Accurately dating an old family photograph can be a difficult task.
But with a little knowledge about what people wore throughout history,
dating your photograph can become much easier. Clothing is a very good
indication of when a photograph was taken. Here is an overview on past
fashions to get you started in your research. Please note that it is
much easier to date if there is a woman in the photo, as women's fashion
changed much more dramatically than men's until the 20th century.
In
the 1840s, women wore dresses with low, sloping shoulders and fitted
sleeves. Waistlines were at a natural height and lowered to a point in
front. Full skirts were made with many layers of underskirts. Their hair
was often parted in the center with curls or braids at the ears.
Men
wore tapered pants with stirrups. A cinched in waist and full chest was
popular, as were standing collars. Relatively patterned fabric was more
fashionable than it would be in later decades. They curled their hair
and wore sideburns.
In the 1850s, women's skirts were full and
often tiered. The cage crinoline appeared in 1856. Despite being an
undergarment, its structure can often be seen under a skirt. The
bell-shaped sleeve worn over cotton or linen under-sleeves was
fashionable.
Stirrups in men's pants disappeared. A looser, thigh
length coat called a sack coat was common. Coats were usually
single-breasted. Men wore large mutton chop sideburns and moustaches.
The bowler hat was introduced c.1850.
Early in the 1860s, tiered
skirts disappeared. Skirts became their widest around 1863. By 1865 the
fullness of the crinoline moved to the back. Then the volume moved up to
behind the butt. Hair was worn close to the head with low buns and hair
nets were fashionable.