Rigidity and Reckless Abandon: Women’s Fashion from 1870 to the 1920s
During the Gilded Age, America transitioned from a rural country to an industrial world leader. This newfound power was centralized to a small fraction of the population, who accumulated a great deal of wealth, set styles in fashion and design, partied extravagantly, and lived lives of self-indulgence. In this exhibit, we explore how women’s fashions evolved from stiff satins controlled by rigid corsets and bustles to soft chiffons with flimsy undergarments.
We will also explore how fashion decimated numerous animal populations so that people could display their wealth, using furs, tortoiseshell, ivory, and feathers to accessorize themselves.
