Fashionable women’s clothing in the 1890s moved away from the exaggerated styles of previous decades. Skirts were no longer as wide as in the 1850s or as bustled as in the late 1860s and mid-1880s.
They were also not as tight as in the late 1870s. However, corsets remained a prominent feature, becoming even tighter in some cases.
In the early 1890s, dresses had a tight bodice with a skirt that was gathered at the waist, falling more naturally over the hips.
Sleeves, known as leg-of-mutton or gigot sleeves, became popular again, growing larger each year until reaching their peak size around 1895.
A woman from Harper, Kansas.
By the mid-1890s, skirts took on an A-line shape that was almost bell-like.
In the late 1890s, sleeves became tighter, often with small puffs or ruffles at the shoulder but fitted at the wrist.
Skirts also changed, adopting a trumpet shape that fit closely over the hips and flared just above the knee.
Corsets of this decade were crucial in defining the hourglass figure, popularized by artist Charles Dana Gibson.
Towards the end of the decade, corsets became longer, creating a slight S-bend silhouette that remained fashionable into the Edwardian era.
Fashionable French lady, Studio Americaine, Lyon.
At the beginning of the 1890s, hairstyles were similar to those of the 1880s, with curled or frizzled bangs and hair swept up.
However, starting in 1892, hairstyles began to be influenced by the Gibson Girl, becoming looser and wavier. Bangs also fell out of high fashion during this time.
By the end of the decade, a popular hairstyle was a large bun at the top of the head, a style that would continue into the early 1900s.
Shoe fashion during this time saw the revival of high tab front shoes with large buckles, a style that had first become popular in the 1870s.
These shoes, known by various names such as “Cromwell,” “Colonial,” and “Molière,” were made from materials like suede, leather, lace, and metal. Suede, a new material in 1890, was available in a few pale shades.
Dancer in folk costume, Max Platz studio, Chicago.
On the reverse “Mae Pearson”, Mercer, Pennsylvania.
Friends, Mendota, Illinois studio.
Lady in black, San Francisco, California.
Rich and varied hats, Stanwood, Washington.
A young woman from the 1890s.
Sisters, Nebraska City, Nebraska studio.
Studio portrait of young woman, Chicago, Illinois.
Swedish woman, Nosund, Sweden studio.
Woman in fancy dress, Singhi Studio, Binghamton, New York.
Woman in winter attire, Sunbeam Gallery, Peoria, Illinois.
Lady in white, San Francisco, California.
Lady with hair ornament. Identified on reverse as Edith May Smock, Fairfield, Iowa.
Woman with glasses, Providence, Rhode Island studio.
Woman with straw hat, Winterset, Iowa studio.
Young woman in springtime, Sunbeam Gallery, Peoria, Illinois.
Norwegian girl, Trondhjem, Norway.
On the reverse “Annie Johnson”, G.H. Young studio, Chicago.
Swedish woman, Uddevalla, Sweden studio.
Woman in black, Omaha, Nebraska studio.
(Photo credit: Vintage Victorian Fashion on Flickr / Wikimedia Commons).