“The journey of a hundred years begins with a single step”
Lao Tzu
The Declaration of Independence was but a single step that created political freedom from Britain. In the hundred years to follow (1776-1876), there were many more steps to create a uniquely American culture and style, but that did not necessarily mean complete independence. Indeed, America would continue to be influenced and inspired by British and European ties—especially in dress.
For menswear this influence came from the (in)famous British dandy, Beau Brummel. He rejected the powdered wigs, bright colors and extravagant gee-gaws of the aristocracy. He advocated for impeccable grooming and he broke the mold by wearing clean, simple lines, precisely tailored jackets in dark colors with long trousers and white linen shirts with neck cloths. This move towards simplicity was welcomed by Americans as they began the hard work of building a new nation. While it may look formal to our eyes today, it provided the template for an ongoing simplification of menswear. For women, however, simplicity was a more complex affair—both in and out of style in the 1800’s.
At the same time, women’s clothing took inspiration from European romantic artistic ideals that celebrated simplicity, natural beauty, practicality and emotion over reason. The French Revolution of 1795 unexpectedly contributed to this move to simple dress as did the discovery of Ancient Greece. Women’s silhouettes became long, graceful and columnar. Fabrics of lightweight muslins, linen, cottons, silk and velvet freed women of the heavy fabrics and many pieces of the former court style. The defining feature was the Empire waist which had the bodice ending in a band, often a silk ribbon, just below the bust with the skirt falling in soft, graceful folds to the floor. Hems could be trimmed in simple embroidery or with lace. Short puffed sleeves and low rounded or square necklines were complimented by soft white or pastel colors for a free flowing, feminine style. First Lady, Dolly Madison, endorsed and wore this style (see First Ladies of Style: Timeless Fashions From the White House). It could hardly be more different from the elaborate dress of European royalty, with its precious fabrics, ornate embroidery, frills and frippery!
SPOILER ALERT: Women’s fashions can be notoriously fickle and this move towards simplicity was transitory as women’s fashion would soon return to more elaborate styles.
The reign of Queen Victoria, who emphasized propriety and respectability, influenced women to revert to the former restrictive styles. Women’s bodies were again corseted to emphasize an hourglass shape with tiny waists and voluminous skirts that were supported by layers of heavy petticoats. Leg-o-mutton sleeves replaced the simple puff sleeves and lace, ribbons and embroidery reemerged. This style reflected the cultural ideals of feminine grace, modesty and virtue. Menswear, in the meantime continued to simplify, with only a broadening of the shoulders, higher collars and folded cravats. Black became a fashionable color for business and formal affairs (see Perfect Harmony: Black and White in Style also, Every Color Has A Story)
To be fair, much of the development of a nascent American fashion industry originated in Britain and Europe. The spinning jenny and power loom were both British inventions that greatly increased fabric production. An influx of European immigrants brought dress making and tailoring skills to be-spoke and ready-to-wear garments. Ready-to-wear garments contributed to the rise of department stores. London was home to the first department store and Lord & Taylor was the first in the United States (see Why Department Stores Still Matter) and aniline dyes were discovered by British chemist, Henry Perkins, producing exciting new colors for clothing (see Yellow: The Power Color You Are Missing) However, it was the 1848 California gold rush that contributed the first uniquely American garment—the blue jean, still a worldwide staple. But, it was the 1760 Industrial Revolution begun in Britain that changed everything, everywhere.
The Industrial Revolution brought efficiencies in production of all products including fabrics and clothing. The invention of the lock stitch sewing machine (Elias Howe) and its refinement (by Isaac Singer) allowed faster clothing production in factories. The introduction of paper patterns and the affordable Singer sewing machine made possible fashionable at-home dress making. Steel production built railroads that transported products and people (creating a demand for fashionable travel garments) coast-to-coast and the steamships it built carried fashion magazines, fabric and garments from the capitals of Europe. Surprisingly, the steel industry also made possible another return to fashion excess for women. The creation of inexpensive, lightweight steel cages worn around the waist supported oversized skirts, eliminating the weight of many petticoats. This, of course, encouraged fashion enthusiasts to take the style to ridiculous levels. Skirts became so voluminous and unwieldy that it was difficult to pass through doorways or enter carriages. Worn during the 1850’s through the 1870’s, this style is, perhaps, the most defining of the era. It would gradually be replaced in the coming century with the bustle.
By the Centennial year of 1876, American fashions had passed through many iterations, each one reflecting the country’s values and growing confidence and capacities. The extraordinary growth, technological advances and economic ambitions would reveal themselves by the Bicentennial in 1976. Keep reading!
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