About the project

The purpose of this digital exhibit is to show various women's fashion trends of the 1800s, explore changes in style and type of clothing throughout decades, and look at the accessories women used most often to complete their looks. To provide a diverse range of sources that depict women's fashion, many drawings, paintings, and photographs of the costumes are displayed in Dresses and Accessories sections. The materials for this exhibit come mostly from Wikimedia Commons and Costume Institute of Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The 19th century was a time of the great changes marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Napoleonic, Holy Roman and Mughal empires and a rise of British, Russian empires and the United States. The rapid industrialization and globalization significantly influenced economic aspects of living for many people, including their clothing preferences. The automatization of the weaving production decreased the cost of cotton and made textile more affordable. Although such factor transformed the styles of women of all social classes, this exhibit focuses on middle and high-class women who had a privilege to wear glamorous ballgowns and long elegant walking dresses with expensive jewelry and other types of accessories. 

Different countries experienced different changes in fashion but there were a few countries like Britain and France that indicated the main trends in Europe and the United States. Many items of this exhibit are originated from those countries. 

This digital exhibit is a final project of NYU Abu Dhabi student for Digital Curation class.