Fashion Facts about the Bustle Period & the Nineties

The Bustle Period and the Nineties (1870-1900)

This period was named after the Bustle, the prominent feature of women’s dresses
The way clothing was produced and sold began to change
-wide use of sewing machines
-development of sized paper pattern
-technology allowing the cutting of many garments pieces at the same time

Department stores and mail order catalogs provided new ways of selling clothing

The undergarments worn to support the new silhouette of the 1870s continued to include the same elements of the previous time period
-under drawers
-chemise
-corset
-corset cover

An alternative for underwear became available; the combination which combined drawers and chemise
The new element was the bustle, a structure to support a skirt with a full back
In fashion for twenty years
The earliest bustle created by manipulating the full skirt in a waterfall like effect
The second type was called a sheath or crass bodice, which dropped fullness to below the back of knee
The final bustle type was rigid and shelf like and rarely had a train

The nineties
Around 1890, the bustle lost it’s prominence
As back fullness diminished, sleeves grew larger, skirts more circular, and an hour glass shape silhouette came into fashion
even two piece “tailor made” suits for women had popular leg of mutton sleeves
Outdoor garments had to accommodate larger sleeves

-Women began working in factories
The availability of ready made blouses called shirtwaists made a shirtwaist and skirt ideal for work

Women began to take part in sports; cycling became popular (bloomers were popular cycling outfit)

The Aesthetic Movement in the arts encouraged a rejection of the current bustle fashion in favor of what its proponents calling a ‘Medieval” look
Art Nouveua design motifs appeared in jewelry, as patterns in textiles, and were reflected in the S-Shape curves of garments at the turn of the century
Additional Accessories
-gloves
-capelet
-fan
-parasol
-watch
-glasses
-mourning brooch

The change in menswear was more subtle
Men, too, could wear combinations of mourning suits
Men could choose from more types of jackets. Generally the type of jacket worn related to the formality of the occasion
An innovation in evening wear was the tuxedo, made with a sack jacket, and first worn in the 1880s
For golf and other sports activities, knickers were worn
The basic styles, such as Chesterfield and the frock coats, changed little, but lengths varied. More exotic styles included Inverness and the Ulster
-shoes
-different collars
-Pince Nex
-Walking stick

Young girls wore bustles as well
Little boys wore skirts, then graduated into suits