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1890s Green Day Dress

ensemble of green changeant taffeta with small dot print; skirt (a) : olive green taffeta with ivory dots, purple cross weave (wavy); weighted hem; green velvet trim ; bodice (b): olive green taffeta w/ ivory dots and purple cross-weave; green velvet trim, leg-of-mutton sleeves, velvet trim at one wrist and green velvet bow at neck Bodice: olive green heavy silk taffeta, olive silk velvet, silk taffeta in gussets; metal hook and eye closures and covered buttons 1890s Fitted bodice with boning, high neck with lapel; princess dart missing; armscye darts; leg of mutton sleeves; previous waist darts missing in back Velvet piping detail at elbows and inner arms; 4 nonfunctionial velvet covered buttons at waist; velvet lapel and collar detached along with one velvet cuff Skirt: silk changeant, silk velvet detail, plainweave cotton lining, silk lining, polished cotton band at hem, weighted cotton tape at hem; green cotton tape around underskirt Full skirt, no bustle 3 velvet ribbons in rectangular pattern (apron-front design) in front of skirt, velvet piping along hem,

Green Day Dress, circa 1895

Vassar College Historic Costume Collection, VC1992014

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “La Ghirlandata,” 1873 (Photo: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain)

Pre-Raphaelite art depicting common jewel tones and detail

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “La Ghirlandata,” 1873

The 1890s welcomed a moment of rapid change, both in terms of fashion and society. Art also faced shifting ideals as Pre-Raphaelite influences informed the growing Aesthetic movement, both of which lauded rich colors and an intense focus on detail. Aestheticism as a social movement encouraged decadence in all things, which its fashion reflected in the quality of work and materials. Aesthetic dress welcomed sumptuous fabrics in deep jewel tones as well as clean, defined lines that showed off fine tailor work. This color palette and eye for detail are reminiscent of Pre-Raphaelite art.

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1893 Fashion Plate (Photo: MET Costume Institute)

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1897 Fashion Plate (Photo: MET Costume Institute)

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A New Woman partaking in sports

Charles Gibson, "Advice to Caddies," 1906

Around the same time as the Aesthetic dress movement was Dress Reform, a social movement which pushed for practicality in women’s clothes as the New Woman emerged in society to claim her place outside the home and in the workplace. These more practical styles emulated menswear, creating simpler, tailored looks for women. These styles were seen in fashion from a simple day dress to the more scandalous cycling outfits, some of which even went so far as to put women in bloomer pants. Although the ideals of Dress Reform may seem contrary to the “art for art’s sake” attitude of the Aesthetics, both modes of fashion drew away from the over-decorated styles of the mid-Victorian period in favor of simple silhouettes and masterful tailoring. At the same time, women’s fashion saw a revival of the leg-of-mutton sleeve that had been popular in the 1820s and 1830s. Shoulders on sleeves grew in size over the first half of the 1890s, only to reach their peak in 1895 and deflate over the latter half of the decade. As fashion transitioned into the 1890s with Dress Reform growing in popularity, emphasis shifted upwards as the bustle disappeared and was replaced by a more practical, masculine cut of the skirt and largeness of the sleeve.

ensemble of green changeant taffeta with small dot print; skirt (a) : olive green taffeta with ivory dots, purple cross weave (wavy); weighted hem; green velvet trim ; bodice (b): olive green taffeta w/ ivory dots and purple cross-weave; green velvet trim, leg-of-mutton sleeves, velvet trim at one wrist and green velvet bow at neck Bodice: olive green heavy silk taffeta, olive silk velvet, silk taffeta in gussets; metal hook and eye closures and covered buttons 1890s Fitted bodice with boning, high neck with lapel; princess dart missing; armscye darts; leg of mutton sleeves; previous waist darts missing in back Velvet piping detail at elbows and inner arms; 4 nonfunctionial velvet covered buttons at waist; velvet lapel and collar detached along with one velvet cuff Skirt: silk changeant, silk velvet detail, plainweave cotton lining, silk lining, polished cotton band at hem, weighted cotton tape at hem; green cotton tape around underskirt Full skirt, no bustle 3 velvet ribbons in rectangular pattern (apron-front design) in front of skirt, velvet piping along hem,

Detail view of the bodice of the green day dress, showcasing the leg-of-mutton sleeve

(Photo: Vassar College Costume Collection)

Rotating view of the green day dress

(Photo: Vassar College Costume Collection)

360 view at full size

In this green day dress we can see the influence of the social milieu surrounding both the Aesthetic movement and Dress Reform. The dress is fabricated from a lovely bottle green silk taffeta scattered with tiny yellow polka dots as well as plush green velvet accents. Both of these fabrics speak to the wealth of the wearer, and the simple, clean lines and leg-of-mutton sleeve indicate that the wearer kept up with modern fashions. Though this dress reflects the more masculine style of the New Woman and featured a separate bodice and skirt, the materials and length of the skirt would have made this dress impractical for a more active lifestyle. The owner of this dress was likely a wealthy woman who did not need to work or go out walking when she didn’t want to. In addition, the skirt has weights sewn into the hem, telling us that this dress was almost certainly constructed with fashion in mind over function. While this dress met fashion expectations of the time, in terms of silhouette and fabric, its relative impracticality means that it did not push social boundaries in the same way radical New Woman fashion did.

- Schuyler Osgood, '21

Art and Dress
1890s Green Day Dress