LADIES’ CLOTHING OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD Breaking the Hollywood Myths and bringing the period to life

From Gone With the Wind to North and South, Hollywood has shaped our idea of what the Civil War Era ladies wore. Most of it is WRONG! The Hollywood Version

 Rounded body, narrow waist, wide shoulders and hips The Fashionable Ideal-1860’s Style

 Everything about fashionable clothing reflected this:  Dropped shoulders added roundness  Fitted bodices narrowed to tight “natural waist”-higher than today  Pleating, gathering and skirt shaping widened hips and narrowed waist  Hair: Wide at ears, confined at crown and neck

 1860’s Fashions Did Not Include :  Zippers  Elastic, except in shoes  Man-made Fibers (Polyester, Acrylic, Rayon ) What They Would NOT HAVE WORN

 To wear a “wrapper” or robe for most of the morning, including receiving family and close friends and doing household chores or supervision  To bare shoulders, neck and a large amount of chest for formal nighttime occasions- Balls, Opera and Formal Suppers  To wear sheer dresses, showing pristine underclothes You Might Be Surprised- It’s Perfectly Correct!

Wrappers

Original Dress- Evening or Ball Wear

Sheer Dresses

Color and Pattern

 Wealth was indicated through lavish trim and large scale pattern  Time and effort in making and decorating clothing was cheap  Materials were expensive  Trims were often re-used  Poorer people followed the general fashion, but using less expensive materials  Lower classes of people wore used and made-over clothing Show Your Station

 Practicality  Layers of undergarments were easily washed  Washing outer garments difficult  Comfort  Hoops kept weight of dresses & petties off hips  Sheer dresses, wide “pagoda” sleeves in hot seasons  Clothing to match labor or duties  Social Expectations  Conforming to clothing rules and manners  Modesty, “good taste” and elegance were valued  Being part of the “in group” expressed through clothing They Did Things For a Reason

 Jewelry  Gems, gold and semi-precious stones  Cameos  Hair Jewelry  Double Sets of bracelets Finishing Touches

 Headwear  Hats: for the fashionable set  Bonnets: considered far more formal  Indoor  Caps for daywear at home  Elaborate floral/ribbon/lace accents with evening wear On Your Head

 Outerwear  Coats, Furs and Shawls  Shoes and boots  Gloves To Keep Warm and Dry

 Children were dressed as miniature adults  Girls often wore open necked dresses and short sleeves, shorter hem lengths  Boys wore skirts until ages 4-6  Hair parts show the gender in young children: boys with side parts A Child’s View

 Magazines and Newspapers  Godey’s Lady’s Book  Peterson’s  Word of Mouth  Face to face conversations were ladies’ main amusement  Visiting Hours were daily obligations that allowed information to be passed  Very Gender-Specific!  Public Gatherings  Political Meetings  Religious Services  Entertainment  Charity Getting the Message

 Morning  Clothing reflects the duties of a person  Cleaning, caring for children, supervising staff  Soft stays, wrapper, one or two layers of petties  Visiting  Depending on activities: Walking, carriage or indoors?  “Day Dress”-better fabrics, more ornamentation  Working  Some women would be “making a living” through sewing, cleaning, teaching. Clothing would maintain general styles, but be “serviceable” A Day in the Life

 Dinner  A social engagement would require formal bodice with high neckline. Fabrics similar to ballwear, but no low bodices. Sometimes interchangeable bodices for one skirt  Jewelry, hair and outerwear would reflect the best she had  Evening Entertainment  Appropriate to the event- political lecture vs. the opera  Ball gowns were worn by young and old, but many mature women (30 plus!) wore “dinner” styles with higher necklines, rich fabrics and colors  All the Layers

A Proud Couple- African Americans in the North

 Dress her children similarly to herself/her husband  Make sure any household staff had appropriate clothing- they reflected on the lady of the house  Show respect to her hosts, guests and friends by dressing for the specific occasion  Consider her undergarments- petticoats, corset covers- to be part of her visible wardrobe. They must be presentable at all times A Lady Would Likely….

 Wear clothing inappropriate to her social station and what she was doing  Wear outer clothes without proper underclothes  Show her shoulders or open neckline before early evening  Wear clothing inappropriate to her age, either too young or too old A Lady Would Not…

The Period Look