Women’s 1840s day dresses featured tight sleeves and boned bodices with dropped shoulders. The bell shaped skirts were formed with cartridge pleating. Bright printed and woven fabrics were popular with the same designs repeated in matching pelerines. Dresses had a fan-front (gathered) bodice that formed a point below the waist with piping at the waistline, armscye, neckline and shoulder seams.
Pretty Victorian dress from the early 1840s features tight capped sleeves. The day dress has a fan-front (gathered) bodice that forms a point below the waist with piping at the waistline, armscye, neckline and shoulder seams. The same colorful print is featured in the matching pelerine.
1840s Victorian Dresses
Three Victorian dresses from the 1840s with full bell-shaped skirts with cartridge pleating. The center dress illustrates the dropped shoulder and the tight capped sleeves of the period. The form-fitting sleeves were sometimes so tight that tiny pleats were inserted at the elbow to aid in movement.
Victorian Dress, 1840s
Vibrantly colored early Victorian dress (c1842-45) with a boned pointed bodice and long tight sleeves. Fabric is a marine blue and light green stripe cashmere with an overall design of branches and fronds in red and ivory. Photo on the left shows the large silk fringe collar. The dress features a separate matching fringed pelerine which is shown in the photo on the right.
Detail photo showing the colorful design of branches and fronds on the Victorian dress.
Bright printed and woven fabrics were popular with the same designs repeated in matching pelerines. Dresses had a fan-front (gathered) bodice that formed a point below the waist with piping at the waistline, armscye, neckline and shoulder seams.
