… were very high. One reason was that the hair was worn high on the back of the head, leaving the neck fully exposed if left uncovered.
A second reason was the warning of physicians that women would become very ill if their necks and decolletages were left uncovered.
(Portraits: early 1880’s bodices with tall necklines to accommodate hair worn high in the back (as opposed to the 1870’s 1st bustle era where hair was worn in ringlets and curls down the back)
NOTE: in the idealized fashion plate (left) the shoulders appear to be normal or even large, whereas in reality (right), the cut of the shoulder line made shoulders look narrow.