A Brief Costume History

If you haven't already gathered from my blog, I love costumes. I would love to be a costume designer! I would like to give a brief history of costume. I will be using the eras dictated in the book Historic Costumes for the Stage by Lucy Barton. Many people have differing opinions of when fashion eras begin and end; I have chosen to follow the outline of this book because it is detailed and well-documented. I have made some minor changes to a few of the names and dates of the eras, but for the most part I followed the book. My favorite eras are the Regency and Early Victorian.

Early Gothic 1200-1350

Late Gothic 1350- 1450

Renaissance 1450- 1550

Elizabethan 1550- 1625

Charles I and Commonwealth 1625-1660

Restoration 1660- 1700

Early Georgian/Baroque 1700- 1750


Late Georgian 1750- 1790

1775 Marie Antoinette^

1775^

1789^

1750^

Hats, hair, and shoes 1770's and 80's^

Movies: Part of Amazing Grace (2006), John Adams (2008)

Regency 1790- 1815

1810^

1812-1813^

Movies from this time period: Most Jane Austen movies. Pride and Prejudice (2005) reflects the lower, natural waistlines of 1790 whereas the typical regency waistline is higher. As far as costumes go I recommend Emma (BBC 2009), Pride and Prejudice (BBC/A&E 1995), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Persuasion (BBC 2008).

Romantic 1815-1840

1836-1840. Photo taken by Valerie McGlinchey^

1841^

Movies: Wives and Daughters (BBC 1999)

Early Victorian/Crinoline 1840-1865

1844^

1855^

1862^

1865^

Movies: North and South (BBC 2004), The Young Victoria (2009) The first part of Little Women (1994), Gone with the Wind, The King and I, most Dickens adaptions.

Late Victorian/Bustle 1865- 1890

French Woman 1874^

1874^

1881^

1882^


1888^

Movies: The Second part of Little Women (1994).

Fin de Siecle (End of a Century) 1890- 1900

1890-92^

1892^

Edwardian 1900- 1910

Three sisters in 1902^

A beautiful gown from pre-1905 here

Summer evening in 1906^

1906^

1909^


1909-1910^

Movies: My Fair Lady, Anne of Green Gables


A time line of period dramas can be found here.


Most pictures found at commons.wikimedia.org

I will be adding more to this page later!