Dress Reform in the 19th Century
LESSON PLAN
by Jennifer Erbach
©2003 Illinois During the Gilded Age Digitization Project.
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Objectives
Students will utilize the writings of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Timothy Shay Arthur,
Elizabeth Smith Miller, Frances Willard and others to explore the dress reform
movements of the mid to late 19th century.
Students will analyze the issue of dress reform from one of a variety of viewpoints, and
condense these views into a letter to the editor of a 19th century periodical.
Prior to this lesson:
Divide the class into 4 groups. Members of each group will receive packets containing
the following documents:
Packet 1: Dress Reform for Health and Hygiene
"A Parody", "Dress and Vice" and "Reflections on Women's Dress"
Packet 2: Dress Reform for Social/Moral Reasons
"Dress and Vice", "Reflections on Women's Dress" and "Gerrit Smith to
Elizabeth Cady Stanton"
Packet 3: Men's Perspectives on Dress Reform
"Advice to Young Ladies", "Dress and Vice" and "Gerrit Smith to Elizabeth
Cady Stanton"
Packet 4: The Bloomer Costume
"Mrs. Kemble and Her New Costume", "Reflections on Women's Dress" and
"Reminiscences by Elizabeth Cady Stanton"
Students should read their documents for homework and answer the guided reading
questions included with each packet.
Introduction
Look at some fashion plates from the 1850s thru the 1890s.
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Fashion Plates from the 1850s at
http://www.costumes.org/history/acarter/1850/1850petitnod144.jpg
http://www.costumes.org/history/acarter/1850/1850petitnod149.jpg
1857 Harper's Weekly images at Dressimage1857a and Dressimage1857b
attached.
Images of the Bloomer costume at
http://womhist.binghamton.edu/dress/image5.htm
Photograph of woman in evening wear, 1880s at
http://www.costumes.org/history/victorian/boehn/Photograph1880.JPG
Engraving of woman in evening wear 1888 at
http://www.costumes.org/history/victorian/boehn/ModeArtistique1888.JP
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©2003 Illinois During the Gilded Age Digitization Project.
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Women in everyday dresses 1884 at
http://www.costumes.org/history/victorian/boehn/Englishwoman1884.JPG
Woman in Evening Dress 1886 at
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/eaa/ephemera/A01/A0172/A0172-0372dpi.html
2 Corset Advertisements ca. 1886 at
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/eaa/ephemera/A01/A0172/A0172-15150dpi.html
Discuss some of the health problems (from the readings) that were appearing among
women as a result of wearing such clothing. Look particularly at corset advertisements at
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/eaa/ephemera/A01/A0172/A0172-15-150dpi.html.
Do you see anything that indicates a widespread awareness of the health problems
resulting from the ways in which women were dressing?
Part I
Spend the first few minutes of the period going over the readings, answering any
questions and providing an overview of the dress reform movement. Why did the dress
reform movement begin? What caused it to fade out? What connection (if any) existed
between dress reform and other women’s movements, such as temperance or suffrage?
Part II
Divide students into groups that include at least one member from each homework group.
Each student should summarize what they've read and learned for the other members of
their group. Taking all of the issues raised in the readings into consideration, have the
group compose a letter to the editor of a fashion magazine in support of dress reform,
using examples from the readings to support their arguments.
Challenge: If a group wishes, they may write a letter to the editor opposing dress reform.
What flaws do you see in the arguments made in the readings? What are reformers not
taking into consideration? Do you think any changes should be made in women's dress?
Be sure to respond to the main arguments from the readings (health, social/moral, men's
views).
When all the groups have finished, have the students read their letters to the rest of the
class.
Conclusion/ Wrap-up
Do we see any similar issues in our society today? Can you think of arguments that
blame fashion or the fashion industry for health problems or moral decline? Think of
©2003 Illinois During the Gilded Age Digitization Project.
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Frances Willard’s argument against young girls playing with dolls. Have similar
arguments been raised today? (Hint: think Barbie!)
State Standards Addressed: 16.A.5a Analyze historical and contemporary developments
using methods of historical inquiry (pose questions, collect and analyze data, make and
support inferences with evidence, report findings). 16.D.5 (US) Analyze the relationship
between an issue in United States social history and the related aspects of political,
economic and environmental history.
Notes for the Instructor:
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Time required for this lesson should be about one 50-minute class period, plus outside
readings.
A list of some Internet sites where fashion plates can be obtained is included with the
readings.
The full-text of Timothy Shay Arthur's Advice to Young Ladies and other writings by
Frances Willard are available at Lincoln/Net at http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/all.html.
Additional documents from the Dress Reform movement are available at
http://womhist.binghamton.edu/dress/doclist.htm
Dressimage1857a
©2003 Illinois During the Gilded Age Digitization Project.
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Dressimage1857b
©2003 Illinois During the Gilded Age Digitization Project.
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©2003 Illinois During the Gilded Age Digitization Project.
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