Bonnet, about 1850

Dress, 1855-1865

This dress appears to have been remade in order to incorporate late 1860s fashion. The sleeves suggest the 1860s; the skirt appears to have been remade, and pleated instead of gauged. The dress is pieced to make up the yardage, but in a very deliberate mirror image on each side to make it less noticeable.

Bonnet, 1848-1857

During the 1850s, popular women's hairstyles were exaggerated at the front, puffed out at the sides, with hair pulled back low on the neck; and hat shapes changed to accommodate this. This is an example of such a hat. It is smaller and the crown does not extend as far out as hats popular in the previous decade. It does however, have a bavolet- the flap of fabric at the base of the crown which covers the nape of the neck- which also began to disappear around this time.