The Kirsten Project | Girlsā Dresses of the Mid 19th Century
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In the late 1820s, womenās fashion shifted from the once high empire waistlines (think Jane Austen era) back down to the natural position. From then until the 1860s, details like sleeves and necklines morph and change, but not as drastically as before or after that time period. A small waist and a wide skirt are the hallmarks of the better part of the 19th century. For children and young teens, one of the popular dress silhouettes we see relatively unchanged from 1820-1870 is the open neck, short sleeve, knee length dress as shown above and below.
It makes sense that if I dress isnāt threadbare by the time the wearer outgrows it, it would be passed on to a younger child. Our ancestors were pretty good at making precious clothing last and unlike today, nothing was disposable. Even the most ratty fabric could be recycled and sold to the Rag and Bone man, who would in turn sell it to a factory to be remade into new (albeit low quality) fabric, called shoddy.
So while womenās sleeves, waist shapes (flat versus pointed) and necklines shift, we see at least one girlās silhouette remain relatively static. This style of dress, characterized below, is what I imagine a historical version of Kirstenās birthday dress might be:
Wide Neckline
Gathered Bodice into Waistband
Short Sleeves
Knee to Mid Calf Length Hem
I have seen examples of this style of dress worn plain or layered over a undersleeves with a chemisette or a blouse. Sometimes the pantelettes are matching, but primarily they are white. Accessories like lace gloves appear on upper class children.
It should be mentioned that this isnāt the only girlsā dress silhouette of the mid 19th century, but it is very common. For my costume, Iāve chosen an adult silhouette that echos some of these style details (hereās an early sketch!) Do you see something in these images that reminds you of Kirstenās birthday dress?
