Gothic to Goth: Romantic Era Fashion & Its Legacy

This exhibition explores a complex period in design history that continues to echo through fashion to this day. Presenting costume created between 1810 and 1860 in its cultural context—as seen in literary works, paintings, prints, and the decorative arts—offers an opportunity to understand not just how clothing looked in the early nineteenth century, but why it looked that way. Look closely to discover how the decorative details adorning a ball gown resemble those on a cast iron stove; how the fashionable silhouette of a woman in an 1820s portrait found inspiration in styles worn by Renaissance noblewomen; and how a silk dress in the golden hue of a Hudson River School landscape manifests the period’s passion for nature. With an emphasis on imagination and emotion, Romantic ideas permeated history, religion, literature, visual arts, and all forms of design, including fashion.

Romantic philosophy and aesthetics have continued as an undercurrent in Western society since the nineteenth century, affecting fashion in some manner in every subsequent generation. Most recently, the Goth and Steampunk styles—as seen in the couture designs of Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier in the last section of this exhibition—offer their own unique expressions of Romanticism.

Lilly Martin Spencer
American, 1822–1902
Reading the Legend, 1852
Oil on canvas
Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts. Gift of Adeline Flint Wing, class of 1898 and Caroline Roberta Wing, class of 1896, sc 1954:69

In Reading the Legend, a young woman gazes longingly toward an ivy-covered Gothic ruin as her beau reads a romantic novel to her. (The ruin is actually Blarney Castle in Ireland, which burned in 1820, and probably looked much like this picturesque image at the time of Spencer’s painting. It was rebuilt in the 1870s.)

Wenceslaus Hollar
Bohemian, 1607–1677
The Four Seasons: Autumn, 1644
Etching on paper
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 1955.1992

Samuel Waldo
American, 1783–1861
William Jewett
American, 1792–1874
Mrs. Charles (Martha Kingsley) MacNeil, 1834
Oil on wood
Bequest of Clara Hinton Gould, 1948.182

Compare the 1644 etching by Hollar with the 1834 portrait by Waldo and Jewett. Mrs. MacNeil wears a hood-like cap and folded white scarf that perfectly echo the hood and collar of Hollar’s subject. In the Romantic era, large collars that draped over the shoulders were called “pelerines,” from the French word “pèlerin,” meaning “pilgrim”—an appropriately Gothic term connoting piety and history.

Dress, c. 1832
American
Printed cotton
Gift of Mrs. Charles H. Kremer, 1964.200

Puffed sleeves and wide collars reminiscent of the seventeenth century are seen in this dress; the decorative tab edging of the collar is similar to the edgings of men’s clothing in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Parlor stove, c. 1844
American, Albany, New York
Made by Francis S. Low and John S. Leake
Cast iron
American Decorative Arts Purchase Fund, 1985.62

Parlor stoves, a luxury for only the wealthy until about the 1840s, were often cast with decorative detail reflective of the period’s reigning fashion. This Greek Revival stove features rounded shapes and foliate motifs like those seen in the adjacent ball dress.

Ball dress, c. 1830
French
Silk satin embroidered with metallic threads
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, 43.1650
© 2016 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The large, puffed sleeves and full skirt of this dress illustrate the Greek Revival style, a marked departure from the straight lines of Neoclassical fashion. The gold-embroidered fronds around the hem are typical Greek Revival motifs and were found in a variety of early nineteenth-century decorative arts.

Platter, c. 1850
English, Staffordshire
Lead-glazed earthenware, transfer-printed
Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut, Gift of Mary F. Lord and Katherine L. Lord

In addition to the historical references inherent in its architecture and decorative arts, the Gothic Revival style was appreciated for the piety it was believed to convey. Housewives decorated their homes with Gothic-themed objects that evoked the days of chivalry and godliness popularized by Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley novels— including platters transfer-printed with designs of castles.

Folding fan, mid-19th century
European
Hand-painted lithograph and ivory
Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland through Mrs. Philip A. Means, her niece, 1938.574

Lithographic prints of imaginary Gothic scenes could be purchased for hanging on the parlor wall—or for fluttering in the hand. The leaf of this fan depicts a pseudo-medieval feasting scene, flanked by figures of knights in chain mail set within Gothic medallions.

Shoes, c. 1775
American
Silk
Gift of Mrs. T. Stewart Hamilton, 1961.108a,b

Dress made from 18th-century fabric, c. 1840
American
Silk
Gift of Mrs. T. Stewart Hamilton, 1961.109a,b

Slippers, c. 1830–50
American
Silk and leather
Bequest of Miss Augusta Hart Williams, 1913.138–139

This dress offers an example of how 1840s fashion sometimes incorporated historical styles in a more tangible way—it was cut “à l’antique” using fabric from an eighteenth-century dress. The collar edging the low neckline was inspired by seventeenth-century fashion.

Dress, late 1840s
Possibly French
Silk
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, 44.142

Chemisette, c. 1845–55
American
Cotton muslin with machine-made linen bobbin lace
Historic Northampton, Northampton, Massachusetts, 51.52

This Rococo Revival dress is an imitation of an eighteenth-century dress called an “open robe,” in which the skirt is open to reveal a decorative or matching petticoat.

Dress with evening bodice, c. 1850
American
Silk
Gift of Estate of Matta Grimm Lacey, 1976.33b,c

Chantilly lace shawl, c. 1850–75
French
Silk
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Kraatz, Paris, 1984.70

Parlor chair, c. 1863
American, probably Boston.
Rosewood and silk damask
Gift of Mrs. Horace B. Clark, and Thomas L. Cox, by exchange, 1985.2.2

The brocade-woven design of curled leaf motifs and rose-like flowers is distinctly eighteenth-century in flavor, though the deep black and blue color combination is very Victorian. The black Chantilly lace shawl was hugely fashionable in the 1850s and 1860s. Chantilly had been the favorite lace of Queen Marie Antoinette.

Hair comb, c. 1825–35
American
Horn
Bequest of Miss Julia F. White, 1937.224

Fancy also affected hairstyle fashions, which featured greased and wired loops and curls. These elaborate coiffures were further ornamented with large combs, sometimes worn two or three at a time. The combs were made from the shells of sea turtles—most commonly the hawksbill turtle. Horn was sometimes used as an alternative to tortoiseshell, or, when dyed, as an imitation of that more expensive material.

Dress, c. 1837–40
American
Printed silk
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.3

Reproduction ribbon belt

Belt buckle, 19th century
Probably English
Mother of pearl and brass
Collection of Lynne Zacek Bassett

Scarf, c. 1850
French or English
Silk
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Clifton M. Bockstoce, 1963.527

American women who put together ensembles like this one were following French fashion. The silks, as well as the styles, were probably produced in France. The complicated sleeve decoration, pattern-woven shawl, ribbon belt and buckle, beaded reticule, and complex hairstyle all combined to create layers of pattern and ornamentation in response to Romanticism’s imaginative Fancy aesthetic.

Jug, 1842–61
English, Hanley, Staffordshire
Made by Charles Meigh & Co. (active 1835–1861)
Lead-glazed stoneware
Bequest of Miss Louise E. Hatheway, 1910.203

The “Apostle” design molded in lead-glazed stoneware was a very popular Gothic Revival motif and can be found in tea sets and jugs. Any Catholic association with the design was conveniently overlooked by staunchly Protestant followers of the Gothic Revival.

Reproduction fashion plate from Godey’s Lady’s Book, March 1843
Collection of Lynne Zacek Bassett

In the 1840s, simplicity in dress became associated with a virtuous and pious spirit. This led to reduced embellishment and a new silhouette. The shoulder line remained sloped, and sleeves became tightly fitted. The neckline and waistline grew pointed, and the torso was constricted by a bosom-crushing corset, while the skirt remained bell-shaped. Topped by a closely fitted bonnet, the resulting silhouette consciously echoed the shape of a Gothic arch, as this fashion plate illustrates.

Dress, c. 1840–45
American
Silk
Gift of Mrs. Frederic Beach, 1937.422

Canvaswork bag, c. 1830–50
American
Wool and linen
Collection of Mary D. Doering

Shoes, c. 1830–50
American
Kid leather
Collection of Mary D. Doering

The pointed waistline, pointed bodice decoration, tight sleeves, tight bodice with dropped shoulder line, and full skirt of this silk dress combine to mimic the shape of a Gothic arch.

Wedding dress, pelerine, shoes, and reticule, 1840
Burmese
Silk
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Edward C. Barlow, 1971.8a,b,d,h,and i

Brooch, mid-19th century
American
Brunette hair and gold
Gift of Mrs. William S. Curtis, 1944.254

Romanticism’s religious zeal was associated with the medieval Crusades. With Bibles rather than swords in hand, nineteenth-century missionaries were sent out to bring Christianity to “heathen” countries. Caroline Harrington of Brookfield, Massachusetts, was appointed as a Baptist missionary to Burma in 1832. She married the Reverend Thomas Simons and commissioned this silk wedding dress and accessories from the seamstresses of his congregation. The ensemble was a present for her sister, Olive, who wed Marshall Doane on November 8, 1840.

Nathaniel Currier
American, 1813–1888
James Merritt Ives
American, 1824–1895
American Country Life. May Morning, 1855
Hand-colored lithograph
Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts. Gift of Lenore B. and Sidney A. Alpert, supplemented with Museum Acquisition Funds
Photography by David Stansbury

This idyllic scene illustrates the type of Gothic-style country home promoted by Downing. Two ladies tend the extensive garden in the yard while a child plays with a pet lamb.

Thomas Cole
American, born England, 1801–1848
The Present, 1838
Oil on canvas
Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. Museum Purchase, 1950.190

Architectural advice books of the period promoted soft, golden earth tones to harmonize with nature. They were meant to evoke the “mellow golden hue” of sunshine, “when diffused as in a fine evening over the whole landscape.” These are the colors of Cole’s painting, The Present, which laments days gone by—medieval ruins covered in moss and ivy, lit by an end-of-day glow from the sun.

Dress, c. 1837–40
American
Silk
Gift from the Estate of Miss Laura B. Pease,
through Dwight Pease, 1950.401

Shawl, c. 1845
English
Wool and silk
Gift of Mrs. Maria D. Thompson, The Thompson Collection, 1922.246

Shoes, 1841
American
Silk and leather
Gift of Miss A. Gertrude Ensign, 1946.261–262

Bonnet, 1837
American
Silk and cane
Gift of Miss Amy L. Steiner, 1950.531

Judging by the number of surviving examples, every woman in the late 1830s or early 1840s must have owned at least one dress in this mellow, golden olive color. This, and similar soft shades of sage green, tan, and indescribable golden putty colors—various shades of “drab"—were the same contemplative earth-tone colors recommended in Gothic Revival architecture books and used in Romantic landscape paintings.

Dress, c. 1850
American
Printed wool challis
Gift of Miss Harriet A. Kellogg and her sisters, Julia A. and Laura C. Kellogg, 1943.161

Undersleeves, c. 1845–50
Cotton
Gift from the Estate of Mrs. Louisa Gilman Lane through Miss Caroline Trumbull Gilman, 1923.410–411

This dress epitomizes the restrained femininity of women’s daywear in the 1840s, with its simple embellishment of narrow velvet ribbon on the sleeves and decorative gold buttons down the front. The forest green, floral challis fabric reflects the period’s interest in nature. The design of the dress takes inspiration from the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries in its capped and belled sleeves, and its elongated, pointed waist.

Augustus Washington
American, Hartford, Connecticut, c. 1820–1875
Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791–1865), c. 1855
Daguerreotype
Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut

Lydia Huntley Sigourney of Hartford, the most celebrated American female poet prior to the Civil War, frequently published her work in gift annuals. Her poetry is now regarded as cloyingly sentimental, but was much loved in the Romantic era.

Left:
Dress, c. 1845
American
Silk
Gift of Miss Elizabeth J. Ratmond, 1965.219a,b

Brooch, c. 1850
American
Hair under glass, gold-filled setting
Gift of Mrs. Susan T. Darling, 1923.150

Purse, 1841
American
Embroidered wool
Gift of Miss Mary E. Lincoln, 1927.140

Right:
Dress, c. 1840–45
American
Cotton/wool
Purchased from Special Gift Fund, 1958.567a

Scarf, c. 1830–50
American
Embroidered cotton
Gift of Mrs. Grace (C. Wilbur) Cary, 1946.361

Day cap, 1840s
American
Embroidered cotton
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.10

Eyeglasses, 1830–40
Collection of Thomas G. Shaw, The Clothing Bureau

Pin, c. 1820–50
American
Gold, pearls, glass, and hair
Bequest of Miss Adele Kneeland through her niece, Mrs. Philip A. Means, 1938.428

Housewife, c. 1830s
American
Printed cotton
Collection of Mary D. Doering

Shoes, 1842
Tan leather
Gift of Mrs. Willard Jones, 1963.217a,b

Brooch, c. 1820–40
American
Probably watercolor on ivory, set in gold-over-silver pin
Gift of Mrs. Grace E. Odell, 1952.75

For centuries, jewelry has served as a sentimental gift. In the nineteenth century, a number of forms were often homemade, such as painted brooches, bead watch chains, and hair jewelry. The desired message could be represented literally in words, or figuratively in symbols. This brooch bears the inscription, “Friendship the Fountain of Love.”

Wedding dress, 1838
American
Silk satin
Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut
Worn by Martha Webster (1820–1894), who married Henry Lewis Miller (1806–1861) of Hartford.

Without modesty, there was no hope of marrying a worthy man, a fact taught through period literature. The emphasis on feminine virtue made white dresses—symbolizing virtue and purity—common among brides who could afford them. Published descriptions of Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding ensemble further popularized white wedding dresses, which royal brides had worn since the early eighteenth century.

Maternity dress, c. 1830–35
English
Printed cotton
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.1

Pelerine, c. 1830–35
Embroidered cotton
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2012.31.7

Shoes, c. 1835
American
Silk satin and leather
Gift of Mrs. Willard Jones, 1963.218a,b

The role of the mother in shaping the hearts and minds of her offspring was celebrated in song, story, poem, and image. This dress has an apron-front skirt, meaning that it is open across the front of the waist and down the side seams to above the knee. The waist is on a drawstring so that it can be adjusted. This construction had been an option since the 1780s and was convenient for pregnancy.

Nursing dress, c. 1845
American
Printed cotton
Gift of Mrs. Louis P. Merriman, 1965.474

Women in the early Victorian age were not as prudish about breast feeding as has been assumed. In fact, as proof of the sentimental, maternal bond, it became fashionable in the 1840s for mothers to be photographed nursing their babies. The fan-shaped gathering across the front of this dress bodice hides openings over the breasts to allow for nursing an infant. The openings fasten with hooks and eyes. Most nursing mothers (judging by the aforementioned photographs) used front-opening dresses.

Woman’s mourning dress, c. 1857–60
American
Black cashmere
Gift of Miss Harriet S. Smith, 1924.491

Woman’s mourning bonnet, c. 1860
American
Black silk taffeta with net veil
Gift of Miss Harriet S. Smith, 1924.492

Going into mourning following the death of a loved one was not universal, because the cost of a new wardrobe of sober black was expensive. But, for those who could afford it, mourning was guided by somewhat flexible rules as to duration and materials. This outfit was worn by Clarissa Cheney Savage (1794–1874) of Berlin, Connecticut, probably following the death of her husband in 1857. Etiquette suggested one year of mourning for a spouse.

Mrs. Henry Peters Gray (Susan Clark)
American, 1821–1877
Caroline Augusta Goodwin, c. 1840s
Watercolor on ivory, probably in a gold-over-copper or silver case with clasps attached to hairwork bracelet
Gift from the Estate of Miss Anne Wells Cheney through Clifford Cheney, 1944.269

This intricately braided bracelet forms a wide band, made with hair belonging to Julia Ann Goodwin (1824–1867), the original owner’s mother. The miniature depicts Julia’s sister, Caroline Augusta Goodwin (1822–1852). The artist was the wife of portrait and genre painter Henry Peters Gray (1819–1877), who became the second president of the National Academy of Design in 1870.

Evening gown, 1984
Designed by Hélène Hayes (Australian, 1936–2001)
Velvet and silk
Gift of Susan E. O’Connor, 2013.28.5

Parisian couturier Hélène Hayes combined references to multiple historical periods in this Romantic evening dress. The puffed and slashed sleeves are modeled after Renaissance design, and the skirt draping is inspired by an eighteenth-century dress fashion called a “poloniase.” This dress appeared on the cover of Australian Vogue in 1984.

Benjamin West
American, 1738–1820
Saul and the Witch of Endor, 1777
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Clara Hinton Gould, 1948.186

Modern Goth culture is deeply rooted in the Romantic era. It draws upon the sublime in art, the Gothic horror literary genre, and the period’s spiritualism and morbid sentimentality about death. West, an early proponent of Romanticism, painted this work in response to a 1757 treatise by Edmund Burke, which described the sublime as “a response to terror, an aesthetic category the opposite of beauty.” In West’s depiction of this Old Testament story, King Saul prostrates himself in error as the Witch of Endor summons the ghost of the prophet Samuel, who tells Saul that he will die in his next battle.

Dress, 2007
Designed by Alexander McQueen (English, 1969–2010)
Velvet and satin
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts. Gift of Anonymous donors in London who are friends of the Peabody Essex Museum, 2011, 2011.44.1
© 2012 Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

Both Nathaniel Hawthorne and modern couturier Alexander McQueen had ancestors who were involved in the famous Salem witchcraft trials of 1692: Hawthorne descended from a judge and McQueen from a victim. Both drew upon these connections for their art. McQueen’s 2007 collection, “In Memory of Elizabeth Howe, Salem, 1692,” channeled Romantic historicism, terror, and emotion, adding power to his design aesthetic.

Coat/dress and belt, fall 2013
Designed by Sarah Burton for the House of Alexander McQueen
Bonded felt and leather
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2013.22.1–2

Boots, fall 2013
Designed by Sarah Burton for the House of Alexander McQueen
Leather
Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, 2013.22.3a,b

Sarah Burton now carries on the historical sensibility of the House of Alexander McQueen. She modeled the standing collar of this coat on that of a Renaissance cardinal’s robe, and the shoulder cape and buckles on a style popularly associated (erroneously) with the Pilgrims of the early seventeenth century. The flared sleeves and lacy cut-outs are inspired by mid-nineteenth-century Victorian fashions, which were themselves derived from sixteenth-century modes.

Vampire suit (jacket and jeans), 1998
Cotton, lycra, and metal

Trench coat, 1998
Nylon, metal, and polyurethane

Tattoo shirt, 1994
Nylon

Belt, c. 1993
Metal

Chains, c. 1990
Metal and leather

Bag, 2000
Leather and metal
All objects above designed by Jean Paul Gaultier (French, born 1952)

Wallet, 2010
Sold at Hot Topic
Leather and metal

Boots, c. 2000
Manufactured by Dr. Martens
Leather, rubber, and cotton

Collection of Richard Patrick Anderson
Ensemble styled by Richard Patrick Anderson

Tales of vampires have existed for centuries, but the first vampires in literature appeared in early Romantic poetry by Lord Byron and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The earliest book on the subject was The Vampyre, by John William Polidori, published in 1819. Inspired by this Gothic idea, Gaultier (known as the “enfant terrible” of fashion for his irreverent style) created the “Vampire Suit.” The black jean jacket and pants have red flocking, suggestive of dripping blood.