What was the early Victorian, 1840s fabrics like

1840s Fabric Designs

Daytime Fabrics: Heavy twilled silks, scotch plaid velvet, oriental velvets, embroidered India muslins, stripe satin double, levantines, cashmere, shot or glace silk, wool.

Evening Fabrics: Crepe, organdie, satin, lace, shot or glace silk.

Trim: Lace, fringe, flounces, scallops, frogging, buttons, bows, flowers, drapes.

The most characteristic fabric of the 1840s was “changeable” shot or glace silk with delicate shadings of color. Fabrics were heavy tapestries compared to the sheer gauze of the 1830s. Daytime colors included dark blue, soft blue, black, grass green, teal blue-green, deep purple, brown, and various cream/tan/bronze/gold shades. Evening colors featured light pink, blue, gold hues, soft yellow, greenish-gold or deep black, bronze, purple, blue or dark green with white/ivory/cream tones. Patterns included large plaids and small figures on dark or light grounds. Trim colors were minimal with matching or similar shades. Outerwear colors ranged from black and deep blue to dark green and cream/tan.

In the 1840s, fabrics were less rich and exuberant overall but featured bright colors in printed woolen fabrics and shawls. Black lace contrasted with light satins for evening gowns remained fashionable. Bright and richly mixed colors like cream with blue and deep pink or purple were seen in printed wool fabrics. Black satin aprons and mantles were worn over bright dresses while black was popular for bonnet veils and mittens.

For more detailed visuals of 1840s daytime dresses and evening gowns from museum collections, you can refer to my Pinterest board dedicated to different Eras.