1880

FASHION THROUGH THE 1880'S

In the beginning of the decade of 1880, the ‘princess line style’ was still present, with the near disappearance of the bustle. However, this trend wouldn’t last long, because by the beginning of 1883, the bustle came back. This was another kind of bustle, coming from the upper side of the bottom. They were more robust and the structures that supported them began to be more complex to allow women to sit properly. The bustle reached its peak in 1886 and by the beginning of the next decade it was eradicated. The bodices became really tightly fitted, with narrow shoulders and narrow sleeves, which allowed very little movement. 

The bosom was not shown, the collar was high and tight, and the bodices were usually accompanied by centre panels that resembled a jacket and vest, using menswear styles as a source of inspiration. The skirts were composed of a series of overskirts and underskirts that were superimposed to create a sense of volume, as they were ruffled and of different sizes. 

Jackets and coat-like attire worked better with the bustle silhouette. The mantle or dolman, a garment with a large sleeve cut with the body in one piece, and short basques in the back that showed the bustle, was a distinctive feature of 1880s outerwear. 

Women during the 1880s started wearing their hair up into chignons. Hats sat right on the top of their heads, and they were decorated with lots of ribbons, laces, feathers, and even dead stuffed birds.