Early 1800s (1800–1829) Technological innovations At the turn of the 18th century, the Western world – namely Europe and the United States – were revelling in the prosperity of the rapid progress that came with the rise of the
Industrial Revolution. The period from approximately 1760 to between 1820 and 1840 saw the transition to new manufacturing processes from traditional hand production methods to new machine production methods. The
textile industry was the first to use modern production techniques, namely mechanised
cotton spinning with automatic machine looms. The unprecedented rapid and sustained economic growth demonstrated by the textile industry – through employment and value output – saw huge changes in the affordability of clothes and
materials as prices fell.
Art, culture, and politics The early 19th century saw a shift from 18th century
Enlightenment ideologies of order, reason and rationalism to new values of imagination and emotion with the emergence of
Romanticism. The period of Romanticism from around 1800–1840 emphasised an opposition to stability, celebrating an appreciation of the chaotic which admires creativity, individuality, subjectivity, spontaneity, the sensory and the
transcendental. The fashion of the time reflects this transitional period as it gradually moves away from the
Empire silhouette and
Neoclassical influences of Enlightenment which take inspiration from '
classical antiquity'. The shift towards a new Romantic style inspired by creativity and imagination, is defined by more theatrical and dramatic designs which are inspired by a blend of the mysterious
medieval past with lavish and dramatic
Gothic decoration. The extravagance of these displays reaches its peak nearing the end of Romanticism as 'exuberance becomes sentimentality'. For both men and women, silhouettes were increasingly exaggerated with the establishment of curvaceous shapes pointing to an obvious rejection of previous Neoclassical
geometric style. Layers of colour and pattern added to the dramatic and expressive display which became characteristic of Romanticism and again contrasted the 18th century
monochromatic palette. The introduction of
telegraphy and the opening of major railways connected people in major
industrial cities to one another. As standards of living slowly improved and
income per capita was on the rise, the middle-class were beginning to spend more on indulgent rather than solely necessary goods. The modernisation of communication and transportation technologies saw a shift in the traditional consumption patterns of retail consumers. The invention of
mail order business by
Pryce Pryce-Jones in 1861 revolutionised shopping patterns and enabled people to order clothing and accessories [via telegram] from other parts of the world [to then be delivered via train] a much similar concept to contemporary
online shopping habits.
Art, culture and politics The mid-19th century again shifts from Romanticism to
Realism, sometimes called
Naturalism. This ideological art movement "sought to convey a truthful and objective vision of contemporary life". 1837 marked the beginning of the
Victorian era, a time that saw tremendous progress, change and power for the
British Empire and one that characterises an entire genre of fashion history. Women's fashion at the beginning of
Queen Victoria's reign became more modest –
corsets were paired with swelled skirts which aligned with early Victorian ideals of the modest domestic lady stereotype. Layered
petticoats with
crinoline and steel-hoop structures,. Menswear of the early Victorian Era was understated with the rise of the respectable male
bourgeois gentleman. By the latter half of mid-nineteenth century it becomes clear that fashion technologies revolutionised the designs of particularly womenswear fashion with cage crinoline enabling a larger but more lightweight
hoop skirt. In align with the trend of offering greater comfort, menswear "relaxed into wide, easy cuts". The modern social and economic infrastructure continued to revolutionise consumption patterns as the prices of consumer goods decreased dramatically with the increase in productivity. The growth of urban centres and "new technologies, such as the introduction of electricity into clothing manufacturing, produced a boom in the
ready-to-wear market". Progress in communications and the media meant that fashionable styles and silhouettes were widespread globally and accessible to the everyday person. With the rise of publications, magazines aimed especially at women depicted the styles in vogue at the time and began to introduce paper patterns. The popularity of these patterns paired with machine innovation and ease-of-use saw a rise in the popularity of at home dressmaking. – "concentrating on themes of deeper symbolism to express emotions, rather than simply
optical impressions". The
women's rights and
suffragist movement towards the turn of the 20th century also saw a shift in gender roles. As the 19th century neared its end, the world began to transition away from stiff Victorian fashions with the rise of the
Edwardian era to new freedoms of a more simplistic dress structure and silhouette. styles, had excessive decoration which compensated for the rebellion against heavy, ultra-restrictive trends. Menswear began to have a significant influence on women's clothing with masculine styles and tailoring becoming increasingly popular, women sometimes wore a shirt
collar and tie, particularly when exercising. For men,
lounge suits were becoming increasingly popular and were often quite slim, maintaining an overall narrow silhouette. A
three-piece suit was a more casual attire regularly worn by businessmen, with jackets open or partially undone with a
waistcoat underneath. Heavily starched collars on shirts were worn high and stiff-standing, with turned down
wingtips. == Women's fashion ==