What to wear with a cotton dress Part I

The question often appears as to what accessories are appropriate to wear with a cotton, calico dress. While sun-bonnets, aprons, collars and cuffs are obvious for working wear, what how might a woman accessorize a calico dress for more formal occasions such as applying for work, attending church, etc.?

In this post I will share an example of just that from the short story Mrs. West's Experience written by Alice B. Neal and published in Godey's Lady's Book Volumes 46-47 (1853) pages 430-436.

The story begins with two well-to-do young women, Mary Powell and Virginia, languishing in boredom and begging a story from Virginia's cousin Mrs. Augusta West. After some teasing, Mrs. West begins her tale. She was just 17 when the story takes place, and vacationing at a friend's home in New York City, when they, also struck by boredom (and quite unsupervised,) decided to have some fun.

After hearing a story of similar shenanigans, the girls decided it would be quite funny if Augusta dressed as a servant  and applied at a place of service. She borrows a chambermaid's "calico dress" but does not know how exactly to accessorize it. Her "nicely stitched," "fine linen collars and a pair of cuffs" feel too "genteel" so instead she wears a "silk cravat", a "split straw bonnet," "cotton gloves," her "thickest cotton hose" and "some buskins."

She goes on to interview for several positions, and even works for a week in one home, before an accusation of theft brings the charade to an end, (although not before she meets her future husband.)

 So back to our point: what does one wear with a cotton, calico dress?

A silk cravat
A straw bonnet
Cotton gloves
Cotton stockings
Front lacing boots (buskins)

But not fine linen, embroidered collars or cuffs

Images of accessorized working class ladies (not necessarily in cotton dresses)

The woman on the right is wearing a cravat
CDV of British servants c. 1860 via Threaded Through Time

Woman on the right is wearing a cravat
Maids of All Work by John Finnie (1865)

A straw bonnet is on the table next to the hat
A Sewing Lesson by the Fireside by George Smith (1867)

Woman wearing front lacing boots and white stockings
Engraving/CDV from unknown source, via eBay

A survey of Mid-19th Century Corded Bonnets

Corded bonnets were one of the few items of dress that didn't drastically change throughout the 19th century. While curtains did shorten as the decades progressed, the general style was frequently utilized whenever sun protection was required.

A brief aside before we begin. I have done my best to determine certain aspects of color, construction etc. from the photos provided by each source, but there is a limited amount you can glean without examining something in person. If I was particularly uncertain about a specific piece of information I placed a (?) beside it. If there is anything in the post that you think I stated incorrectly, please let me know and I will take you opinion into consideration.

If you are aware of any other examples of mid-19th century corded bonnets online, or have an original you wish to share, I would love to add it to this list. Thank you!

Retrieved from: The MET

Dated: mid-19th century

Fabric content: cotton

Color: white

Pattern: plain

Brim corner: square

Curtain corner: square

Cording: three rows of vertical 4x cording, plus one row 4x on horizontal edge

Brim Attachment: plainly gathered

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered

Retrieved from: Augusta Auctions

Dated: mid-19th century

Fabric content: linen

Color: blue, white

Pattern: gingham

Brim corner: curved

Curtain corner: square

Cording: four rows of 5x cording on the brim, first row extends along horizontal edged. Three rows of 5x cording on the crown. Piping where crown attaches to brim.

Curtain Attachment: gathered on cord, overlapping two rows of cording on brim edge

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered
Details: Self fabric ties at front, 9" curtain, hand sewn

Retrieved from: photobucket, Glenna Jo Christen, sold on eBay(?)

Dated: not dated

Fabric content: not specified

Color: white

Pattern: check

Brim corner: curved

Curtain corner: square

Cording: two rows of 3x cording,  two rows of 2x cording. The first row extends along  the horizontal edge. Piping where crown attaches to brim. 

Curtain Attachment: gathered on cord

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered

Retrieved from: The MET

Dated: ca. 1840

Fabric content: cotton

Color: discolored white or natural

Pattern: plain

Brim corner: curved

Curtain corner: square

Cording: one row of vertical 4x cording that extends along  the horizontal edge. Two rows of vertical 2x cording. Two rows of horizontal 3x cording between the last row of vertical cording and where the crown attaches. Piping where the crown attaches to brim.

Curtain Attachment: plainly gathered, overlapping one cording channel.

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered
Details: self fabric ties at front.

Retrieved from: aawt.com (page not longer available)

Dated: ca. 1840

Fabric content: cotton

Color: blue, white

Pattern: check

Brim corner: straight into curtain

Curtain corner: square

Cording: two rows of vertical 3x cording (?)

Curtain Attachment: gathered on exposed fold

Crown Attachment: attached flat
Details: self fabric ties at front.

Retrieved from: Augusta Auctions

Dated: mid-late 19th century

Fabric content: cotton

Color: white

Pattern: plain

Brim corner: straight into curtain

Curtain corner: curved

Cording: one row of vertical x6 cording and seven rows of x3

Curtain Attachment: attached flat to brim, drawstring in casing where curtain attaches to crown

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered
Details: Self fabric ties at front, 6.5" curtain, machine sewn

Retrieved from: The MET

Dated: ca. 1840

Fabric content: cotton

Color: red, yellow, white, black

Pattern: plaid

Brim corner: straight into curtain

Curtain corner: square

Cording: one row of vertical x11 cording and one row of x3. Piping where crown attaches to brim.

Curtain Attachment: plainly gathered, interior allowance bound with self-fabric

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered
Details: self fabric ties at front.

Retrieved from: Old Sacramento Living History Program

Dated: ca. 1860

Fabric content: not specified

Color: yellow and brown (?)

Pattern: floral or geometric (?)

Brim corner: square

Curtain corner: square

Cording: corded or quilted in vertical lines across entire brim. One horizontal row at brim edge.

Curtain Attachment: attached to brim by gathering on cord (?), drawstring in casing where curtain attaches to crown 

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered
Details: bonnet for a child

Retrieved from: Whitaker Auctions

Dated: ca. 1835-1850

Fabric content: linen

Color: white

Pattern: plain

Brim corner: curved

Curtain corner: square

Cording: one row of vertical 5x cording that extends along horizontal edge. One row of vertical 2x cording that extends parallel to horizontal edge. Two rows of vertical 4x cording, one row of 3x, and one row of 2x. Three (?) rows of vertical 4x cording in crown.

Curtain Attachment: gathered on cord (?)

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered
Details: self-fabric ties at front

Retrieved from: Archive of Webshot, owned by Robin Schwartz, documented by Duchess Martin

Dated: civil war era

Fabric content: cotton

Color: white

Pattern: window-pain check

Brim corner: square

Curtain corner: square

Cording: one row of vertical 20x cording, one of 10x, two of 3x cording, one row of 3x, and one row of 2x. 

Curtain Attachment: attached to brim by gathering on cord, drawstring in casing where curtain attaches to crown 

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered
Details: self-fabric ties at front (1") and back (1.5"), curtain 11.5 inches long, 0.75" hem.

Retrieved from: Godey's Lady Book, image/instructions,  pattern

Dated: 1857

Brim corner: curved

Curtain corner: curved

Cording: per instruction some number of vertical 3x or 4x cording, per image three rows of 3x cording.

Curtain Attachment: not specified, in image it appears to be very lightly gathered or attached flat

Crown Attachment: "filled" or fulled at brim edge (slightly gathered to give 3D shape), gathered "a little" at neck edge with seam allowance bound
Details: Per the instructions there are self fabric ties at the back and ties made of "small tape" at the front. The image seems to show the same material for both. The accompanying image also shows what appears to be a pinked, self-fabric ruffle along front brim edge.

Retrieved from: luminous-lint.com

Dated: 1857

Fabric content: unable to determine

Color: white (?)

Pattern: plain (?)

Brim corner: curved

Curtain corner: square

Cording: not able to determine

Curtain Attachment: not able to determine

Crown Attachment: not able to determine
Details: curtain about shoulder length. Photo of "Jenny," taken by Henry Peach Robinson in 1857

Retrieved from: pinterest, unknown source

Dated:  ca 1850

Fabric content: unable to determine

Color: white (?)

Pattern: plain (?)

Brim corner: curved

Curtain corner: curved

Cording: row of  vertical 4(?)x cording that extends along the horizontal edge. At least one more row of multiple cording.

Curtain Attachment: plainly gathered(?)

Crown Attachment: plainly gathered(?)
Details: curtain about upper-arm length

Summary of Applicable Bonnets

Fabric content: cotton (6/8, 75%), linen (2/8, 25%). Likely linen was used along side cotton in 30s-50s, with cotton becoming ubiquitous by the 60s.

Color: white (8/12, 67%), blue, green, red, etc. (4/12, 33%)

Pattern: plain (6/12, 50%), check/plaid/gingham (5/12, 42%), other print (1/12, 8%)

Brim corner: curved (7/13, 54%), straight (4/13, 31%), square (2/13, 15%) 

Curtain corner: square (10/13, 77%), curved (3/13, 23%)

Total number of rows of vertical cording in brim: four (3/10, 30%), three (3/10, 30%), two (2/10, 20%), six (1/10, 10%), eight (1/10, 10%)

Amount of cords in each row: ranges between 2-20, most common seems to be 2-6, with more per row near the brim front

Cording along horizontal brim edge: yes (7/12, 58%), no (5/12, 42%)

Curtain attachment: plainly gathered (3/10, 30%), gathered on cord (3/10, 30%), drawstring at back (3/10, 30%), gathered on exposed fold (1/10, 10%)

Crown attachment: all appear to be plainly gathered

Details: all visible ties are made from self-fabric. Measured curtains range from 6.5-11.5", shoulder to upper arm length.

A Closer Look: "The Old Sewing Machine" (1863)

Today we will be taking a closer look at a steel engraving published in  Godey's January 1863 titled “The Old Sewing Machine” available on archive.org. I was once told that engravings like this one were the Polaroids of the 19th century, showing the everyday moments that weren't captured in photographs. I can't say whether this is true, or if these images are as romanticized as the often staged portraits of the poor and working class, but it does give us one more source for exploring day-to-day life.

In  this image a young woman is sewing what appears to be a men's shirt by candlelight.  Her poverty is immediately evident, as the setting is anything but opulent. The rough lumber of the sloping ceiling and chipping plaster on the walls demonstrate that this is not a room made for comfort, and she is dressed in a very plain fashion. Most likely, she is a servant, tucked away in an attic bedroom.

She sits on a small wooden stool in front of her bed: a folding, tressel. Described in An Encyclopedia of Domestic Economy (1855) as "one of the cheapest made [bedsteads]... [it] has the great convenience of being easily put aside... consisting merely of two frames connected by the sacking... there is no better bedstead for men servants or young people... they may be had complete for less than £1." Available on archive.org. On the bed is a mattress covered with a striped tick, and likely stuffed with a cheaper filling such as straw.

On the mattress sits a wide, shallow basket overflowing with fabric and two spools of white thread. Further back a candlestick with large, round base, finger loop handle and thumb tab sits on what appears to be an un-decorated bandbox with looped handles. On the floor are a simple, unmatched pitcher and basin.

The woman in questions wears a plain, solid colored dress, presumably of a hard wearing material like wool. There are several patches visible on the skirt. From beneath her sleeves poke white cuffs, and around her neck hangs a checked kerchief. Further back, hanging on the wall are what appear to be a slatted sunbonnet and a cloak or shawl. Her hair is pulled back in a low bun with the sides swooping over her ears.  She squints at her sewing in the low light, while hanging her head in apparent exhaustion.

In March of the same year, in the section "Godey's Arm-Chair" the writer states ""The New Sewing-Machine" is also published in the number, a companion plate to the "Old Sewing-Machine" in January number. Our subscribers may make the comparison. The old sewing-machine we rather prefer in some respects, but the new one is cheap at the price."
Both plates appear to be signed "Lauderbach," and were possibly made by James W. Lauderbach of Philadelphia.