1860s cotton dress

[mala_14]

A question for those in the know: what separates later 1860s cotton print dresses from earlier ones? With the 150th birthday of Canada coming up, my living history group is delving into the 1860s. The exact year is 1867.

I've seen a lot of pictures of ones that look, to my eye anyways, decidedly early 1860s/Civil War era, but nothing that is definitively the latter part of the decade. Most seem to feature gathered (as opposed to darted) bodices and gathered or gauged skirts. I assume that earlier dresses have bigger sleeves (bishop sleeves or coat sleeves that are wider around the elbow) and have skirts that are fuller in the front with gathers, while later dresses would have the narrower sleeves and flatter fronts (pleats or flat) that were in fashion. But all this is somewhat conjectured. Any one have facts?

(Mourning Dress ca.1867 from the Met)

Comments

[ashamanja-babu.livejournal.com]

Fun! There are a lot of discussions about the darted vs pleated or gathered bodice and what was for cotton, what was for silk or wool, etc. and frankly I am no help to you there. No idea. But I agree with Jen about the skirt shape; for 1867-8 there is a transitional period with really flat-butt hoops, almost a straight cone shape, and skirts gored with smooth waists, as opposed to the rounded bell shape of 10 years earlier. As for sleeves I think the difference is that once you start creeping up toward the early bustle era you get the "coat" sleeve; wide all the way down, full ends or cuffs, but earlier the fulness was in the upper arm mostly and tapered to the wrist. Just look at as many fashion plates for your target year as you can find.

[mala-14.livejournal.com]

Fun for sure! Skirt definitely seems to be the most obvious difference. Thanks!