The last years of the 19th century are among the most exciting periods in European fashion history. In hardly any other era did the silhouette change so dramatically within just a few years. The heavy draperies of the 1880s disappeared, new skirt shapes emerged, the famous puffed sleeves conquered the fashion world, and luxurious fabrics provided the characteristic shine of the turn of the century.
This change is particularly evident in the skirt.
The End of Overly Embellished Draperies
Towards the end of the 1880s, the appearance of women's fashion began to change noticeably. The elaborately draped skirts and the strongly emphasized back view of previous decades gradually lost significance. Instead of large masses of fabric and complicated arrangements, a calmer line emerged.
The fabrics now fell more smoothly from the upper body. At the same time, bodices lengthened and tapered to the waist. The entire silhouette appeared slimmer, more elegant, and more controlled than just a few years earlier.
The Path to a Slim Silhouette
The early 1890s show a clear preference for narrow shapes. The waist was emphasized, while skirts initially remained relatively tight and smooth. At the same time, they lengthened again. Trains, which had largely disappeared previously, reappeared, lending additional elegance to the dresses.
But fashion sought a new solution. The desired silhouette was to appear slender, yet possess enough fullness of fabric to seem representative and modern.
The answer was as simple as it was effective: the width of the skirt was no longer concentrated at the waist but shifted downwards.
The Emergence of the Bell Skirt
This change is particularly evident in the skirt.
At the beginning of the 1890s, skirts were still comparatively narrow, smooth, and rounded. Large fabric fullness initially played little role. But already from 1892, skirts became longer again, and small trains returned to fashion.
A year later, the silhouette changed again. The hips were more emphasized, while the skirts gained more width towards the bottom. Step by step, a shape emerged that would later become known as the bell skirt.
The real innovation was that the additional amount of fabric was no longer concentrated at the waist. Instead, the skirt remained smooth and close-fitting in the upper area. The width only developed further down. This allowed the figure to appear slender, although the skirts were made increasingly generously.
Initially, the extra width was often gathered at the back and arranged in deep pleats. Later, it was distributed more evenly over the entire circumference of the skirt.
By 1898, the new silhouette had largely established itself. The skirt lay smoothly at the waist and hips, remained relatively narrow up to about knee height, and then flared out significantly below. This elegant line became one of the most important characteristics of fashion around the turn of the century.
Trains and Movement
With longer skirts, trains also returned. They lent a special dignity to the dresses and simultaneously altered the effect of the entire silhouette.
The fabrics moved differently when walking than they had just a few years earlier. Rigid constructions were increasingly replaced by softer lines. Fashion began to emphasize movement and flow more strongly. This change already paved the way for the later aesthetics of Art Nouveau.
The Famous Puffed Sleeves
Hardly any detail is as strongly associated with the 1890s today as the large puffed sleeves.
Interestingly, this was not an entirely new idea. Similar forms had already been fashionable in the 1830s. Fashion thus consciously drew on earlier models.
At the beginning of the 1890s, puffed sleeves reached impressive sizes and lent additional width to the shoulders. Towards the end of the decade, however, they disappeared again. The sleeves became narrower, longer, and sometimes covered almost the entire hand.
Shortly thereafter, the puffed shape reappeared, but this time not at the shoulder, but further down on the forearm or wrist. This created an entirely new effect.
Luxury Under the Dress
Not only visible clothing changed. Underwear also became increasingly elaborately designed.
While women previously wore several petticoats one on top of the other, around the turn of the century, often only a single petticoat was preferred. However, this was particularly carefully crafted and richly decorated.
Volants, ruffles, and multi-layered finishes provided additional fullness and influenced the movement of the skirt. Often, even different colors were used. Even areas that were only occasionally visible received great attention.
The Rustling of the Belle Époque
A detail often overlooked today played an important role back then: the sound of clothing.
Many women appreciated the characteristic rustling of their skirts. This was by no means accidental. Through the use of volants and stiff taffeta fabrics inside the clothing, this effect was specifically enhanced.
The well-known rustling of the Belle Époque was thus part of the overall fashionable impression and was consciously sought after.
Precious Fabrics and New Materials
The fabrics of the turn of the century conveyed luxury and elegance. Soft silks, shiny taffetas, and high-quality fabrics with a flowing surface were particularly popular.
Interestingly, this desire for elegance did not always go hand in hand with practical considerations. Many of the popular materials were more delicate than the fabrics of earlier decades. Beauty and fashionable effect often outweighed durability and suitability for everyday use.
Precisely this inclination towards luxury, however, shaped the unmistakable character of fashion around 1900.
A Glimpse into the Future
The 1890s were therefore far more than just a transitional period. They created an entirely new idea of what a fashionable women's dress could look like. The rigid emphasis on the back view gave way to a balanced silhouette that transformed the entire body into an elegant line.
The bell skirt became one of the defining features of this era and also forms an important bridge between late 19th-century fashion and the new trends of the early 20th century.
Anyone who looks at historical dresses from this period recognizes in them not only a changed form but also a change in taste. Fashion no longer sought the most spectacular constructions, but a silhouette that combined movement, elegance, and harmony.
Historical note: This article is based on contemporary descriptions of women's fashion between approximately 1890 and 1902. Regional differences were possible. The developments shown primarily relate to bourgeois and upper-class European fashion of this
0 comments