1800's Fashion Timeline: 1840-1855

This period of time in the fashion industry for women was rather heavy. Literally! By this time, women were trying to make there skirts as large as possible without hoop skirts. Many layers of petticoats stiffened with cording and horsehair were used. I do not like to think about how hot it must have been.

Anyway. Beginning in the 1840's, the large sleeves from the 1830's were replaced with tight-fighting sleeves. Remember, by now the waistlines had gone all the way down to the natural waist. In this age and era, no one knows where their real waist is. It is a bit ridiculous, actually. Your waist, ladies, is right at your  last rib. It is not on your hip bones, where your pants come up to. It should be the smallest place around.

The one thing that makes me think of the 1850's is ruffled skirts. This style is not limited to the 1850's, there are just a lot of fashion plates with rows and rows of ruffles. Remember: fashion plates were the cutting edge!

Another thing that was a part of the 1840's was smocked bodices, like the one below. I don't know if I have ever seen a smocked bodice in the 1850's, but the museum says the one below is from 1850. Go figure. 1850's was similar to the 1860's, in that tight bodices like the one above and the last one, with gathered bodices for work dresses.

Although skirts were certainly not limited to ruffles! This one is very nice as well.....