Fashion During The Civil War

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Clothing throughout our generations has made many impacts on how we view clothing nowadays. Such as high waisted shorts or pants, they were a huge market in the 1970s, and now they are a chic go to a pair of shorts for summer, which you can pair with a crop top or a t-shirt for a more lazy day. But one very historic time in our history was the Civil War, it was the turning point for many groups, but most importantly the fashion world. The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861, for the next four years people sacrificed their lives for their country. All different groups during this time period had different uniforms or outfits, it all depended on your job or social status. Union soldiers in the Civil War had a specific uniform they would…show more content…
So as we take a peek into the fashion world in the Civil War, remember that women were the apple of every man’s eye, so they dressed to impress. Virtually every woman during this time period wore some type of corset, from working class women to servants to high class ladies of society. The ideal waist for a woman to have was fifteen inches, but of course they were made in all sorts of sizes. Corsets were stiffened with whalebone, steel, some even of oak splits for in the South during the war. The women’s fashion feature most associated with the Civil War time period was the hoop skirt. The hoop skirt was named for the structural support of wire hoops or whalebones called “crinolines,” worn underneath the skirt to hold the shape in everyday life. For the typical dress, the width of the hoop skirt was about fifty to seventy percent of the woman’s height. For more formal gowns, such as the ones worn by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, the skirts were up to eighteen feet around, using twenty-five yards of material. The mourning dress was very popular in those days. A widow, was expected to wear deep mourning for a year. The widow would wear bombazine (dull, lusterless back) fabric, widow’s cap, black cuffs and collars, and black crepe. They were also required to wear black petticoats, stockings and parasols were also suggested. Women also carried a bag or purse, which usually contained their handkerchief and watch…show more content…
Under the age of five, Civil War children dressed alike except that girls sometimes wore crinoline. Young boys, however wore looser petticoats under their dresses. At age five, the boy would give up his skirts and started wearing short or long trousers or knickers. The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest four years in U.S. history. It was a time that everyone will remember and honor the men who sacrificed their lives. We should also dedicate that time in history to their magnificent sense of fashion. Of course nowadays we wouldn’t be looking for the newest hoop skirt with a matching corset for spring, but without those fashion pieces we wouldn’t be where we are
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