From the Pages of Godey’s 1862

For those of you who were unable to attend (from the looks of the line it was most of you were there!) the Fashion Shows that we held at the Gettysburg Hotel, March 3, 2007 or at the Holiday Inn, April 14, below are links to some of the photographs from those shows.  Both fashion shows were not identical so I have included all of the dresses from both show. As in any modern day couture fashion show, these dresses are available for sale in a wide selection of colors, custom fit to your figure. 

Our show was broken up into 4 different sections, Sheers, Silks, Formal and Tableaux. The introduction to the show is included below on this page. For the rest of the show please follow the links to see the dresses themselves. 

INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon, and welcome to “From the Pages of Godey’s 1862.”

William Leach writes in Land of Desire, his study of the rise of capitalism, that in 1903, a New York City specialty store called Ehrich Brothers staged what was likely this country's first fashion show. It was an effort to attract middle-class female customers, and by 1910, many big department stores, including Wanamaker's in Philadelphia and New York, were holding shows of their own.

Flash back for a moment to 1856. Tensions between north and south were mounting, and revolution was in the air. On the domestic front, fabric production was undergoing a revolution of its own with the creation of the first synthetic aniline dye. The result was an inexpensive purple dye that proved more colorfast than traditional vegetable dyes.  Soon, "mauve madness" would sweep Europe and America – paving the way for the development of rich magentas, violets, browns and blacks during the war years.

In addition, the spring steel cage was patented in 1858. By 1860, steel and brass were rapidly replacing whalebone and rattan in the construction of hoop skirts or cage crinolines. More flexible and less inclined to break, they could also support much greater weight. The era of the hoop was now in full blossom, and that queen of monthly magazines, Godey’s Lady’s Book, was there to record it all.

The dresses you are about to see were inspired by Godey’s fashion plates and made by Robin Stokes. For ease of understanding, the descriptions are modifications of the original words seen in period fashion magazines (where available). The dresses in the fashion show appear on the left, descriptions and general price range in the middle and original drawing or garment that was used for inspiration on the right. The bonnets and headpieces you will see are from Beverly Lister.

I would like to add a special note of thanks to the following individuals.  Our pianist, Lenny Entrabartolo whose musical accompaniment features pieces from 1862, including some from the pages of Godey’s. Our fabulous narrator for this show,  Juanita Leisch. Gwen Nichols who painted the wonderful backdrop from the April 1862 Godey's fashion plate. The videogropher, Don Skaar and the photographer John Vadnais

Please sit back and enjoy the show.

 This web site is maintained by Robin Stokes, and was last updated 01/13/2009 . All text and images are copyright 2005 by Robin Stokes, who is solely responsible for the content and reserves all rights.