April 5, 1846 and Which dress for what occassion?

Mary Brewster, SUNDAY [April] 5 [1846]: “Another Sabbath day has fled, and how has the time been spent I can answer but little to what is required. I have read several pages in the Scriptures and do try to reflect and have my mind and conversation on that which is good, but I am constantly reminded of my own sinfulness, and can apply the passage of Holy writ to myself, which says when I would do good, evil is always present with me and I can add, [evil?] often chosen [chosen over good?]. The weather continues pleasant and nearly calm.   LONG. 114.9.”

 

This dress for the morning, another for the daytime, and yet another for walking! Yikes! How is a woman to know which dress is suitable for which occasion?

Today, there are two photos, one of a morning robe/dress from 1800, and another of an 1820’s day dress.For the next few days, this blog will include photographs of day dresses and evening dresses from several decades of the nineteenth century.

Below, is an introduction to the concept of a different dress for a different occasion, and when available, photographs of several museum examples of dresses for various occasions.   During the mid-nineteenth century, dresses illustrated on fashion plates found in magazines such as Godey’s, Peterson’s or Demorests’  were frequently identified according to the times of day or the activities for which they were intended.  Therefore, captions such as “morning dress“, “day dress“, “walking or promenade dress“, or “evening” or “ball dresses” were sometimes found.  Occasionally, there were also fashion plates of a  “Wedding Dress”; but during the mid-19th century, wearing a wedding dress was not a common practice like today.  Women who could afford such a dress for that special occasion (and so, only may have been worn once) were from the upper class and rarely middle class.

Morning dresses was a term generally used during the Regency period and were the most informal of dresses, often made of lingerie-type fabric such as white cotton or fine linen with lace or ruffled trimmings. The dress or gown below, looks more like a contemporary light-weight, bathrobe than a dress.  

Circa 1800 Morning Robe or dress

 

Day dresses, promenade or walking dresses, and carriage dresses were very similar and therefore difficult to distinguish one from the other, especially in summer. Daytime dresses had lower, straight, waistlines until about 1833; long, wide sleeves; and full skirts.  After 1833, bodices with V-shaped points became popular and remained so until the late 1860’s.  Sleeves were exceptionally diverse from about 1830-1860’s. However, by the 1870’s, sleeves were tight/close-fitting and straighter.    

1823 Visiting dress

Evening dresses differed from daytime dresses in the style of the neckline, sleeves, and skirt length. Necklines were lower, and sometimes off-the-shoulder sleeves were shorter and skirt-length was shorter.  As expected fabric used for evening wear was more elegant and included silk satins, softer gauzes and organdy.  Additionally, decor on evening dresses were more elaborate.