The Art of the Hoop: 1860 - 1869: Fashion, Sewing, and Clothing Care Advice

The great desire of a fashionable woman of the present day, is to possess a costume which is like nothing ever seen before. Peterson’s Magazine, April 1865The art of the hoop was an everchanging ideal. During the 1860s the shape of the crinoline shifted from a simple cage-hoop to panniers, with styles updating almost monthly. Ladies of means seemed desperate to stay a la mode, and even middle-class women tried to keep up.Fashion magazines were studied and dissected, scoured for details on how each effect was created, how seams were manipulated, and where hems fell. They learned why changes were made, when they went out of date, and how to recreate the styles they liked. And, of course, the American civil war intruded.But the 1860s were difficult for dressmakers, since fashions changed so rapidly. Styles cycled between the ages, from Louis XV. to Marie Antoinette, and even tried forays into high-waisted Empire dresses.Trains lengthened or disappeared into “short” dresses, trim exploded or vanished altogether. Fashion’s idea of simplicity astounds me.One dress, which was particularly admired for its simplicity, was made of white silk, and trimmed with seven flounces about four or five inches broad, and edged with groseille-colored silk.Arthur’s Home Magazine, February 1861After the dress was made and worn, it must be maintained. Clothing care was interesting, if often odd, or even dangerous. Don’t try most of their efforts at home!This book compiles sewing and fashion advice given in books and magazines during the 1860s, given in the words of writers of that time. Each entry shows the name and date of the periodical quoted. It has three sections:1) Sewing tips and fashion advice2) Fabric cleaning and care.3) Bibliography of magazines and books I found useful. I’ve included over 980 black and white period engravings to help show the details of their work.