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Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Order Number 1336249 turessmg t % • iorjp iuei occasion:• mm"l_ e uinereutiaiiuuj • jop __ • j_ • _ __ui wumeu »j costume in America, 1770—1910 Connolly, Marguerite Alexandra, M.A. University of Delaware, 1987 Copyright ©1987 by Connolly, Marguerite Alexandra. All rights reserved. U-M-I 300 N. ZeebRd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. D R ESSIN G FOR THE OCCASION: THE DIFFERENTIATION OF WOMEN'S COSTUME IN AMERICA, 1770-1910 By Marguerite Alexandra Connolly A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Early American Culture December 1987 (a) 1987 Marguerite Alexandra Connolly Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DRESSING EOK THE O u CA s j .ON: 1770-1910 By Marguerite Alexandra Connolly Approved: Frances W. Mayhew, ^ Professor in charge of thesis on behalf of the Advisory Committee \t) i , I Y) \ Approved: yn ( A /' n t ■ u vt A j\ Vg*.v- _____________ Richard. L. Bushman, Ph.D. Professor in charge of thesis on behalf of the Advisory Committee Approved: CCUi-t i (k k.LX.lt'ti Ja;he$ C. Curtis, Ph.D. D,are<btor, Winterthur Program in Early American ulture ‘f Approved: Q : , L J Q rv\,v Richard B. Murray, Ph.D./ Associate Provost for Graduate Studies v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT S I wish to extend heartfelt gratitude to my advisors, Frances W. Mayhew and Dr. Richard L. Bushman, for their guidance and assistance throughout this entire research project. Their advice and encouragement made this thesis an enlightening -- and fun -- learning experience. I also wish to thank my parents, Edward and Margaret Connolly, for their patience in tolerating an "absentee" daughter for well over a year. Their unconditional love and support was not always acknowledged, but always felt. Finally, a warm thanks is due to my family and friends, both in New York and in Delaware, for their help and support, which provided an additional -- and much needed -- source of strength. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS page LIST OF FIGURES......................................... viii INTRODUCTION........ 1 Chapter 1 WOMEN * S MAGA21NS S AND THE MIDDLE CLASS 6 The History of Women's Magazines........... 6 The Rise of the Middle Class................ 11 The Importance of Clothing in Industrial Amer i c a...................................... 16 MOTES TO CHAPTER 3...................................... 22 Chapter 2 METHODOLOGY.................................... 25 Magazines Studied............................. 25 Time F r a m e ..................................... 28 Categorization of Fashion Images........... 30 Other Sources................................. 35 Exclusions, Limitations and Substitutions.. 35 Interpretation................................ 38 NOTES TO CHAPTER 2 ..................................... 40 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V Chapter page 3 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS: TRENDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF FASHION PLATE DIFFERENTIATION............................... 41 1770-1860: The Beginning of the Industrial Ord e r........................................ 43 Earliest Dress Categories............... 43 New Dress Categories..................... 46 Interchangeability of Dress Categories. 52 Most Prevalent Categories............... 59 1860-1890: The Gilded Age .................. 61 Increase in Categories.................. 61 Specialized Trends in Clothing Differentiation........................ 65 Interchangeability of Dress Categories. 71 Most Prevalent Categories............... 72 1890-1910: The Era of the "New Woman" 74 New Dress Categories..................... 74 General Dress Categories................ 80 The Breakdown of Differentiation....... 82 NOTES TO CHAPTER 3 ..................................... 86 C h apter ' ’4 " CONCLUSION: THE PURPOSE OF FASHION PLATE DIFFERENTIATION............................. 89 NOTES TO CHAPTER 4 ......... 102 APPENDIX A: TABLES OF THE CATEGORIZATION OF FASHION IMAGES BY YEAR, 1770-1910........ .................. 104 A-l: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1770.. 105 A-2: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1775.. 106 A-3: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1780.. 107 A-4: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1785.. 108 A-5: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1790.. 109 A-6: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1795.. 110 A-7: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1800.. Ill A-8: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1805.. 112 A-9: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1810.. 113 A. — 10: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1815.. 114 A-ll: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1820.. 115 A-12: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1825.. 116 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. v i page A - 13 : Categorization of Fashion Images __ 1830. 117 A - 14: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1835. 118 A - 15 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1840. 119 A - 16: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1845. 120 A - 17: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1850. 121 A - 18 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1855. 122 A - 19 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1860. 123 A-20 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1865 .. 124 A-21 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1870. 125 A-22 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1875. 127 A-23 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1380. 129 A-24: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1885. 131 * o c . C* —> +* ^ *y T* +• *1 rsT*t r\ ■ v . ^ W A. A u M w - * . w « o f Fashion Imaces - 1890. 133 A - 2 6 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1895. 135 A-2 7 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1900. 137 A-28: Categorization of Fashion Images - 1905. 140 A-2 9 : Categorization of Fashion Images - 1910. 142 APPENDIX B: GRAPHS ILLUSTRATING THE CATEGORIZATION FASHION IMAGES BY YEAR, 1770-1910. 144 B-l Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1770... 145 B-2 Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1775... 146 B-3 Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1780... 147 B-4 Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1785.. 148 B-5 Per Cent of Dresses bv Category - 1790... 149 B-6 Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1795. 150 B-7 Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1800. 151 B-8 Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1805. 152 B-9 Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1810. 153 B-1C: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1815. 154 B - l l : Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1820.. 155 B-12: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1825... 156 B-13 : Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1830... 157 B - 14: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1835... 158 B - 15 : Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1840... 159 B - 16: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1845... 160 B - 17 : Per Cent of Dresses ^ J Category - 1850... 161 B-18: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1855... 162 B-19: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1860... 163 B - 2 0 : Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1865... 164 B-21: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1870... 165 B-22 : Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1875... 166 B-23: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1880... 167 B-24: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1885... 168 B-25 : Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1890... 169 B-2 6: Per Cent of Dresses by Category - 1895 . 170 Reproduced with permission of the copyright