Write a 1250 words paper on the topic A Documentation of Fashion Trends during 1890s and 1900

Write a 1250 words paper on the topic A Documentation of Fashion Trends during 1890s and 1900. Thorstein Veblen presented The theory of the Leisure Class, a social critique in which he coined the term “conspicuous consumption” in order to explain the Western culture’s tendency to exhibit family wealth through material objects, in particular, women clothing. Therefore, clothing became one of the major expressions of one’s wealth and status. This paper tries to briefly document the men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing fashion during the 1890s and 1900 and the factors that influenced it.

Socialites’ routine required them to put verity of clothes on during the day for different activities, hence resulting in extensive wardrobes. A very prominent example of this trend was the popularity of tea gown (e.g. Fig.1.) a garment that women wore only for receiving guests in the afternoon. A tea gown had a loose front, but it was still a decorative piece of garment. Other less ornate dresses like tea gowns were called wrappers were also in vogue for several years. However, tea gown brought a causal form of dressing to the public sphere, though in a limited way (Cooper 79).

In the 1890s, the most illustrious aspect of women’s fashion was the leg-of-mutton sleeves, which was at its peak during 1895. Day bodice usually had high collars, mostly with boning on the sides to lift them up (see Fig.2.3.). Moreover, lapels, yokes, and shoulder detailing attracted the gaze outward to the wide sleeves. Typically, bodies were slightly pointed at the front waistline. Trumpet-shaped skirts fitted perfectly over petticoats with the waistline delicately gathered at the center back. For color, a range of yellow and pale mauve shades was popular during the 1890s. Outerwear fashion trend was black waist-length capes usually trimmed in a jet (Cooper 79).