Research - Initial Research

To start my research off I decided to look at the difference of shape throughout the period from 1820 to 1910. This allowed me to view the range of cut and style that changed so much through out the century. It also gave me a good idea of the main cuts and techniques repeated in my main source material and was useful in deciding what to produce and what i wanted to learn from it. I decided after my main research that I wanted to practice a range of very different silhouettes that would require different cutting skills and that had different forms of decoration. I feel my knowledge of the period has greatly benefited from doing a broad investigation into the 19th Century and I have built a file of images that I can also use for future reference. Here are some I have picked out to show the changing silhouettes throughout the century.

1820s

(pg. 144) Bradfield. N. 1981. This is a 1825 - 29 silk taffeta dress, it has a lovely silhouette, the skirt sitting just under the under bust point, the waistline having dropped towards the end of the decade. It is similar to a Janet Arnold pattern I have seen although it has the added interesting feature of long gauze sleeves over a short puffed under sleeve which would be interesting to create, seeing how the different fabric work together.

(pg. 78) Willett Cunningon. C. 1990. This image shows a range of bodices from the 1820's. The shoulders can be seen to sit very low giving a wide neckline and the desirable sloping shoulder effect, popular at the time. The mutton sleeve was popular then and is a possible design feature I would like to try drafting.

1830s

(pg. 152) Bradfield. N. 1981. This dress seems to be a more extravagant deviation on the earlier dress above, with its feature becoming more bold with bigger volume. 

Gernsheim. H. (1951) The style here (1848) can be seen to move away from the 20s and 30s with the waistline being more in its natural place, with wide bell like sleeves and high neckline with a prominent V pelerine. I chose this photograph as I find it much more interesting to see how the styles are actually worn and what accessories were fashionable at the time rather than drawn interpretations.

1850s

(pg. 205) Bradfield. N. 1981. I feel the 50's is a time when the clothing became more extravagant and lavish in fashion. These jackets are written to be rich in colour and have a very exotic feel about them.

(pg. 38) V&A (1984) This dress for me represents a very classic shape for the 19th century, with lots of fabric, a wide round skirt and flounces and gathering. This dress is very similar to a pattern I have found in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 1 and I am quite keen to try and create it.

1860s

Waugh. N (1968) This early 60's evening dress is extravagant in its decorative elements of lace and braiding but surprisingly looks quite simply constructed. It would have been very much a statement piece.

V&A. (1981) This dress keeps to the wide skirted fashion on the past two decades, but interestingly it does not have a particularly well fitted bodice. As, generally, you had to be well off to have your photograph taken, her dress probably wouldn't have been a hand-down so I wonder whether she may be pregnant or an older women, her age is had to tell from the photograph.

1870s

(pg. 237) Bradfield. N. 1981. The 1870s sees the introduction on the princess line dress. This is where the bodice and the skirt are created as one and is another iconic look of the 19th century for me. On this dress, as with others, the volume of the skirt has moved to the back, which interestingly in terms of practicality made it easier to walk in.

(pg 186) Cumming.V and Ribeiro. A. (1989) Here are two lovely examples of  later 1870's dresses. They are quite lacking in volume and probably only had petticoats rather than crinolines as undergarments. I think the draping at the back of both dresses is a feature I would like to try in one of my toiles as it is quite a feature to the latter  fashions of the century.

1880s

(pg. 78) Willett Cunningon. C. 1990.The feature of the draped polonaise over a skirt was popular in the 1880s, as can be seen it was a simple method of construction using tapes to create the volume. The polonaise has a similar form on construction to the princess line before it, the bodice and skirt being joined as though seamlessly one, with a belt hiding the join. 

Lomax. J, Ormond. R, Singer Sargent. J (1979) This painting by John Singer Sargent shows the layers and textures of fabrics that were created with this style, this Mrs Henry White was obviously wealthy, the dress possibly being made of silk and chiffon.

1890s

(pg. 372) Willett Cunningon. C. 1990.  In the 1890's the skirt can be seen to reduce in size again. The emphasis here seems to be on being slim and shapely rather than voluminous. This is also transferred into the sleeves which are relatively snug fitting 

1900s

Moynahan. B (1999) This interesting photograph shows the last stage of the end of the 19th century moving into the 20th. The mutton sleeve began to make a return and the S shape came into fashion.