better late than never… a guide into gilded age fashion history (1870-1900) - a thread #MetGala
disclaimer, i am not an expert! just a fashion and history enthusiast, i try to be as accurate as possible, but please correct me if i am wrong about something. my knowledge comes from a basis in art and european focused studies as well as research from smithsonian.
for context, during this time period america was experiencing exponential economic growth and beginning to become one of the world’s major superpowers. there was a stark contrast between the select few who became wealthy from industrialization in comparison (1/10)
to the millions of less fortunate african americans in the south and the european immigrants in the east. it is important to note that the gilded age coincided with the reconstruction era as well as woman’s suffrage, as well the end of the victorian era in europe. (2/10)
the gilded age earned its name from the “1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, which satirized an era of serious social problems masked by a thin gold gilding”, the era is often characterized as the nations transition from revolution to frivolity. (3/10)
now on the the actual fashion! key aspects of the fashion in the beginning of the era included pastel colors, extravagant trimmings and lace, defined hips and waist, fishtail trains, and draped overskirts that were supported by soft bustles. (4/10)
evening dresses were often sleeveless as opposed to the usual fitted 3/4 sleeve worn at the time and instead worn with leather gloves, in addition satin boots decorated with bows were often worn. the parisian style became popular in 1875 which included artificial flowers (5/10)
decorating dresses and hair. however, the trend of soft bustles was disregarded in favor of spanish styles in the 1880s which featured combining silks and velvets and light and dark colors. large fans became popular accessories and elaborate embroidery decorated ball gowns (6/10)
in the 1890s, woman traded the exaggerated bustle for a rounded hourglass silhouette with vests, influenced by the masculine tailoring of the late 18th century. lace ruffles became popular details on dresses as well as printed silk fabrics. petticoats of evening dresses (7/10)
were often tin weighted in order for them to sit properly and rustled with movement. sportswear for women became popular during the gilded age as women’s rights to certain expressions were expanded. dress reform societies formed which rejected corsets and wire (8/10)
understructures in favor of more relaxed styles that were reminiscent of medieval dresses prior to hooped skirts. they were often made from cotton or wool fabrics and featured muted colors, more apt to participating in tennis, croquet, mountain climbing, and traveling. (9/10)
mens formal fashion of the time featured three piece suits, silk lined jackets and lapels, bow ties, mottled and fine woven wool fabrics, and heeled boots (10/10)
image credit: smithsonian
i know the theme was gilded glamour not gilded age. this thread was just for fun and 90% of celebs weren’t giving gilded or glamour anyways.
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