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Written by Vintage Fashion Guild
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Vintage Fashion Guild Timeline 1850 - 1860
 1855 Day Dress Flounced á Disposition, courtesy Linda Ames, vintagetextile.com By 1855, the cage crinoline or hoop had swayed on to the scene and skirts expanded to their maximum size. Women were delighted to wear the cage as it provided relief from the weight of numerous petticoats and the plethora of under garments that needed to be washed.
 ca 1850s Cotton Print Gown, courtesy Deborah Burke, antiquedress.com The hoop was worn almost universally and could be seen on ladies, maids, the middle class and shop girls. Women working hard in fields and those scrubbing floors were some of the few exceptions.
 ca 1850s CottonDress w/ white work & tucked skirt, courtesy Hollis Jenkins-Evans, pastperfectvintage.com Cloaks and mantlelets remained fashionable for practical reasons - they were the only outerwear capable of covering the triangular silhouette. Shawls worked wonderfully spread out over the width of the hoop and were popular for their ornamental possibilities as well as their functional role.
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