Did you know the expected waist size of an upper class woman in the late 19th century was 18 inches (Greenberg)? Did you also know that since most women didn’t fit into that measurement, they were forced to wear tightly laced corsets? All upper class women were assumed to dress very proper in this time period, both in the north and in the south. Most Victorian women wore an average of 11 pounds of undergarments (Roux). A common piece of clothing that all social classes were expected to wear was the corset. It was to be worn of some kind under a woman’s clothing. The expected waist size of 18 inches highlights differences in today’s women from those of the 1860s-1890s. The tightness of a woman’s corset was directly associated with a woman’s virtue. The slang “loose” was used to describe a woman without a tight corset and one with inappropriate values. These tight undergarments were to be removed only in the bedroom, maintaining a women’s pureness (“Green”). Many criticized the corset because of its supposed negative health effects and its depiction of assisting women’s social status of being the “lesser” sex (“Monet”).
Another fashion statement of the upper class at this time was hoop skirts. These skirts were wide and held up by hoops constructed of wire or whalebone. Women from all classes began wearing these skirts in the 1860s when the manufacturing of these skirts made them more economical. The rise of sewing machines in the 1850s meant changes in the way clothes were produced in the 1860s. Clothing was now produced faster and cheaper, matching the price of any buying customer. This created a demand for hoop skirts at all income levels. These skirts emphasized a fuller rear end to create the image of the ideal woman of the time. This was a woman with narrow shoulders, a tiny waist, and wide hips (“Monet”). Near the end of the 19th century, skirts began to return to smaller sizes; however, they still emphasized the waist. The end of the Victorian Age saw almost an end to hoop skirts, but the larger volume of the skirts was still present. This change in trend explains the shift in American culture to a new style of women’s clothing that was less flamboyant and moving towards a more practical form of dress. A change in American culture to that of a more frugal mindset of the early 20th century parallels this shift in fashion.
sources:
Dolores, Monet. "Women's Fashions of the Victorian Era: From Hoop Skirts to Bustles - 1837 - 1901." Hubpages. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://hubpages.com/hub/Fashion-History-Victorian-Costume-and-Design-Trends-1837-1900-With-Pictures.
Green, Jocelyn. "Women’s Fashion During the Civil War." Jocelyn Green RSS. April 1, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.jocelyngreen.com/2012/04/01/womens-fashion-during-the-civil-war/.
Greenberg, Hope. "18 Inches of Fashion - Cultural Context." 18 Inches of Fashion - Cultural Context. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.kennesaw.edu/hss/wwork/domesticity/mh/inches_cc.htm.
Roux, Alyson. "Watch & Listen." Steppenwolf Theatre Company. January 1, 2004. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.steppenwolf.org/watchlisten/program-articles/detail.aspx?id=54.
Dolores, Monet. "Women's Fashions of the Victorian Era: From Hoop Skirts to Bustles - 1837 - 1901." Hubpages. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://hubpages.com/hub/Fashion-History-Victorian-Costume-and-Design-Trends-1837-1900-With-Pictures.
Green, Jocelyn. "Women’s Fashion During the Civil War." Jocelyn Green RSS. April 1, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.jocelyngreen.com/2012/04/01/womens-fashion-during-the-civil-war/.
Greenberg, Hope. "18 Inches of Fashion - Cultural Context." 18 Inches of Fashion - Cultural Context. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.kennesaw.edu/hss/wwork/domesticity/mh/inches_cc.htm.
Roux, Alyson. "Watch & Listen." Steppenwolf Theatre Company. January 1, 2004. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.steppenwolf.org/watchlisten/program-articles/detail.aspx?id=54.