This is a gorgeous green taffeta dress sold at auction on eBay. This is post 1865, as you can see the longer skirt back, which hints at the trains that would follow in the late 1860s and 1870s. The square yoke with the ruffles is also a good indicator of a post-1865 date. This is [...]

Another beauty from Karen Augusta’s shop, this 1838 afternoon dress is made of green-gold figured silk with a linen bodice lining. It fastens with brass hooks and eyes. “This unaltered dress shows the transition between the styles of the 1830s and the later 1840s. The bodice has not yet acquired the pointed front as is [...]

I love to find pictures of friends posing together. This is one of my favorites. What an artistic shot, with the ivy in the background and the young ladies’ profiles! Written on the back of the picture is “Misses Swartz and Grugan.” No date, but I’d place this in the late 1890s or very early [...]

From the same 1897 issue of Ladies Home Journal posted below come these illustrations of fashionable coats from the period. You can see the pigeon waistline on the first three coats, and note all the emphasis on the trimming around the front closures. The final design is for a fur cape–very elegant.

Here are four fashion illustrations from an 1897 issue of Ladies Home Journal. The wasp waistline of the time is particularly evident in the upper left and lower right illustrations. The first illustration on the lower left is a bit more forward-looking with its “pigeon” bustline, hinting at what would come in the next few [...]

This picture appears to be ca. 1895-1896. The skirt is slim and straight, reflecting a change that would carry over into the early part of the 20th century before giving way to a fuller sweep in the back around 1904. The silhouette is also still straight and slim rather than the later “S”-bend shape that [...]

Ah, the topknot! This hairstyle was extremely popular in the early-to-mid-1890s. I personally think it makes a lady look like she has a knob on her head for turning! Note the ruffles over the puffed sleeves.

Here are three dramatic photographs of the same Illinois woman. The styling of the dress she wears in the center is unmistakably 1890s with those huge leg o’mutton sleeves. The topknot hairstyle is also typical of the period. I think the profile shots may be slightly earlier, since her hair is worn differently (more along [...]

A lovely portrait of a young woman in an elaborate afternoon dress. Note the velvet trim on the bodice, the lace-trimmed neckline and sleeves, and the necklace hanging down. The hat and gloves complete this visiting costume.

Oh, those feathers! This young lady was photographed standing behind a “fence.” We can’t see much of her outfit, but her smart circa-1880s or 1890s cape is trimmed with what looks like jet beads, and her feathered hat is typical of the late 1880s through late 1890s.