Sewing Techniques in Women's Outerwear, 1800-1869

Abstract

The goal of this research was to determine whether sewing techniques changed with changing styles of women's outerwear; with different fabrics in a single style; with changing technology; and with varying recommendations in how-to-sew literature. Researchers examined 100 garments from 23 museums in 5 states; 8 distinct styles, spanning 1800 to 1869. A few sewing techniques were unique to individual styles of outerwear (dresses and wraps); many techniques were shared by two or three adjacent styles of outerwear. Recommendations of sewing techniques were followed frequently, ignored occasionally. Sewing technology, especially the sewing machine, was slow to be adopted in making women's outerwear; even dresses of the 1860s were often partly hand sewn. Fabrics made very little difference in sewing techniques chosen within a single style of women's dress or wrap.