The Romantic Era

The Romantic Era

My love for the romantic era (in fashion, appx. 1825-1830's) was slow in coming. When I first began historic costuming I found the clothing from this period awkward and unattractive. I think the big sleeves was what I really did not like - they were just so huge in all the fashion plates I saw and I really did not think I would ever fall in love with this era of fashion history.

Despite my lack of love for the clothing styles, I did find a passionate love for the cultural history of this part of the midwest in the 1820's and 1830's era. The history of that time is just so fascinating to read and study. I soon found myself wanting to make a dress in a style representative of that time, so I began studying the late 1820's as my fashion window.

I discovered that I loved the 1820's. The early 1820's were still quite regency in look but by the mid 1820's the waistline was lower and the sleeves starting to get fuller and the skirts wider. It was a transitional time of fashion between the empire line of the regency and the dome shaped skirts and hourglass shape of the later Victorian era. I fell deeply in love with this transitional style. I still don't care much for the full-blown 1830's "Romantic" look but I do like the very early 1830's styles, which are similar to the late 1820's style. There is a lot of overlap. To see the development and evolution of fashion during this era is incredibly fascinating. I don't really have historic events or living histories to wear my romantic dresses to so I wear them for every day use. It's fun to dress like an "early settler" to this area would have!

Mid-to-late 1820's Cream Print Cotton Day Dress

Late 1820's - Early 1830's Pink and Cream Cotton Day Dress

Early 1830's Dull Green Print Cotton Day Dress

Mid-to-late 1820's Cranberry and Cream Check Cotton Day Dress

Romantic-Era Undergarments