Civil War Clothing
During the civil war, women had very tight budgets. Their husbands also had to go off to war, leaving their wives to fill their positions of business owners, farmers, slave owners and more. The women had the difficult task of supporting their families while their husbands fought for freedom. Little money was left over for ballgowns, and the unimportant fashion pieces that came before. Fashion was greatly changed after the civil war. For example, the first form of pants worn by women appeared, called pantalets. Many other fashion pieces were forgotten and replaced after the civil war.
Out With the Old...
Women simply wore a under dress and over dress. Women discarded corsets, hoop skirts, and other undergarments. When helping in the war women wore very simple and plain dresses. Women no longer cared about altering their natural appearance as they had before the war.
In With the New...
Women quickly became fond of slimming dresses that were tight to their skin. Fashion in the early 1990's was incredibly different from the Civil War fashion. Still wanting clothing that changed their natural appearance women wore dresses that highlighted their features. The Civil War was a wake up call to women that hoop skirts and bustles and corsets were not as important as women made them out to be.