Just as today, in the 1860’s not everyone attended formal events regularly. According to their socio economic background, loads of people never attended any balls, dinner parties or similar events. If there were guests or some festivity, they did. For more formal dinners, the gown may have a low body, and long or short sleeves. Fashionable Americans did not always change for dinner during our period. Dinner gowns may just be best day dresses or a high type necked, long sleeved gown of fancier material. Of heavier materials like velvet or heavy silk, these were often very low, similar in look to ball gowns. Like the opera or formal receptions, not balls. For more formal evening entertainment. For those who are perhaps older and rather sit out, the proper dress is an evening gown as described above. For those who intend to dance at balls, lightness of the gown must be a consideration. Now pay attention please. Neckline is usually a boat neck, where the top of the shoulders going to be exposed. Essentially, square necklines are extremely rare. All ages wore low bodies for ball gowns, much lower than we consider proper today. With all that said… Most of us are aware that there is a profusion of trim tacked on with only large stitches, often the design of the actual dress is very simple.
It appears that plenty of ballgowns were whitish and loads of the rest were also of a light color.
Just as today, people in the 1860’s felt that certain styles and colors are more suitable for different age groups.
Basically the period fashion periodicals and advice books have plenty of what was deemed suitable for whom. Oftentimes we do need to be familiar with it as living historians, the ideal described in the fashion periodicals is what people sought to emulate. Diaries talk about remaking a mother’s last year dress for the daughter, or even mother and daughter wearing dresses on alternating occasions. Fashion print from the early 1850s showing an older lady and a younger lady. Older lady also wears a low cut dress but she has accessorized it with an almost white lace fichu and sheer long sleeves. Now look, the decoration gonna be flowers or something similar, metallic trims are not really suitable for this age group.
By the way, the colors will be light and delicate. Girls and young, unmarried women should wear frothy, pouffy tarlatan or sheer cotton, tulle, or similar designs. Pale colors suitable for older women particularly include pale gray and lavender.
It’s a well-known fact that the fabrics should’ve been light. Fact, perhaps somewhat less fussy, the designs are richer. Trims can be lace or any thing else that works. I’m sure you heard about this. Therefore the trims are much richer, though, and metallic accents of gold and silver are appropriate. Make sure you write a few comments about it. Married and mature women could choose brighter colors for their ballgowns, however, white is also suitable.
These were consequently often trimmed richly with glittering metallic trim to ensure visibility in the ballroom, for a short while after the death of Queen Victoria’s husband in 1861, grey evening dresses and ballgowns were in fashion.