Civil War Clothing

Gen. Edward O.C. Ord, wife and child at the residence of Jefferson Davis

The soldiers that served during the Civil War era may have been attired in an array of uniforms, but it’s a safe bet that their uniforms, however improvised, stylized or compromised, were nowhere near as painstaking or involved as ladies’ fashion of the day.

The Victorian era, which coincided with the Civil War period, produced some of the most restrictive, yet elaborate ladies fashions in history. The social and moral mores of the time were reflected in the ladies fashion of that era, creating garments that were constrained by both the social rules in place at the time and by the construction of the garments themselves.

The prevailing image of a fashionable lady of the Civil War is often that of the Southern belle of lore, decked out in a confection of ruffles, petticoats, hoops, and organza, her waist whittled to an unhealthy waspishness by a whale-boned corset. This image is both correct and misleading.

While the fashion of the day was for dresses with voluminous skirts, supported by layers of petticoats or a hoop skirt underneath, the corset of the Civil War period of the Victorian era was much less dramatic than that portrayed in many films and books that deal with the Civil War period but were written after the fact. In fact, the corset worn by many women was closer to the camisole of later fashion, but laced and boned to give shape to the dresses of the current fashion.

What many do not realize is how closely tied to social status were the fashions for ladies during this era. A “lady” of social standing of the Civil War era would spend a great deal of her day simply dressing for the different social customs of the time. For instance, a lady of means would be expected to dress for the morning in what was known as a morning or day dress, a simple dress with less-voluminous skirts. However, a day dress was an informal dress, and if a lady was receiving callers, typically during the afternoon, then she would don an afternoon or tea dress, slightly more formal and more detailed than a day dress, and made from a more expensive or luxurious fabric. For dinner, an even more elaborate dress would be worn, and for the most formal occasions, an evening gown or formal dress was required. The most lavish and elaborate dresses in a woman of the early Victorian age’s wardrobe, the formal gown would be made of silks or silk blends, and would feature lace, a bared neckline and bared arms, and would be dressed up with very sophisticated jewelry and accessories.

What’s more, appearing in a day dress when a tea dress was called for, or an evening dress before evening, would cause a scandal that would tarnish the lady in question’s reputation. However, even the poorest women recognized the importance of dressing well during the Civil War period, and would usually own at least one “good” dress to be worn on special occasions, and would not dare receive company in a dress that showed her ankles or bared her shoulders or arms before evening, both of which were associated with a woman of “loose morals.”

The connection between social customs and ladies’ fashion during the Civil War period is fascinating. The huge skirts were the least of the inconveniences that “ladies” of this era faced.