This is part one of the 1800s female lookbook, you can find part two here.
The simplification of clothing that had begun in the late 18th century carried over into the early 1800s. The chemise dress made popular by such fashion icons as Marie Antoinette evolved into a neoclassical style that revealed the natural body, with a high waist and lightweight fabrics. Interest in classical antiquity had been growing throughout the second half of the 1700s following the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and this reached its peak in the early 1800s with fashions that hearkened back to the styles of ancient Greece and Rome. White became the colour du jour thanks to the incorrect assumption that ancient sculptures were made from unpainted white marble, with pops of colour added through accessories such as shawls and hats. Dresses were long and typically pooled on the floor, with swathes of fabric echoing the ancient inspiration.
While clothing became more simplified, the expectations surrounding modes of dress were relatively complex. Increasing wealth among the middle class meant that frequently changing fashions became accessible to many women across social strata. Together with the sinking costs of cloth and clothing due to industrial manufacturing, this led to ladies changing their clothes a number of times throughout the day. With this came societal guidelines about what and when to wear certain dresses. There were three main ensemble modes - undress, half dress and full dress.
Undress essentially meant 'casual' dress and was appropriate for activities that occurred from the morning until the afternoon, including gowns that were worn by ladies within the home known as morning dresses. Undress was suitable for walking and promenading, which were social occasions for those to see and be seen in fashionable areas. Half dress sits between the informality of undress and formality of full dress. In modern terms, you could compare it to 'business casual' or 'cocktail' attire. Fabrics were richer than undress gowns and necklines were more revealing. Full dress was reserved for evening and entailed all the extravagant detail that late Georgian and Empire style allowed for. Headwear was more elaborate, trimmings more detailed and textiles more luxurious. CC links under the cut.
You can check out more 1800s content here and the rest of the Ultimate Decades Timeline series here.
