Ah the dresses!!!

jenna · #1 02-06-2006, 09:27 PM

I have quite a group of ladies that I share cdv's with, and so I thought it would be fun to share some with others here. I truely have little interest in the debate over the war, for my area of knowledge lies with its ladies and the fashions that made the time so romantic, even with a war going on. So enjoy, and if you wish to become part of mt ever growing list of people that I send pics to, please pm me with your email and I shall add you to it.

Jenna

jenna · #2 02-06-2006, 09:28 PM

Now, you can't tell me this was plain and boring!!!

jenna · #3 02-06-2006, 09:29 PM

The swiss wait was popular with ladies of all ages, but was favored by young girls the most.

Jenna

jenna · #4 02-06-2006, 09:32 PM

Trimmed dresses were extremely popular. I would say 80% of the cdv's I see have some sort of trimming on them, wheather it be fringe or like the appliuqes on it. It was embelished.

bama_belle · #5 02-06-2006, 10:22 PM

Oooh! I just love that second dress. I wonder what the colors were that made up those lovely stripes.

I can just imagine an array of blues and greens that would be just gorgeous.

sockknitter · #6 02-06-2006, 10:49 PM

This past weekend I had an enjoyable day garage saling. Strictly small items that I can carry, that need no pickup truck to transport, and of such small price that the money isn't a big sacrifice! What to my wondering eyes should appear but a single 1874 Demorest's Magazine! I got it for $1. Because it's from 1874 I suppose the up-to-date fashions in it wouldn't be appropriate for a WBTS garment unless the person wearing it were representing some kind of time traveler.

I think I will scan and put up a few pictures, however, and ask you to point out which, if any, design aspects are not proper for 1861-65.

sockknitter · #7 02-06-2006, 10:50 PM

Here's the second image.

bama_belle · #8 02-06-2006, 11:07 PM

It seems as if I read on a website just recenty (think it was www.fashion_era.com but I'm not certain) that the rear bustle as shown on those two dresses didn't come into fashion until well after WBTS. By the end of the war, the underpinnings had taken a more flattened shape in the front, and belled from the hips back, but that high bustle wasn't quite in fashion yet.

But don't quote me on that. I'm still learning myself, and I'm trying to recall that from memory and lack of sleep.

dawna · #9 02-07-2006, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenna

I have quite a group of ladies that I share cdv's with, and so I thought it would be fun to share some with others here. I truely have little interest in the debate over the war, for my area of knowledge lies with its ladies and the fashions that made the time so romantic, even with a war going on. So enjoy, and if you wish to become part of mt ever growing list of people that I send pics to, please pm me with your email and I shall add you to it.

Thanks Jenna, and as always your contributions are very much appreciated. And what a striking woman in this photo!

Dawna

jenna · #10 02-07-2006, 10:42 AM

Although we had a war going on here in the states, obviously fashion still continued. In Europe though it was further ahead then what we were. While we had the large circular hoops going, the English and French were already into the eliptial hoop, which was the precurser to the bustle. Our style followed the eliptical right after the war. The front was flattening and becoming smoother, and the fullness was being redirected to the rear. You tend to see trains of varying lengths on these styles of dresses. When I come across one I shall pass it along. But, the bustle gown really hit strong in the last part of the 1860's (like 1868) and came full force in the 1870's. Your bustle could be accomplished a couple of differnt ways, one of which was a strange cage crinolin with the extra hoops in the rear. Quite constricting around the lower legs. The other way was a bustle pad, often made of a pillow stuffed with straw or horse hair. It was less combersome, and straped around the waist with a belt. Dresses of the 1870's were so highly ornate, from fringe, to beads to gobs of fabric trim in box pleats and roushing. It was even a more decorative time then the 1860's.

Attached is a beautiful example of an original late 1860's dress, dated c.1868- the time I was just mentioning.

Those were great finds there Sockknitter. Very nice. I wish I could find things like that up here in Wisconsin.

And Dawna, glad to hear that you still enjoy the cdv's. I shall continue to send them.

Jenna