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A typical wedding
gown from 1899, Harper’s Bazar, March 18, 1899 |
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History
of the 1899 Wedding Gown and Notes on Late 1890s Fashions
"An
ivory Duchesse satin gown, looped with lilies-of-the-valley in
chiffon" was how the London (Ontario) newspaper described
26-year old Carlotta J.K. McCutcheon's wedding gown. According to
the article she had married Arthur Beatty, a University of Wisconsin
English professor, on June 29, 1899 in the parlor of her Thorndale,
Ontario home.
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Carlotta's
choice of fabric and design clearly illustrated that she was aware
of the latest styles and fashion trends in bridal attire. Her
information may have come from fashion magazines, such as Harper's
Bazar, The Delineator, and Ladies' Home Journal,
which, in the months surrounding her wedding, were consistent and
adamant about the elements of an ideal wedding dress. According to
these journals' editors, the attributes of perfection included a
white or ivory satin fabric made into a gown of simple lines with a
full skirt that fit tightly over the hips, a bodice that had very
long sleeves, a high collar, a broad-shouldered look, and light
fabric for the yoke, as well as tasteful trimmings made from lace,
ribbon, fringe, pearl embroidery or passementerie, and orange
blossoms or lilies-of-the-valley. Carlotta managed to incorporate
all of these suggestions into her gown. |
An 1899 woman of
fashion forced her body into a swan or "S" shape. She
could create this profile by having her bodice project out over her
abdomen, while her "health" corset thrust back her
derriere. Harper’s Bazar, June 3, 1899 |
By 1899 Carlotta may have finally adjusted to the sudden change in
fashion that had occurred two years earlier. In the middle of the
1890s the hourglass look had been tremendously popular. Its
exaggerated shape included huge leg-o'-mutton sleeves, a tightly
corseted waist, and a flared skirt that fitted tightly over the
hips.
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A
Wisconsin woman wearing a fashionable outfit from
1897-1899. WHi(V24)1968 |
By 1897 the fashion had deflated. Sleeves tightened with only a
vestigial puff left at the shoulder, and the skirt narrowed,
especially in front. Harper's Bazar declared the large sleeve
"absolutely out of date" in October 1896. The magazine
went on to say that "those who found large sleeves extremely
picturesque are now inclined to regard them as somewhat
absurd." Though the large sleeve disappeared, a
broad-shouldered effect replaced it. This look could be created with
a broad yoke or large sleeves caps. In either case the look appealed
to the new fashionably-athletic woman who saw herself as stronger
and more muscular than her predecessors.
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Front View |
Back View |
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In
1899 a stylish bodice had a wide yoke and sleeve
caps that created a broad-shouldered effect. It also
bloused over the waistline making the bosom look as
if it was in the wrong place. The Delineator,
March 1899
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Another major change occurred between 1897 and 1899 when the French
invented a new, supposedly healthier, corset that released the
abdomen from undue pressure. The corset reshaped women's torsos
creating a straight, flat front from the bust to the hips, thus
obliterating the waistline. Fashions adapted to this new front by
blousing out the bodice above the waistline, making the bust look
like it hung near the waist. The new bodice became known as the
"pouter pigeon" look because of its resemblance to a
bird's breast. |
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Women
who were too skinny would wear hip pads and/or a
bustle to fill themselves out to the fashionable
silhouette. The Delineator, November 1898 |
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At the same time, the front and sides of the skirt grew straighter
with all previous fullness moved to the back. Designers began adding
trains to formal gowns. As one female observer noted in 1898,
"We are all to be willowy trailing creatures." The
consequence of the bloused bodice and the straight skirt was to make
the hips the main attraction. The tight skirt forced women to walk
with undulating movements that also drew the eye to their hips. If a
woman lacked the required fullness, magazines frequently offered
patterns and advertisements for hip pads.
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This fashion
illustration is very similar to Carlotta's wedding dress. She may
have been inspired by it when designing her dress. Harper's Bazar,
February 2, 1898.
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After
a decade of wearing severely cut clothing in bright, sometimes harsh
and distracting colors, women in 1898 began wearing dresses that
could be described as "fluffy and frilly" in soft pastel
shades.
 Dresses
acquired their frilliness, which generally centered on the bodice
and skirt hem, with layers of ruffles usually in diaphanous
materials. The final result frequently made the wearer resemble an
agitated meringue.
An example of a
frilly 1899 dress, Harper’s Bazar, March 18, 1899
Carlotta
appears to have been very aware of the new fashion. Her dress may
have been inspired by a dress that appeared in the February issue of
Harper's Bazar. The fashion editor described the dress as a
"charming little reception gown." Like Carlotta's wedding
dress, the pictured gown has a puffed bodice, a high collar, "mousquetaire"
sleeves that gathered along the seam line, sleeve caps at the
shoulders, lace trimmed ruffles at the wrist, rows of ruched
mousseline de soie at the yoke, vertical decoration on one side of
the bodice, and a relatively plain, full skirt. |
