Thursday, June 14, 2018

Gowns from 1800 to 2018

Gabrielle Here:

I've loved using Pinterest as a way to collect pictures of clothing for my characters. My stories have been set from 1792 to 1927, so I've gathered images from numerous eras. Today, I thought it would be fun to watch the amazing transformation women's gowns have taken from 1800 to 2018. 

It was interesting to discover that somewhere around 1930 designers started modifying designs from previous generations and "updating" them. The trend has continued to this day. Since 2000 it's hard to determine what the "style" has been. It's such a combination of many eras.

I was also surprised to find that some gowns were only slightly modified from one decade to another, but there are a few decades that changed drastically (such as the 1910s to 1920s).

Here are some of my favorite gowns from the past two hundred years.

c. 1800

c. 1810


c. 1820


c. 1830

c. 1840


c. 1850


c. 1860

c. 1870


c. 1880


c. 1890


c. 1900

c. 1910


c. 1920


c. 1930

c. 1940

c. 1950


c. 1960

c. 1970


c. 1980


c. 1990

c. 2000


c. 2010

My favorite two are from the 1850's and the 1910's. 

Your Turn: What is your favorite era? If you could choose, which gown would you bring back? Which one would you leave in history? If you didn't have a choice, and you had to live and work in one of these gowns every day, which would it be?

In May, I had a new release in the Backcountry Brides Romance Collection. My story, Love's Undoing, begins in 1792 on the banks of the Mississippi River in what would one day become central Minnesota. Abi McCrea is the daughter of a Scottish fur trader and an Indian mother. She has always longed to see life outside the fur post and finally gets a chance to travel to Montreal with Henry Kingsley, an agent from the North West Company. But life in Montreal isn't what Abi has expected, and when the unlikely romance develops between her and Henry, she if left to wonder if she could ever fit into his world...



Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people and events.

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3 comments:

  1. Interesting post Gabrielle.
    Fashions certainly have changed as your pictures show. Not always for the "best" as some are not ones I would want to wear. I enjoy looking at Pinterest and the gowns of the 1700's-early 1900's and have several favorites.

    Of all the gowns pictured I like the 1870 one the best and it is green, which is my favorite color. 1900, 1910 and 1990 are nice gowns as well. I really do not like the 1920 gown, it reminds me of a nightgown. I could not imagine going out in that one.

    I enjoyed your novella in the Backcountry Brides Romance Collection. It is a great collection of novellas.

    Blessings, Tina

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  2. I like the 1800 one and the 1950 one. They could have done away with the ones from 1880 to 1910. I personally wouldn't have worn the 1920's one but it makes me smile. Those designers must have felt as I did about those stuffy gowns that used so much fabric! All those bustles and gathers! This post was really fun! Thanks.

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  3. I always love reading about fashions from the past. I so well remember the ones from the 1940's on. I have a few pictures of my mother from the 1930 when she married my dad. I loved the antebellum dresses, but they can stay in the history books. :) The fifties were my favorites, and believe it or not, I still have a few outfits from the 1990's. Classic styles never wear out, and often come right back around in style. Thanks for the great pictures.

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