Perth County Fashions 1860's (pt. 1)

While women living in Perth county in the 1860's may have felt themselves to be isolated from the fashion influences of the bigger world, the evidence suggests that the style in which our ancestors dressed was a reflection of what was happening elsewhere: a somewhat muted and conservative reflection of high fashion, but a reflection nonetheless. The differences which existed in the dresses were more likely to be a result of wealth and social class rather than a lack of awareness. The coloured engraving at the top of this blog first appeared in Godfey's Lady's Book in 1861. This periodical, which was published in Philadelphia acted as a fashion guide for its many subscribers. The early 1860s, was a period in which the crinoline-supported dome-like skirt was at its widest, and in fashion plates during 1860 and 1861 the skirt seems to project as much in front as in back. The photo of an unknown young woman in a striped dress above, was taken in London Ontario in the years before Confederation when this area was still known as Canada West. The next photo is Lois' great grandmother Eliza Fulcher taken after 1867. While Eliza's dress may be made of less expensive materials, and the workmanship and the detail of the sewing may be less complex, the full skirt, the wide tightly cinched belt, the puffed sleeves and the high neckline show that the two women are following similar fashion lines. The next picture is of Robert Ballantyne the brother of Gordon's great grandmother Agnes McEwan, and his wife Helen Smith. This is likely their wedding picture taken in 1860 when he was 39 and she was 23. The dress of the new Mrs. Ballantyne has many of the features of the dresses above but with an added feature in the formal jacket. A hoop (or possibly many petticoats) create the dome shape of the skirt, and the white collar is used to create a dramatic contrast to the black satin dress.
Finally, in case we think that hooped skirts were worn only for formal occasions. here is a detail from a well know picture of the old frame town hall in St. Marys. The woman on the right appears to be a passerby who has stopped to watch the excitement of the ongoing photo session. Not only is a large hoop creating the desired silhouette, but the skirt is short enough to allow her to walk through the mucky streets without the danger of dirtying the hem of her dress. A very wise precaution in St. Marys in 1865!