Gilded Age Fasion Attire Etiquette

In the gilded age, women of means changed clothing several times a day. When traveling abroad, women and men with money could expect to change clothing several times during a day. A woman would need daily; a morning dress, a day dress, a tea gown, a dinner gown and a combing or morning jacket.

The Line of Demarcation

One of the most encouraging signs of the times is that the line of demarcation between house and walking costumes is growing more and more distinct. The canon of good taste in this respect has been notoriously disregarded, even by those who might have been supposed to know better. Bright colors, it is true, are still to be seen on the streets, but women with refined feeling have set their faces like a flint against the use of them, and choose tints of the least conspicuousness for out-door toilettes.

On the other hand, home and ceremonious dress increases in richness. This is in accordance with the eternal fitness of things. It is the high prerogative of woman to adorn herself for the home and drawing-room, where she holds intercourse with her equals in the social sphere; and it is equally her province to be modest and inconspicuous in her best attire, where she comes in contact with the promiscuous crowd, who may jostle her at every turn.-New York Commercial Advertiser, 1886

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Gilded Age Good Taste in Dress

“Good taste is indispensable in dress, but that, united to neatness, is all that is necessary—that is the fabled Cetus of Venus which gave beauty to its wearer.”

Mrs. Manners, the highest authority we can possibly quote in such matters, has the following hints to girls, which we can not deny ourselves the pleasure of copying, though they may seem, in part, a repetition of remarks already made: 

“Good taste is indispensable in dress, but that, united to neatness, is all that is necessary—that is the fabled cestus of Venus which gave beauty to its wearer. Good taste involves suitable fabrics—a neat and becoming ‘fitting’ to her figure—colors suited to her complexion, and a simple and unaffected manner of wearing one's clothes. A worsted dress in a warm day, or a white one in a cold day, or a light, thin one in a windy day, are all in bad taste. Very fine or very delicate dresses worn in the street, or very highly ornamented clothes worn to church or to shop in, are in bad taste. Very long dresses worn in muddy or dusty weather, even if long dresses are the fashion, are still in bad taste. 

“Deep and bright-colored gloves are always in bad taste; very few persons are careful enough in selecting gloves. Light shoes and dark dresses, white stockings and dark dresses, dark stockings and light dresses, are not indicative of good taste. A girl with neatly and properly dressed feet, with neat, well-fitting gloves, smoothly arranged hair, and a clean, well-made dress, who walks well, and speaks well, and, above all, acts politely and kindly, is a lady, and no wealth is required here. Fine clothes and fine airs are abashed before such propriety and good taste. Thus the poorest may be so attired as to appear as lady-like as the wealthiest; nothing is more vulgar than the idea that money makes a lady, or that fine clothes can do it.”– Samuel R. Wells's How to Behave: The Pocket Manual of Good Manners and Model Behavior, 1870

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia