Text Hist: Romantic Period

Romantic Period

c. 1820 - 1850


  • Named after the movement in the arts and literature that stressed expression of emotions, the Romantic Period valued imagination over rational thought and returned to the historic past for inspiration. Ex: Victor Hugo

  • From the 1840’s, photography documented the way people dressed- invented by Louis Daguerre 

  • The silhouette of men’s clothing was a faint echo of that of women with narrow waists, flared skirts on coats, and slight enlargement and rounding of sleeves, padded hips

  • Elements of men’s clothing continued to be underdrawers, shirts, waistcoats, trousers, and coats. Coats for daytime were often frock coats, with skirts extending below the waist or tailcoats, cut short in front and with extended tails at the back.

  • Men’s styles, like women’s, became more subdued in the last decade of the Romantic Period

  • Outdoors men wore overcoats or, for more formal occasions, cloaks.

  • Some accessories used in the Romantic Period:

    • Hats- top hats

    • Cravats- now in colors ot just white

  • In America and abroad, women of all social classes tried to follow fashion. The first American fashion Magazines were published in the 1830s, giving women the latest styles from the center of fashion, Paris

  • By the late 1820’s, the new line was established not high-waisted like the empire period but accentuating the natural waistlineIt’s underpinnings remained much the same: 

    • drawers were now more common

    • A chemise as the next layer

    • A corset that pulled in the waistline

    • Over the corset, a corset cover or camisole.

    • A number of full, starched petticoats

    • Some undergarments held out the skirts and the large sleeves

      • Sleeve Pads

      • Bustle pads with flounce

    • Skirts lifted from the ground, showing the feet and ankles

  • One of the preferred garments for outdoors was a pelisse.

  • Preferred hairstyles and headwear:

    • Bonnet, turban

  • Some accessories used in the Romantic Period:

    • Chatelaines-a decorative hook worn at the waist, from which chains hold useful implements like keys, a watch, or scissors

    • Shoes and Boots

    • Reticules

    • Gloves and Fingerless Gloves