… was the first success at building a functional and lightweight model that could be used in homes and light industry!  Built by French tailor Bartholemy Thimonnier, it had a hooked needle like one uses to crochet now, and could make an embroidery-like chain stitch. The problem was, other tailors …

… eras switched from “early” to “mid”, continued with the 1818 John Adams model.. and the same thing being developed by Doge and John Knowles – which all completely failed. (Photo: an early model industrial machine for punching leather)  

.. where the first thing that made the change between early Victorian and Mid-Victorian was the sewing machine. The concept had been around for many years, but the ability to use a model for every day women or “light” sewing in industry had eluded inventors.  In 1755 German Charles Weisenthal …

Based on the clothing, furnishings, tools, and MOSTLY the song title – we place this at about 1918.  OK, so it’s just that the song was wildly popular in 1918, and we know little boys wore sailor suits at that age at that time. The woman’s ensemble could be from …

… was the invention of the light weight, home use sewing machine.  In 1851, Singer had taken the heavy industrial, stand up models that the textile industry was using, and made it gentle and delicate enough for use by the general consumer (as opposed to factory workers). Putting little stores …

… in 1860 and lasted until 1880.  There were four significant changes and factors they say made a distinct “line in the fashion sand” between the end of the ’50’s and the start of the ’60’s. These affected the silhouette, construction, design, and presentation of women’s clothing. (1865 to 1900 …

… Mid-Victorian era.  It is difficult to establish where one starts and one stops – an actual dilemma with fashion history as a whole.  Just like us today, women wore their favorite out-dated fashions long after new ones were introduced.  It might take a long time for women to learn …

… an Englishman who established a fashion house in Paris in the mid-1850’s, and was the key creator of the many types of sleeves we will discuss through the entire Victorian era.  His son would continue creative designs into the 20th century. Worth was a favorite of the French empresses …

.. to get the look of the egageante huge sleeve.  In this, what might be set up as a joke between photographic shots, an early Victorian  woman uses umbrellas instead of fabric to create the giant look of the sleeve of the day.

… so functional, comfortable, cheap, and making women look huge. (Photo: Princess Maria of Prussia wears engageante sleeves in this casual portrait.  By the 1860’s, portraiture was more comfortable for people, but it was still mostly the wealthy, elite, and royal who could afford it.  Beatrice, Queen Victoria’s daughter, had …