Sleeves and Empire Waist Dresses

Mutton sleeves are seen in dresses and blouses today. They were first seen in the 16th century but came back in style during the late 1820s, early 1830s and the 1890s. The reason behind the name “mutton sleeves” is its lamb leg shape.

In 1895 the size of the sleeves varied. Oversized sleeves that required 1 or 2 yards of fabric were popular. Mutton sleeves are still trending today, and a perfect example is Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress.

Mutton sleeves fashion never wholly disappeared. There are tons of people who still wear blouses and dresses with mutton sleeves.

The Regency Era was from 1811 to 1820, and people wore beautiful dresses in all colors. The dresses worn in the Regency Period were called Empire Waist dresses; they had a short bodice that only covers the bosom area. In the early 1800s, the Empire Waist dress was characterized by its high waistline. It appears in the 1790s and is seen frequently in women’s clothing design over the past 200 years.

Most Empire Waist dresses were made out of Muslin Fabric, which is a soft and delicate fabric. Today, some blouses and sundresses that you can find at clothing stores are marked under the bust area, just like an Empire Waist dress.

Accessories, Corsets, and More

During the 1870s, choker necklaces became popular, and credit is given to Queen Alexandra, who used to accessorize herself with chokers to hide a scar on her neck. The fashion statement quickly became popular among women. The chokers were a velvet ribbon tied high around the neck. This trend is still alive. Some people accessorize themselves with black stripes to emphasize a gothic look.

Corsets are known for the danger they entail. Luckily women do not usually choose to go through the pain of corsets in modern times. Corsets were mostly made of whalebone and steel. It encircles the rib and constricts the natural waist to form an hourglass figure, which was popular in the 19th century.

Corsets were worn by upper-class women, middle-class women and over time, working-class women wore them. Women today still form themselves, though with waist trainers and Spanx, to name a few methods. Some women decide to use corsets, but the garment is thankfully not as popular as it was before. Corsets are also worn by history enthusiasts for fun!