.. and skirts. Even in simple, cotton day dresses like these Massachusetts gowns shown, there was great individualism in detail on the bodice and skirt. The 1840 dress (left) shows the deeply pointed “V” at the waist that was favored early in that decade, with the beginning of simple flounces and a narrower, yet flat pleated skirt that would be used extensively in the next 2 decades.
On the right is an 1845 shirred bodice. You note the waist line is rising and less pointed. While the skirt does not have flounces, it is just as full as the flounced one because of the lines of the skirt and the petticoats beneath. The more rounded waistline became necessary as the type of pleating changed to accommodate the bigger skirt.