Fashion Plate - Family Fashions, 1842

Spring Fashions, 1842

Identified as the “latest style,” this fashion plate shows ensembles for the entire family. The male figure wears a frock coat, which by the 1840s had become standard issue for daytime wear, relegating the tailcoat to evening wear. His pantaloons fit closely to the leg, thanks to foot straps. The two women wear dresses with moderately full skirts. The sleeves had deflated from the gargantuan proportions of the previous decade, although both dresses demonstrate continued design interest in the sleeve. The young girl wears an above-ankle length dress with a shirred bodice. All three females show bonnet styles with brims that frame from the face. Ribbons and other trims constituted an important component of millinery design.