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How to Determine the Age of an 1800s Dress

While color, design and fabric changed from decade to decade, three distinct styles of fashion flourished in the 19th century. This makes pinpointing the age of a dress from the 1800s relatively easy. Even 1800s dresses in poor condition with no background information can be dated to a specific decade. Use a magnifying glass to study your dress closely and handle it as little as possible to preserve it. Read about 19th century fashion in historical fashion books, study photographs and contact textile experts.

Things You'll Need

White cotton gloves
Mannequin
Digital camera (optional)
Magnifying glass

Instructions

- 1
  Wear white cotton gloves to protect the dress from the oils on your hands.
- 2
  Gently unbutton and unhook the dress and put it on a mannequin. Button and hook the front and back together and arrange the dress in a way that a person would have worn it.
- 3
  Study the fabrics and trims. Simple cottons and sturdy wools were often used for 1840s through 1860s dresses. Dresses dating from the 1870s through the 1880s used thicker fabrics, such as taffeta, velvet and heavy wool. Dresses from the 1890s featured lace on the bodice area and thick cotton or canvas for the skirt.
- 4
  Look at the sleeves. Dresses from the Civil War era of the 1850s through the 1860s had dropped shoulders and very wide sleeves tapering to the wrist cuff. Dresses from the 1870s through the 1880s had tightly fitted bodices, shoulder seams and tight arms. Dresses from the 1890s and turn of the century had large leg-o'-mutton sleeves that were puffy at the shoulder.
- 5
  Look at the bodice. Dresses from the 1840s through the 1860s had a triangular-shaped bodice with wide shoulders tapering to a narrow waist. Dresses from the 1870s through the 1880s had a smoother shaped bodice that fit tightly to the body and flared out in back. Dresses from the 1890s had a high-necked bodice with a lot of decoration in the front bust area and large leg-o'-mutton sleeves.
- 6
  Look at the skirt area. A wide bell-shaped skirt is typical of the 1840s through the 1860s and would have been worn with a hoop. A narrow skirt in front with plenty of fabric in the back is from the 1870s through 1880s bustle era. A plainly styled A-line skirt with a soft taper from the waist to the floor dates from the 1890s.
- 7
  Look at the color. Inexpensive plaids and cotton calicoes in earth tones such as brown, navy, gray and tan date to the 1840s through the 1860s. Jewel tones such as ruby, sapphire, emerald and topaz indicate the 1870s through the 1880s. Pastels and lighter colored dresses signal the 1890s. Keep in mind that colors went in and out of fashion so that alone isn't always the best indication of a dress's age.
- 8
  Take pictures of the dress and upload them to your computer. Ask historians and experts to share their opinion.

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