Often when reading a historical romance or watching a movie set in the 19th century, one of the first things we notice is the beautiful attire worn by the characters. Far less common is the pondering of how these extravagant pieces were created. In their heyday, these artistic novelties were not mass-produced in large factories or across seas but rather woven by hand one careful stitch at a time.
Dress-makers and Milliners were greatly underpaid for their unique services. Many even went out of business due to the amassing of large debts incurred from their wealthy patrons. Seamstresses spent long hours working-oftentimes all night- in order to fulfill deadlines. It was not uncommon for dressmakers to take an apprentice under their wing in an effort to lighten their workload. Not until the latter part of the 19th century did their tasks become substantially easier.
As a result of their contributions, we now have fascinating evidence of the trends that enriched the fashionable world long before any of us were alive to experience them for ourselves. It's fascinated to consider that without their efforts the thousands of painting that exemplify a glittering era with dazzling women in the latest attire would never have existed. In honor of these hard-working fashionistas and artists I have pasted a link below that further expands of their everyday lives:
I hope you enjoy it this as much as I did!
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