Trend
Trend
From hemlines that rise and fall to changing silhouettes and colours, trends are an integral part of fashion.
Often short lived and sometimes outlandish, they enable those who are wearing them to feel part of the moment. Fashion trends are not new, they can be seen in historical garments.
Object in focus: 1800s printed cotton dress
A roller printed cotton dress with cartridge pleated skirt and bouffant sleeves, 1827-32.
In the late 1820s and early 1830s the bigger your sleeves the better. Often stuffed with feathers or horsehair and held in place by sleeve supports, extravagant sleeves were everywhere. Gigot sleeves that puffed outwards before tapering into a tight cuff around the wrist were particularly popular.
Day dress, 1828-1830, ©The Salisbury Museum collection
With their distinct shape it is no surprise ‘Gigot’ roughly translates to ‘leg of mutton’.
These sleeves could be found on everyday dresses and had the advantage of making your waist look smaller, in addition to a corset.
The puff’s positioning moved with the times, as the trend developed into the 1830s the puff descended from the shoulder to the elbow.
Like all trends, however, the gigot sleeve slowly fell from favour, disappearing in the mid-century before making a comeback during the 1890s.
Pleated, ballooned, cuffed and puffed, big sleeves continue to come in and out of fashion.
The shape of this dress was inspired by the Renaissance period.
One only has to think back to the Tudors to admire the impressive jewel-encrusted sleeves of both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
But for the Tudors, sleeves played a key role in fashion because they were often purchased separately.
These ornamental sleeves, sometimes known as foresleeves, were usually attached on top of other sleeves and were hung or slashed in a way to reveal the fabric beneath.
Detachable sleeves were popular throughout all different levels of society and were often listed in wills and inventories throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Back detail, Day dress, 1828-1830, ©The Salisbury Museum collection
Sleeve close up, Day dress, 1828-1830, ©The Salisbury Museum collection