Fashion is constantly evolving. In the late Victorian era, women's fashion was subject to a shift from wide skirts provided by hoop cages and ruffles to a more tailored silhouette. With an increase in travel and settling overseas, it also became more practical. That being said, while we consider yoga pants and cotton tee-shirts to be practical travel fashions, they considered whale-bone corsets and bustle cages which provided extensive back-sides more practical. Sitting down tended to involve swooshing your bustle to the side and perching on the edge of your seat.

For more casual days, such as those spent crossing the prairies by covered wagons, women wore simple clothing. However, simple clothing was still quite involved compared to today's fashions; petticoats and corsets were still worn under their full length, high collared dresses, as well as wool stockings and boots - a lady never showed her ankles. Ladies' hair was typically pulled back into a low bun or pulled back into a French-roll or chignon. Women wore a bonnet on top of their head to protect their faces from the wind and the sun; this was a very important aspect of the costume as tans and freckles were considered coarse and beneath any lady of stature.

As for make-up, little to none was worn. Fresh-faced was the look to have, and if a woman was to wear make-up, this was not information that she would openly give. A delicate, clear complexion was coveted during this time, and they did not have sunscreen to protect them. If their bonnets failed to keep their skin fair, they would often try home remedies to bleach their skin including an oatmeal paste; happily by this era they had realized that lead paste was not an ideal skin whitener.

Foot-fashions were just as severe and staid as their corsets; women wore narrow laced or buttoned boots or high-tongued laced shoes with a low, broad heel. Many of our modern boots are based on styles from this time, but they did not have the time-saving zipper on the in-steps of their boots. Although interlocking precursors to the zipper started showing up between the 1850s and the 1900s, the zipper as we know it was not successfully used in fashion until the 1930s.

If you would like more information about historic fashion, do drop by the Park this summer after May 21 or during weekends in September and ask our costumed employees about their garments. There will also be fashion shows on Father's Day, during the Heritage Weekend and on our Field to Table event at the end of August, please check back to find out exact times and dates.