HECOL 268 - Chapter 11 - the romantic period (1820-1850) and part 2 - the early victorian

what is and kind of reaction was the romantic period (1837-1850)?

• artistic, literary and intellectual

• reaction against the age of enlightenment and its classical focus on reason

what did romanticism emphasis on and what interest in history did they have?

• emphasis on emotion and sentiment, imagination was more important than reason

• interest in history: middle ages, renaissance and a focus on orientalism

what was tailoring like and what was introduced to make things easier?

• Tailoring changed to a mathematical systems

• 2nds quarter of the 19th century: tape measure introduced and generally accepted

what was dyeing clothing like and what major contributions were made?

• Diderot's alchemical charts of affinities (1778)

• created Current chemical elements of the period element

what was photography like?

• From the 1840s on, photography documented the way people dressed - chemical photography in the past

• discovered by louis daguerre - 1839

• <<Not just elite allowed to commission a portrait but also normal people>>

true or false: the industrial revolution had a major impact on textile manufacturing, making it easier for the general population to acquire fabrics for clothing at a reasonable cost

true

what machines were produced during this era?

• sewing machines: develop in substantial ways in the 1830s and 1840s

• knitting frame: 1840s development of a power-driven knitting frame could make seamless hosiery

• lace machine: by 1840s most lace patterns could be made by machine

what simulated the slave trade in america during this time?

the need for labor growing and harvesting cotton to feed the textile mills

what did all these technological advances in clothing construction and production lead to?

• large immigrant work force

• more women working outside the home

• transformation in how and where clothing was produced

• end of 19th c. = much ready-made clothing was available

what culture transformation happened during this era?

• 1830s = first american fashion magazines are published latest styles from the center of fashion, paris, to women of various classes

• godeys ladys book (magazine)

how were menswear (1820s and 1830s)?

• Mens narrow waist silhouette: faint echo of that of a womenswear - hourglass silhouette

• Enlargement of sleeve head (shoulder)

• Cossack trousers

• Frock coat with flared skirts (fully skirted coat)

• Frock coat and fancy dress

• Decorative waistcoats

• Fad for plaid

how were generally the womenswear (1820s and 1830s)

• ‘A’ line with greater volume at sleeve and skirt

• Waist moves back to normal level

• Waist lowers

• Horizontal necklines

• Sleeve grows (head 1st)

• Wider hem volume

what were Romantic period (1820-50) - women's undergarments?

1. Drawers or pantalettes

2. Chemise

3. Corset

4. Sleeve pads

5. Bustle pad (if need be)

6. Multiple petticoats (starched corded or quilted) (single petticoat is rare)

how were the sleeves for womenswear?

• Great variety of sleeves

• Volume migrating from head to sleeve to wrist

• Leg-of mutton/ gigot sleeve (wide shoulder)

how was the hair for womenswear?

• Transition from close-to the-head naturalistic hairstyles with side curls and chignon(bun), to hair “en coques” with hair extensions to create large volumes, hair combs

• Heads also treated to exotic and historic styles

• Coils of hair in ringlets = 17th century/ or over the ears = medieval

what additional accessories existed for womenswear?

• Dress often included embroidered fine white cotton collars and caps, including a cape-like garment called a pelerine

• The return of the ferroniere

• Ruff (ruffles around the neck like elizabeth) and boa (feathers as a scarf)

what popular outdoor items?

• overcoat, pelisse/coat dress (seen in image)

• more practical attire as active wear

• mantles/capes

• orientalism (burnous)

what major event happened in Britain 1837?

•  a Queen ascended the throne, a young woman named victoria, whose reign was to continue until 1901

• <victorian era fashion is more after queen victorias reign, victoria did not bring fashion but she followed fashion (ex. Hairstyle from classical revival)

what was the lower canada rebellion?

• 1837-38, armed conflict, activists in lower canada (quebec) began to work for reform of the economic disenfranchisement of the french speaking majority and working-class english-speaking citizens

• red cap of liberty and capote (coat of wool trade blankets)

• discrimination against french people, french people had to change their last name to a british last name to get a job

what major science and technology events happened in the victorian era

• << 1838 - first photograph of a human we know of that doesn't take hours and only about 15 min >>

• From the 1840s on, photography documented the way people dressed

• Frederick douglas: anti-slavery reformer who was a former slave

• Kate mcdougall

what major cultural movements happened (specifically for women)

• Mid-19th century campaigns for voting rights for women

• 1792 - mary wollstonecraft fought for women to be considered as full citizens did not succeed however they started a process rolling

• 1848 - elizabeth cady stanton and susan b anthony comes together to organize a wave of feminism, very white :(

• Sojourners truths “aint I a women?, 1851

• Cyril jessop member of the legislative assembly of alberta 1921-26

what happened during the california gold rush (1848-1855)

• Levi’s jeans originated during the California Gold Rush in 1848 when miners needed durable pants for their work

• Tailor Jacob Davis added rivets to reinforce the pockets, and Levi Strauss, a fabric supplier, patented the design. Over time, Levi’s jeans evolved, with key developments including the addition of a double arc design on the pockets in 1873, a leather patch in 1886, belt loops in 1922, and a red tab trademark in 1936. Zippers were added in 1954

• Levi’s jeans became a staple for workers and later a popular fashion item.

1820s-1840s menswear

• Outdoor mens wore capes for more formal occasions (<< evening occasions>>)

• Indoor mens continued to wear dressing gowns and banyans at home

Late 1830s-1840s dress

• Late 1830s: elbow volume for women but soon sleeve is tight all over; facial hair for men: sideburns reach enormous proportions

• Mens styles, like womens, became more subdued in the last decade of the romantic period

• Exoticism in undress for men (<, garments and accessories)

1840s dress and what are the negative effects of it

• Sleeve: usually narrows and waist often pointed in front

• Skirt: long and voluminous

• Subdued (dim)

• << instead of light, garments start to be dark, black satin etc, some lighter pants but suit then becomes all dark>>

• << men garments are fitted and women garments are voluminous (many petticoats) with tight underneath (corsets)>>

• << start to see garments igniting and they cant get out of the garments fast enough and end up burning, a problem while cooking>>

• << dirts, garments trailing on the floor, uncomfortable, dangerous (igniting) so we start to see dress reform movements and women saying no they will not wear this>

accessories in 1820s-1840s

• Chatelaines: return of the medieval style

• Reticules: a return of it and more elaborate

• Slipper type flat shoes and boots

• elastic -sided footwear

• Boots that looked like dress shoes with silk stockings

childrenswear

• Children were dressed like small adults, except for small boys who wore skeleton suits (1780s until ca. 1830) or skirted garments until age four or five

• (skeleton suit, colonial williamsburg)

• The clothes of small boys could be very similar to their mothers

true or false: they stopped sexualizing children

false, Late 1830s and 1840s, children were dressed like small adults more and more (idea of a small waist, sexualizing children)