How Has Fashion Changed From The 1800's To Now

From the 1800’s to now the fashion of our society has changed dramatically. Ranging from the clothing to hairstyles and accessories, nothing has remained the same. In the 19th century showing skin was not an option, whereas here in the 21st century one wouldn’t be surprised if you saw a girl with close to nothing on walking down the street. In the early 1800’s, women’s clothing styles were based on the ‘Empire silhouette.’ The Empire silhouette style consisted of dresses that were closely fitted to the torso just under the bust, falling loosely below. The beginning of the 19th century’s fashion was different than the rest of the 19th century and the ending of the 18th century. During this time, the dresses had taken away the natural shape of the waist in which took away the point of the tight fit corseting, often considered fashionable in other time periods.
The ‘antique head-dress, Chinese hat, Oriental inspired turban, and Highland helmet’ were popular in that time. If a bonnet was worn instead, elaborate ornamentations such as feathers and ribbons were known to be a popular decoration. On the other end, shoes consisted of thin, flat fabric which were silk or velvet. Also generally worn were leather slippers. Metal patterns were strapped onto the shoes to protect them from the rain or mud which had raised their feet an inch or so off of the ground.
The period of fashion during the late 19th century was known as the late Victorian era. In this period of time, the sewing machine and dye had been invented and had changed the appearance of fashion quite a bit. The dresses had then developed narrow and sloping shoulders, low and pointed waists, and bell-shaped skirts. Under the gowns the women had worn corsets, a knee-length chemise, and layers of flounced petticoats. The evening gowns had developed a very low neckline and were now worn off the shoulder with sheer shawls and opera-length