.. beautiful imported fabrics from all over the world became easy to find. In America with its rising industrial and merchant middle classes, the need to produce their own goods became reduced. America of 1820 led the world in cotton production, and this extended to dye and textile processes.
What this meant for American women was they had access and the money to buy almost anything they wanted. Godey’s Lady’s Handbook was THE GO-TO for fashion inspiration. Fashion plates like this one were in all the books, while some books include patterns as well.