man's coat of the Directoire period in France. (In the aftermath of the French Revolution, the years 1795 to 1799 were a time when the country was run by an executive power - the five 'Directors' - that was in turn overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte.) The Queen magazine of August 1888 illustrated a very similar 'Directoire' reception dress, and in November of that year commented: 'the petticoat falls in gathers from the waist . . . corresponding with the large revers (and) . . . the large cuffs . . . The sides of the coat hang down plain and straight . . . all the fullness being gathered into a cluster in the centre of the back below the waist.'

This dress is made of satin. The bodice fronts are faced with machine-embroidered panels and trimmed with Japonaiserie (Japanese-inspired exoticism) buttons of cast-metal. The dress fastens with a half-belt and buckle. The collar, cuffs and front of the separate skirt are made of silk with a velvet warp-figured stripe. The skirt is mounted on glazed cotton and over a boned foundation.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1885
Great Britain
Jacquard-woven silk, mother-of-pearl, cotton and whalebone
Museum no. Circ.204&A-1958
Given by Rev. W.H. Padget

This elegant bustle dress displays a dense pattern of violets springing from a bed of vine leaves. The design would have been woven by a powered jacquard loom and is an example of good commercially produced fabric.

The floral design complements the construction of this dress, accentuating the closely fitted lines of the bodice and drapery on the front of the skirt. It also flows in sweeping folds over the bustle, which by the mid-1880s jutted out almost at right angles from behind. Bustles were often a separate structure attached around the waist and included crinolettes made of steel half-hoops, down-filled pads and wire mesh structures. By 1885 the bustle was often incorporated into the back of the foundation skirt itself in the form of a small pad attached to the waistband and horizontal rows of steel which could be pulled into a curved shape. This dress has a foundation skirt of grey denim that is cut straight in front and gathered and pleated at the back to follow the lines of the separate bustle worn underneath.

Riding habit jacket, Messrs Redfern & Co.

Riding habit jacket
Messrs. Redfern and Co. (designed and made by)
1885-6
England
Flannel trimmed with mohair, lined with sateen
Museum no. T.430-1990
Given by the Honourable Mrs. S.F. Tyler

For much of the nineteenth century fashionable women wore dark woollen tailored jackets inspired by men's coats. By the 1880s their dress was so similar that some observers noted that from a distance it was difficult to distinguish very young ladies from young gentlemen. This was no doubt helped by the fashion for wearing bowlers, top hats, cravats, waistcoats and trousers under skirts.

Many women's jackets were embellished with details borrowed from military uniform. Braiding was a popular form of decoration inspired by ornamentation on regimental dress as well as the flamboyant hussar designs. This elegant example is based on the regimental patrol jacket characterized by parallel rows of applied braid across the breast, looped at intervals into designs known as 'crow's feet' because of their distinctive shape. Here the rows are shortened, and fanciful whirls at the proper right edge and on the collar do not relate to military models. This imaginative combination of vertical and horizontal trimming emphasizes the length of the bodice rather than its width and ensures that the waist appears relatively small.

The tailoring firm Redfern and Co., made this riding jacket for May Primrose Littledale. They were famous for their sporting costumes, smart tailor-made dresses and coats suited to everyday fashionable wear. During the mid-1880s Redfern incorporated braiding into many of their designs for walking outfits and outdoor jackets. The Queen magazine of 10 May 1884 commented on some particularly striking examples including, 'The "Hungarian" ... lavishly adorned with finest mohair braid, and finished with knotted cords; and the "Polish", of royal blue "faced" cloth ... handsomely braided across the front.' Unfortunately May did not have long to enjoy wearing this jacket as she died soon after it was made.

Portrait of Agathonike Ionides, G.F. Watts

Painting, portrait of Agathonike Ionides
George Frederick Watts OM, RA (1817-1904)
1880
Great Britain
Museum no. CAI.1142
Bequeathed by Constantine Alexander Ionides

The sitter is Agathonike Fenerli (1845-1920). The wife of Constantine Ionides, a wealthy art patron and collector. She is shown in aesthetic dress.

Aesthetic dress was popular in the 1880s and 1890s, particularly within artistic and literary circles. Those who supported it repudiated tight corsetry and cumbersome petticoats in favour of less restrictive clothing. They did, however, favour luxurious trimmings such as lace, as shown here. 

Velvet court shoe, designer unknown

Court shoe
Designer unknown
1885-90, England
Silk velvet with silk ribbon, lined with satin and leather, with diamante buckle
Museum no. T.206&C-1927
Given by the Ingram family

For much of the first half of the 19th century flat shoes were popular amongst  fashionable women. However, after a long absence heels began to make a comeback around the mid-century. Low-cut slip-on shoes or 'court' shoes were the most popular form of women's footwear during the 1880's and 1890's.

The curved construction of the heels on this brown velvet pair was influenced by the heel shapes from the previous century. It was known as the 'Louis' after the famous French kings of  the 1700s. The diamanté buckle is also a reference to the extravagant styles of the 18th century although here it is smaller and less showy than its predecessors.

Portrait of General Smuts, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of General Smuts
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
Great Britain
Platinum print
Museum no. 7859-1938
Given by Eleanor M. Hollyer, 1938

Hollyer was the photographer of choice for the artistic set of the late 19th century. His 'Portraits of Many Persons of Note' fills three volumes with nearly 200 portraits and comprises a pictorial Who's Who of late Victorian and Edwardian celebrities.

Family photograph, artist unknown

Family photograph
Artist unknown
1898
England
Platinum print
Museum no. E.2283:191-1997
The Ashton Collection

This photograph is taken from a family photograph album. Most of the photographs in it are printed on platinum paper, which was introduced in 1879. Such a photograph was expensive to produce and enjoyed for its delicate tonal gradations and matt surface.

This family photograph album contains single and group portraits and depictions of sports and pastimes that would have amused family, friends and visitors. It is a personal keepsake and document of a wealthy family of the 1890s. Many Victorian and Edwardian family photograph albums such as these were acquired by the V&A in the 1950s and 60s to show examples of the dress of that period.

Throughout most of the 19th century women had few legal rights to property, money, children, or even, after marriage, their own bodies. However, there were great changes in attitudes during the last decade of the century. The traditional role of women was questioned and some women openly defied convention. They educated themselves by reading widely and took up what were seen as 'un-ladylike' activities such as smoking and cycling. The free movement of the bicycle was seen as a symbol of equality and personal freedom.

The dress worn by the ladies in this photograph is typical of the 1890s. They wear high collars with puffed, leg of mutton sleeves. The dresses are full length but quite slim.

Portrait of Constance Lytton, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Constance Lytton
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
1899
Great Britain
Platinum print
Museum no. 7821-1938

The dress worn in this photograph is distinctly 1890s in style. The sitter wears a high lace collar with leg of mutton sleeves, but this dress also has many of the features associated with the dress reform trend of the late 19th century. The trend ran parallel with the Arts and Crafts Movement and advocated a radically new approach to dress in an effort to free women from corsetry.

Portrait of Princess Louise, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne and Duchess of Argyll
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
Great Britain
Platinum print
Museum no. 7833-1938

This portrait of Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne and Duchess of Argyll, illustrates formal evening dress from around 1890. Her waist is severely corseted and she wears a bustle to give a pronounced, hourglass shape. The volume of the skirt is pulled towards the back and drapes over the bustle. Her hair is piled on top of her head in tight curls, fashionable during the 1890s.

Portrait of James Drew, F. Hollyer

Portrait of James Drew
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
England
Platinum print
Museum no. 7867-1938
Given by Eleanor M. Hollyer ,1938

The fashionable 1890s gentleman in this portrait sports short centre-parted slicked-back hair, with a generous moustache twisted at the ends. He wears a high collar turned over to form wings, and his waistcoat buttons high at the chest.

Portrait of E.T. Reed, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Edward Tennyson Reed
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
1899
Great Britain
Platinum Print
Museum no. 7782-1938

The sitter in this portrait sports a generous and groomed moustache, fashionable throughout the 1890s. It was common to have a pointed beard too. Collars were turned over into wings, and became taller throughout the decade. The jacket buttons fashionably high up.

Portrait of Viscount Wolseley, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Viscount Wolseley
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
England
Platinum print
Museum no. 1858-1938
Given by Helena Hollyer, 1938

19th century military dress is often regarded as amongst the most ceremonial and decorative, though it does not follow fashion and does not change quickly from season to season, making it difficult to date as precisely. However, hairstyles can be of some use in dating. The sitter in this photograph sports a full moustache very fashionable in the 1890s.

This photograph is a formal military portrait of British army officer Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley KP GCB OM GCMG VD PC (1833–1913). 

Boating suit, designer unknown

Boating suit (jacket, waistcoat, trousers)
Designer unknown
1890s
Great Britain
Cream wool with blue pinstripe, hand- and machine-sewn
Museum no. T.113 to B-1934
Given by Dr C. W. Cunnington

Light-coloured suits such as this became popular from the 1890s. Matching coats, trousers and waistcoats, known as 'dittos', in pin-striped flannel were accepted dress for summer sports and holidays. The outfit was often completed with a straw boater.

Striped jackets were originally worn for cricket, tennis and rowing and became fashionable for seaside wear during the 1880s. The infiltration of sporting dress into informal styles of clothing shows how social conventions were relaxing in the late 19th century.

Conventions in dress applied to informal as well as more formal wear. It was important to be dressed appropriately for the occasion. One gentlemen's etiquette book, Manners for Men, by Mrs Humphry ('Madge of Truth'), published in 1897, writes that:

'There are special suits for all kinds of outdoor amusements, such as shooting, golfing, tennis, boating, driving, riding, bicycling, fishing, hunting, &c., but into the details of these it is unnecessary to enter. It may be remarked, however, that it is easy to stultify the whole effect of these, however perfectly they may be built 'by the tailor' by the addition of a single incongruous article of attire; such as a silk hat or patent boots with a shooting-suit.'

Portrait of A. Horsley Hinton, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of A. Horsley Hinton
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
Late 1890s, England
Platinum print
Museum no. 7912-1938

Hollyer was the photographer of choice for the artistic set of the late 19th century. His 'Portraits of Many Persons of Note' fills three volumes with nearly 200 portraits and comprises a pictorial Who's Who of late Victorian and Edwardian celebrities. Hinton was a photographer and member of the Linked Ring, a brotherhood of photographers committed to excellence in all styles of photography which flourished between 1892 and 1909.

The sitter sports a high collar folded over into wings and a high buttoned waistcoat. His moustache is long and twisted at the ends. The top hat was worn by the upper classes for formal  occasions.

Dress, Liberty & Co. Ltd.

Dress
Liberty & Co. Ltd
London
1895
Pongee silk with smocking and machine-made lace
Museum no. T.17-1985

This dress has many of the features associated with the dress reform trend of the late 19th century. The trend ran parallel with the Arts and Crafts Movement and advocated a radically new approach to dress in an effort to free women from corsetry.

The clothes were homemade or produced in commercial studios. They used natural and artistic materials and often included hand-embroidered decoration inspired by the countryside and wild or garden flowers. Smocking too, seen here at the waist, on the sleeves and at the neckline, evoked an imaginary rural simplicity. It sometimes featured on dresses designed and sold by the London firm of Liberty & Co, who sold gowns in the Arts and Crafts style.

Boater hat, designer unknown

Boater hat
Designer unknown
1890s
Great Britain
Plaited straw, with a silk grosgrain hatband
Museum no. T.81-1980
Bequeathed by Eric Mynott

Boaters were stiff straw hats with a moderately deep flat-topped crown and straight narrow brim and with a hatband of Petersham ribbon (thick double ribbon which was generally watered, plain, figured or striped). This particular model is marked on the inside with the patent number 172905. The patent is for the elastic size regulator which is fitted inside and would alter the inside of the hat to the shape of the head.

The straw hat was at first only accepted for holidays and summer sports. By the 1890s it had become popular for city wear. In 1894 the New York Herald of Fashion observed: 'It was only last summer that Londoners began to wear straw hats with any freedom. Before then it would have been a social crime for any man pretending to fashionable dress, to appear in London streets in any hat other than the high silk hat.' They became so popular that the Tailor and Cutter of 1895 reported, 'The straw hat boom has boomed still more boomily, and the farmer is crying out that the wheat crop is short in the straw.' Manners for Men (1897), by Mrs Humphry, stated: 'For a morning walk in the Park in summer the straw hat, or low hat and tweed suit, are as correct as the black coat and silk hat. But is must be remembered that a straw hat or low hat cannot be worn with a black coat of any kind.' Boaters are still sometimes worn today as part of a school uniform of for formal occasions connected with the river.

The boater was worn by all social ranks and had no 'class distinction'. However, as another extract from Manners for Men shows, if a man was to be a success in society he had to wear it for the correct occasion:  'If he commits flagrant errors in costume he will not be invited out very much, of that he may be certain. If he goes to a garden party in a frock-coat and a straw hat, he is condemned more universally than if he had committed some crime. The evidence of the latter would not be upon him for all men to read, as the evidence of his ignorance in social forms is, in his mistaken notions of dress.'

Portrait of Sir George Lewis, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Sir George Lewis, Bart.
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
Great Britain
Platinum print
Museum no. 7856-1938
Bequeathed by Eleanor Hollyer, 1938

The sitter in this portrait sports a four-in-hand Ascot tie, very fashionable during the 1880s and 1890s. The Ascot tie is made of a narrow neck band with a wide cravat style front, neatly folded and pinned with a tie-pin. It was generally worn for morning dress, and is now commonly worn for weddings. The collar is typically high, with folded wings. The waistcoat is buttoned high on the chest. 

Pair of boots, A. Capek

Pair of boots
Anton Capek (designed and made), C.W. Coulson (retailer)
1895-1915 (manufactured)
Vienna (made), London (sold)
Glacé kid leather lined in cotton sateen and yellow silk satin, buttons
Museum no. T.322&A-1970
Bequeathed by Lionel Ernest Bussey

This boot is one of a pair made in Vienna for display in a London shop. It shows European shoe-making at its finest. The slender ankle, curved Louis heel, and high, buttoned leg were very fashionable in 1900. The soft brown leather with its shiny glacé finish highlights the skilful stitching and high quality of construction.

Viennese and Belgian bootmakers produced some of the most striking footwear of the early 20th century. Their stylish boots made good display pieces for retailers. This example is elegantly restrained, but others were richly decorated and made in bright colours. These boots advertised that top-quality fashionable footwear could be had from the shops that displayed them.

When their style went out of fashion and they were no longer useful to shops, display shoes and boots were stored or sold. This pair was purchased in 1923 for 8 shillings and sixpence.

Dress, designer unknown

Dress
Designer unknown
About 1897
France
Wool, trimmed with ribbon, braid and machine-made lace, the bodice lined with cotton
Museum no. T.139-1961
Given by Mrs A. Perrot

This dress was worn by the mother of the donor and is said to have been bought in Paris. It was probably ready-made. Boleros and figure-moulding, flared skirts were very fashionable at the time. The Queen showed examples with epaulettes, blouse fronts and pointed belts (2 April 1895). Another magazine illustrated a similar example: 'The newest bell skirts are absolutely without fullness at the top….It fits closely over the hips and begins to form a series of fluted pleats a little above the knee' ('Our Lessons in Dressmaking', Myra's Journal, 80, 1 April 1894).

The soft colours of this dress anticipate the pastel shades of the early 20th century.

Portrait of Violet Lindsay, F. Hollyer

Portrait of Violet Lindsay, Duchess of Rutland
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
England
Platinum print
Museum no. 7830-1938

This is a portrait of Violet Lindsay Manners, Duchess of Rutland (1856-1937). She was a well known artist, and a champion of 'Aesthetic' dress - a dress movement that eschewed restrictive corsetry and artificial bustles for loose, draping clothes with simple silhouettes in natural fabrics and colours. 

Portrait of Louise Jopling Rowe, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Louise Jopling Rowe (1843-1933)
Frederick Hollyer (1838-1933)
About 1890
England
Museum no. 7788-1938

This portrait is of the Louise Jopling Rowe (1843-1933), one of the best known female painters of the Victorian era. She is shown here at 47 years old, when she was already interested in 'rational' dress - a dress movement that eschewed heavy bustles, massive crinoline skirts and tight corsetry. At the turn of the century she served as vice-president of the Healthy and Artistic Dress Union, which championed this less restrictive mode of dress. The dress she is wearing here has several features of artistic dress. The silhouette is very simple and unfussy, and the dress is loosely corseted or not at all - a distinctely unusual feature during the 1890s.

Day dress, designer unknown

Day dress (skirt and bodice)
Designer unknown
1892-4
France or Italy
Printed silk, with insertion and trimmings of cream silk gauze, hem bound with pink velvet, lined with silk, whalebone supports in the bodice, and metal hook and eye fastenings
Museum no. T.368&A-1960
Given by the Comtesse de Tremereuc

This dress would have been worn for fashionable day wear. It has a fitted bodice, with a pointed waist, and a frilled collar and cuffs trimmed with gauze and a machine-embroidered border. The leg-of-mutton sleeves are long, full, gathered at the shoulders and gauged at the insides of the elbows.

The marked, horizontal emphasis at the shoulder line meant that it was often difficult to wear fitted coats and jackets out of doors. The short, circular cape therefore came into its own for both day and evening wear.

The growth of the sleeve was balanced by an increase in the size of the skirt. In about 1892, flared skirts were introduced. They grew to their widest extent in about 1895, along with the sleeve, and had names such as 'the bell', 'the fan' and 'the umbrella skirt'.

The low collar is an unusual feature, more common towards the end of the 1890s than at the beginning. Since the dress has been let out, suggesting a longer period of use, it may be a later alteration.

Engraving of outdoor dress by Maison Worth, The Lady's Newspaper

Engraving of outdoor dress designed by Maison Worth, Paris
A. Sandoz & Derbier (engraved); The Lady's Newspaper (published)
17 August 1895
Paris (published)
Museum no. PP.7.C-E

This engraving, illustrating stylish outdoor dresses, designed at Maison Worth, Paris was published by The Queen, The Lady's Newspaper, on 17 August 1895. Both women wear the fashionable ideal of mid 1890s dress. They are both dressed in tightly corseted, fitted bodices with high collars and exaggerated leg of mutton sleeves. The silhouette emphasises a voluminous and horizontal collar line. 

Their skirts are long but moulded at the hips in an A-line shape, contrasting with the massive skirts and bustles of previous decades. Their hair is piled high on top of their heads and their elaborately trimmed hats sit high and straight.

Portrait of Lady Duckworth, F. Hollyer

Portrait of Lady Duckworth
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
England
Platinum print
Museum no. 7835-1938

This portrait of Lady Duckworth shows her in Victorian mourning dress. A widow was expected to conform to strict rules governing her clothes for at least two years after the death of her husband, which included the wearing of a widow's lace cap and a black cape as seen here. A younger woman might discard her mourning garb after two years, but elderly widows generally wore it for much longer, if not the rest of their lives.

Portrait of Elizabeth Robins Pennell, F. Hollyer

Photograph, portrait of Elizabeth Robins Pennell
Frederick Hollyer (1837-1933)
About 1890
England
Platinum print
Museum no. 7640-1938

Mrs Elizabeth Robins Pennell was a correspondent for the fashionable 'Pall Mall Gazette'. She also wrote several books.

She is shown here in fashionable mid 1890s dress, sporting a rather masculine tailored jacket with exaggerated leg of mutton sleeves. Her hair is piled up on top of her head, and her hat sits high and straight on her crown, trimmed with feathers and berries. From what we can see of her skirt it appears that she is wearing the popular and simple A-line skirt of the time.

Suit, designer unknown

Suit
Designer unknown
1890-3
Germany
Tweed, lined with silk twill
Museum no. T.778-1972
Given by the National Westminster Bank

As women engaged in a wider range of activities in the 19th century, more practical clothing styles were adopted. Tailor-made outfits such as this one helped meet the needs of a diverse lifestyle. Plain woollen costumes were considered ideal for a variety of leisure pursuits and could be adapted for sports such as shooting and golf. They may not have been more comfortable than other styles but the hard-wearing fabric and relative lack of trimmings made them easier to care for and very versatile.

Style was not necessarily sacrificed for function as elegant, close-fitting designs graced the pages of tailoring journals. Some featured jackets and skirts in contrasting checks, stripes and diagonals, others, like this one, were made of the same material throughout. Vests based on the man’s waistcoat were another popular feature. Here the jacket is semi-fitted with no shaping in the front or fastenings so that it shows off the waistcoat underneath. The pearly tones of the buttons complement the soft colour of the cloth and the ruffled frill on the stand collar adds a delicate touch.

Coat and skirt, J. Doucet

Coat and skirt
Jacques Doucet (1853-1929)
About 1894
Paris
Linen, with collar and cuffs embroidered with silk cord, elastic stays attached to the inside of the skirt to control the fullness, hand and machine sewn
Museum no. T.15&A-1979
Bequeathed by Mr. E.W. Mynott

During the 1890s, women's tailored suits were very popular. They borrowed details from men's dress, such as wide lapels and exterior pockets. This practical style suited the more emancipated lifestyles women were then leading.

This suit might well have been worn for a tour abroad. When it was conserved, reddish-brown dust was found on the surface. Linen was particularly popular for hot-weather travel because it was washable and comparatively lightweight.

Jacques Doucet (1853-1929) was one of the best known and most highly respected couturiers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was famed for his extravagant gowns, tailored suits and luxurious coats. Inheriting a lace and lingerie establishment in Paris, Doucet expanded the family business by opening a couture department in the 1870s. The Parisian elite soon patronised his salon, admiring his taste in fabrics and the meticulous quality and workmanship of his creations.