Gotham Patterns: Women's Clothing

Contents:

• Dresses
• Sheer Dresses
• Neckties
• Cuffs and Wristlets

Dresses

Descriptions and examples of the various elements of dress during the American Civil War

Bodices:You will hear about three main styles of bodice when researching the dress of women during the Civil War. The darted bodice, the gathered bodice, and the fan-front bodice.

• The Darted Bodice is a smooth, tightly fit style. There are ussually two darts, each angling slightly from CF towards the breast. This girl is wearing a darted bodice. The darted bodice is appropriately made in silk or wool fabric. There is little evidence to support the use of cotton darted bodices. The bodice is usually flatlined in a polished cotton or plain linen.
• The Gathered Bodice is used for less formal dresses, in general. It could be made out of cotton, silk, or wool. Gathered bodices could be gathered, or arranged in small pleats, and sewn in a waistband, or edged with self-fabric piping. The lining was often darted and sewn on separately. The front closure was sometimes left separate, with the hooks and eyes on the lining, and the outside fabric being tautly held in place by the weight of the skirt.
• The Fan-Front Bodice was a style left over from the previous decade, and so seen most often on older women. Some older styles of bodices had pleats coming from the shoulders.

Sleeves: Sleeves were where a woman could be most creative when making her dress. The variations are endless. A few basic styles are discussed here:

• The Coat Sleeve is often made of two pieces, an upper and a lower. Coat sleeves could be relatively tight, or wide on top and tight at the cuff, or loose all around. This style was very practical, and used extensively for work clothing This is arguably the most popular sleeve style, growing more prevalent towards the end of the war as shapes became sleeker.
• The Balloon Sleeve, a modern name for a common style. It resembles the coat sleeve, but is made all in one piece. The seam is towards the back, and often shaped to give fullness at the elbow.
• The Pagoda Sleeve is another style left over from the previous decade: still fashionable, but on its way out. . Pagodas were generally reserved for finer dresses of silk or wool, being impractical to work in.
• The Bishop Sleeve is a fuller sleeve, gathered or pleated into a band at the cuff.
• Other variations on styles: The Leg'O'Mutton sleeve, full at the top. The Modified Pagoda, wide but not as much as the regular pagoda, is very much like a wider coat sleeve. Another example of a Modified Pagoda.

Skirts: Skirts were basic at the time: most had straight panels, selvage to selvage ( a practical use of fabric).

• Knife Pleating was the most common waist treatment was. Pleats sewn about 1" wide, either switching direction at front, sides, and back, or less often, one direction all around. Some examples of Knife pleating: Example II.
• Box Pleats were fashionable alternative, coming out near the end of the war.
• Gauging was long out of style, but still used in work clothing, or by older women. Some skirts were pleated in front and gauged in back.

The length of the skirt was determined at the waist, rather than at the hem. Material was simply folded back, and whip stitched to the bottom of the bodice. Skirts made of thin materials, especially silk, were fully lined for added strength. Many skirts had a facing of cheap cotton or linen, and some were hemmed with a wool or cotton braid, to further reduce wear of the fashion fabric.

Recommended Reproductions:

• Originals By Kay
• The Graceful lady

Recommended Patterns:

• Past Patterns: 1850-67 Bodices
• Past Patterns: 1850-63 Dart Fitted Bodices
• Past Patterns: 1850-62 Fashionable Skirt
• Fig Leaf Patterns: c. 1857
• Fig Leaf Patterns: c. 1859 Dress
• Peachtree Mercantile: c. 1860 Dress

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Sheer Dresses

The American Civil War period, c. 1860-65

Q: What is a sheer dress, and why were they worn? A: Dresses made of transparent or semi-transparent materials were common throughout the mid 19th century. During the civil war, which is the period I will be focusing on, sheers were made of cotton, silk, wool, or combinations of those fibers. They were worn as a light, stylish, warm-weather alternative to dresses made of opaque material.

Q: What styles did sheer dresses come in? A: For basic dress styles, see above. A few styles more common to sheers: Bodice: Bodices were almost always gathered or tucked, rather than darted. Presumably, this was because the fabric would not hold up under the stress of such strained, unsupported seams. Sleeves: Bishop, coat, and variations of the two styles were especially common to sheers. Less often, pagoda sleeves were worn, a holdover from the 1850s. Skirts: Sheer skirts were more likely to be gathered than opaque dresses. They were also sometimes gauged.

Q: What types of modern fabrics are appropriate for a reproduction dress? A: Look for sheer fabric with a crisp hand and body. As always, use 100% natural material (cotton, wool, or silk. Linen dresses were not commonly worn at the time.) When shopping for sheers try the drapery section They often carry fine cotton voile, but be aware that some drapery fabrics have chemical coatings that will be inauthentic and uncomfortable.

Some period fabric names, with their modern equivalents, if applicable:

Q: What prints are appropriate for sheers? A: Cotton: cotton sheers were printed in florals or small geometric designs (e.g. an original dress at the Museum of London was printed with 1" blue stars spaced approximately 8" apart). Sometimes stripes or bars (now commonly known as 'windowpane') were woven into the fabric, in one color. Solid colored sheer cottons, with the exception of white, were not common. In the 1850s, sheer cottons were sometimes printed specially for flouncing, often with an Indian motif. Wool: Coming soon

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Neck Ties

• Image: Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, 1860, page 69. Necktie, of silk or velvet, bound with a different color.
• Image: Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, 1862. Fig. 9: Necktie of green silk, the part going under the collar is cut to fit the neck. The ends are embroidered with gold braid, and trimmed with black lace.
• Image: From Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, 1862. Fig. 10: Tie of cherry silk, cut the same as figure 9; ends embroidered with gold braid, and spotted with gold beads.
• Image: From Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, 1862. Fig. 11: Neck-tie of velvet, with embroidered ends.
• Image:: Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, 1862, page 430. Neck-tie Made of black velvet, and bordered by two shades of magenta ribbon cut in the shape of shells.
• Image: Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, 1863, page 246. Necktie of Scarlet Silk With black velvet inserted, and braided with gold braid.

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Cuffs and Wristlets

Image:: From Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, 1862. Fig. 8: Gauntlet cuff for top of glove; made of black silk, with velvet inserted, and braided with gold braid.

Godey's Ladys Book and Ladies Magazine v. 60 January- June 1860: Pg. 356 (engraving pg. 298)

For this wristlet take a velvet about 2 inches wide, and make a casing about the 16th of an inch from the edge; then run an elastic cord through these casings, which will draw it into a puff and enable it to be passed over the hand. On the top is a flat bow of ribbon; the piece that crosses it is of velvet dotted with beads and edged with lace; the ends are of velvet edged with lace and dotted with beads. Any colors can be used, but black and gold beads we think very pretty indeed.

Pg. 458 Velvet Wristlet:This style of wristlet is made of three bands of velvet plaited and sewn to an elastic band; it is fastened by a velvet bow, with a small rosette of ribbon and buckle in the centre.

Godey's Ladys Book and Ladies Magazine v. 61 July-December 1860

Pg. 159 Wristlet made of narrow colored ribbon black velvet, and lace. An elastic cord is sewed inside, which makes it cling to the wrist.

Pg. 567 "Gossip on Novelties" The "wristlet" is now used in place of the old frill of lace upon the glove, for evening dress, and indeed it is almost universal for home, as well as for the evening and promenade. In full dress, it is of any ribbon matching the trimming of the dress, (say maize, cerise, or blue, and edged with blonde); the slide in the centre of the bow may be of pearl, steel, silver, or gold-gilt. For general wear, a dark brown, purple, green, or black ribbon, edged with black lace, with a steel or jet slide is most suitable; a black velvet wristlet, with either style of slide, is perhaps the best style of all for the street. These wristlets are worn with the plain band of a frill muslin, or cambric undersleeve; or finish a tight dress-sleeve, without any other cuff. A yard and 3/4 or two yards of ribbon are required- with a plain mantua ribbon as lining to the cuff, or puff part of the wristlet. Stout elastic cord, to go twice around each wrist. The shirrs or drawings are run near the edge of the lining or ribbon, and the elastic drawn through, making a bracelet just the size of the wrist, the elastic allowing the hand to pass through. A plain or double bow with two cords, both falling one way, is placed so as to conceal the joining, and come to the top of the wrist; or there may be a double bow and ends, and between them a rosette of lace, with loops of narrow velvet, fastened by a slide in the center. Steel, gilt, and jet beads are used to ornament the ribbon, by many.

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