Day Dress of the 1890's is a compilation of illustrations from many period ladies' magazines and catalogues, such as Harper's Bazar , and The Delineator. The illustrations were chosen in order to give an overview of what ladies, gentlemen, and children would have worn during this time. The period covered is the Mid-1890's, when the ladies' sleeve reached its most exaggerated proportions. Pictured in this volume are ladies' dresses and hats, children's clothing, and gentlemen's outfits. Collars, trimmings and other accessories, for both ladies and gentlemen, have also been included to assist in the creation of period outfits for the entire family.

Utter plainness is as much eschewed in gowns as over-trimming. Decorations are liberally applied, it is true, but not to the extent of exaggeration, and though more than one kind of trimming is permissible upon a gown, the artistic is ever kept in view in its disposition.

The Delineator, July 1896       

The late 19th Century styles that have been adopted by the Vintage Dance Community are those from 1893-1896, when the sleeve reached its largest proportions, and what is now considered the beginning of the Gibson Girl Era, as illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson. This period ushered in the hourglass figure; the silhouette was one with large puffed sleeves, narrow waist, and flaring skirt, with bustle drapery all but disappearing. Many of the styles worn at this time were also reminiscent of those from earlier periods, especially with the revival from the 1830s of leg-o-mutton sleeves and flared skirts.

Tennis and bicycling were very popular during the 1890's; special outfits were designed to allow ladies to bicycle without the danger of having their skirts tangle in the gears and wheels. This volume includes tennis gowns and a bicycle costume, with divided skirt from Harper's Bazar along with its reduced-scale pattern diagram.

8 ½" by 11" high quality photocopy, with glue-in binding
107 pages
over 150 black and white illustrations
9 reduced scale pattern diagrams
first published 1999
revised and enlarged edition, published 2000
$12.00
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Last updated: 13 May 2006/csb