Fashion in the Gilded Age - Gibson Girl, an American Fashion Icon
Introducing Our New Adult Fashion Coloring Book
New York. 1890. The peak of the Gilded Age. This period is arguably one of the most important times in American history, but also for fashion history. For it was during the 1890s that America’s first international fashion icon was born: The Gibson Girl.
We’ve chosen this period, fashion in the Gilded Age, and this location, New York, for our second full-length adult fashion coloring book because, we’ll just say it–New York came to be the city that never sleeps during this period and put American on the map as a cultural force to be reckoned with, especially fashion.
New York Fashion During the Gilded Age: Gibson Girl, an American Fashion Icon
We’re incredibly proud of our newest addition to our rapidly growing collection of historical fashion coloring books and think the art in this Gibson Girl book is some of our best yet. From urban New York street scenes that put’s the colorist squarely in the center of New York’s fashion district in the 1890s, to “gilded” ballrooms filled with Gibson Girls in glamorous even gowns, this collection of fashion illustrations is sure to make you fall in love with the Gibson Girl and her glittering world.
So what’s inside? Let’s take a look.
24 Fabulous Gilded Age Fashion Designs
These adult coloring pages include a wide variety of full-page illustrations of Gibson Girl fashions, which showcase the fashionable New York woman dressed for specific daily activities (remember that women during this time were expected to change clothing as much as three or four times a day!) such as sports, as well as attire for important life events, such as weddings and seasons, including beachwear and cold-weather wear. The book also includes scenes that show the Gibson Girl both in the home and out in society.
24 Full-Length Illustrations of the Gibson Girl to Color
That means you get 24 black and white illustrations to color that are printed on the highest-quality cardstock (230 GSM) for weeks of coloring pleasure.
New York Scenes & Historical Landmarks
Fashion Illustrations that show New York during the Gilded Age in the Gibson Girl Coloring Book
This collection of adult fashion coloring pages also includes scenes that reflect real New York landmarks that were built between 1890 - 1910 or shortly thereafter, such at the world-famous Flatiron building that was constructed in 1902, the New York World Building, constructed in 1890, and Central Park, which was completed in 1876. Central Park was significantly renovated and modernized during the 1890s, including new nurseries and bridges. The Flatiron building was the center of the women’s historic shopping district in New York, which is still based on 5th Avenue. The New York World Building was the tallest building in the world at the time of its construction, and Central Park became the location where New York’s “modern women,” increasingly, engaged in sporting activities such as the popular pastime of “bicycling.”
Colored Pages from the Gibson Girl: American Fashion Icon Coloring Book
This book includes:
✿ 24 original black and white 1890s New York fashion illustrations based on real fashions from the period
✿ Flexible, removable binder for easy removal, coloring, display and "framing" of the pages
✿ Highest-quality paper-- 200-year paper, acid free, 230 gsm, to prevent bleed-through and enable your finished pages to last forever
✿ Coloring Starter Guide for beginning and intermediate colorists (written by the artist)
✿ History of Gibson Girl "Gilded Age" fashion: "New York in the 1890s -- Fashion in the Gilded Age" (researched and written by the artist)
✿ Test pages to test pencils and markers
✿ 4 fully-colored examples for ideas and inspiration (colored by the artist herself)
✿ Extra repeat bonus illustrations so you can color the same page in different color schemes
✿ Motivational advice on how to relax while coloring and practice so you keep growing as an artist
✿ Discount Code for huge SAVINGS and free pages at Chubandbug.com
Grab Your Gibson Girl Book Now
We love our loyal customers and visitors to Chub & Bug so much, we’re offering you guys an exclusive discount when you purchase our new Gibson Girl Coloring Book.
Save 30% when you purchase the book below.
To understand why we focused our second full-length coloring book on New York Fashion during the Gilded Age and specifically the Gibson Girl, you’d need to have more context on what made New York so cool during this time period and why the Gibson Girl was so popular.
What Is the Gilded Age?
The Gilded Age began around 1870 and lasted into the early 20th century. During this time, America was booming in wealth and population and was swept up in a wave of industrialization and new technologies that had profound effects on fashion, culture and society as a whole. American cities were growing at an unprecedented rate while rural areas continued to be inhabited by farmers—a stark contrast that created both wealth and poverty in equal measure.
The term “Gilded Age” comes from Mark Twain's novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873). In it, he satirizes corruption in politics and business through the stories of two young couples who move west to seek their fortunes during this explosive growth period. The word “gilded” simply means “covered thinly with gold leaf or paint,” and came to signify a rapidly changing culture that looked superficially like gold, but underneath was something quite different, usually far less valuable. This new society was obsessed with wealth, prestige, money and of course gold, but underneath was a society seething with corruption, extreme poverty, and despair.
This era also had a profound influence on fashion. It was during this period that New York became one of America's most important centers for fashion design and manufacturing as designers sought to outdo each other with their latest creations for wealthy clients who could afford them.
New York's Gilded Age Was a Time of Both Extreme Wealth and Poverty
As indicated by the word “gilded” in the period title, the Gilded Age was an era of extremes–a time of great wealth and great poverty, one inwhich reality dramatically contradicted a superficial fantasy. From the 1870s to about 1900, New York's upper class saw their fortunes rise as they took advantage of new manufacturing techniques, while lower classes struggled to make ends meet. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer, and fashion reflected this dichotomy.
Fashion In the Gilded Age Reflected These Extremes
The rich were able to afford stylish clothing; the poor could only afford cast-offs from the wealthy or from second-hand stores. Styles for women in particular reflected the social status of their wearers—the wealthier a woman was, the more she would show off her wealth through extravagant clothing.
New York began its transformation into one of the world’s fashion capitals in the 1890s, becoming known as a center for luxury goods and design, where some of the best stores could be found. It also had a reputation as a city that embraced new ideas and styles more quickly than other cities in America, which made it an ideal location to find inspiration for new fashions.
While shopping in New York City might not seem like much fun today (it's crowded with tourists), during this time period it was quite different. You could find everything you wanted at one store or another: silk dresses from Parisian designers; evening gowns from London tailors; hats from Milan milliners; shoes from Swiss cobblers; jewelry from Austrian jewelers–even lingerie from French lace makers! And did I mention that all these things were available at affordable prices?
Indeed, the “department store” was invented or first appeared as a term in the New York Times in 1888, and although stores of this type began appearing after the 1850s, it didn’t congeal into the form it is now until the 1890s (Benson 1986). The new “department store” had unique features that included glass, light-flooded windows, and especially high ceilings. What’s more, these stores uniquely catered to an urban female clientele, not only by including restrooms, but also restaurants and lounges. It was this combination that enabled shopping to become a “leisure activity.” In this way, department stores enabled women to get out of the home unchaperoned so they could socialize, dine, and shop in beautiful and elaborate spaces decorated especially for them.
The sheer size of the New York department store by the end of the 1890s was massive. Indeed, Bambergers department store, which opened in 1892, had over 20,000 square feet and expanded to 500,000 square feet by 1915. The “Big Store”, which opened in 1896 on Sixth Avenue in downtown Manhattan, had over 750,000 square feet and 120 departments that were managed by 3000 employees. According to the New York Times, the day the Big Store opened there was a crowd of over 5000 people waiting in line, which swelled to 20,000 before the day was over!
The “Big Store” in Downtown Manhattan, New York at its opening in 1896
New York Crowd in front of Fashionable Department Store at the Turn of the Century
And indeed, it was in New York City where ready-to-wear garments began to be manufactured at affordable prices. By 1900, Lord and Taylor was one of several department stores that had “onsite workrooms” to produce custom garments (Schorman 2010).
So enthralled with women’s shopping was New York City, that they dedicated an entire district to it, entitled the “Ladies Mile” in 1889, which is now part of the Flatiron district in Manhattan and included 5th Avenue, which still preserves New York’s original fetish with female fashion.
Flatiron Building in Downtown Manhattan, New York, Right After Construction at the Turn of the Century
In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that the Gilded Age “perfected” the idea of the department store. All of this combined to create a climate conducive to developing a truly original American style, so much so that the New York Times began holding fashion “design contests.”
In this context, fashion in the gilded age became a reflection of both social structure and changing times. Consider that before World War I (1914–18), women's dresses were fitted close at the waist with a full skirt below it—then came flapper dresses with closer fitting sleeves and hemlines that rose above ankle length as fashions changed again during Prohibition days when they became longer still while being worn over short skirts (which themselves had fallen out of style)
The Gibson Girl as Cultural Figure
The Gibson Girl began as a fictional character created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, who was a cartoonist and illustrator, and became a popular symbol of the American woman during the Gilded Age. Although she started as nothing but a figment in Gibson’s imagination, she began to take on a life of her own as his illustrations became more popular and women all over America imitated her “style” and look. Ironically, the fictional look that Gibson created was modeled from real New York women and socialites in Gibson’s social circles.
To get a full breakdown of the elements that make up true Gibson Girl style, check out our comprehensive blog post on the topic.
In this sense, Gibson Girl was an American fashion icon who became a profound reflection on these changing times; she was both an emblem of change and a sign that a new American fashion had been born.
The Gibson Girl became popular at a time when women were beginning to assert themselves as consumers outside the home. Increasingly, women had spending power and began to express themselves through their clothing choices as well as in other areas such as literature and art—a trend that wouldn't become widespread until after World War II ended in 1945, with the rise of consumerism. During this period between 1890–1910 when America experienced unprecedented growth due to industrialization, many women worked outside their homes for wages or in professions such as school teachers or secretaries—allowing them more disposable income than ever before thanks to technological advances like electricity making it easier for people with fewer skill sets (such as washing clothes by hand) being replaced by machines that did those tasks instead.
Even though the Gibson Girl was a commercialized symbol, she still had an important role in American culture. The Gibson Girl was a symbol of idealized femininity and is considered by some to be an early precursor to the pinup girl or Barbie doll, who was also based on elements of idealized femininity. However, this idealized image of women also allowed new ways for women to express themselves—the Gibson Girl represented strength and independence as well as beauty and grace. She was not only fashionable but she represented a new vision for women’s roles in society at that time—one which could eventually lead them towards being independent thinkers rather than simply being seen as objects of desire.
Cecil B DeMille's famous silent movie "The Cheat" (1915) starring Sessue Hayakawa shows how much influence these illustrations had on Hollywood during this period: it includes several scenes that were directly inspired by Charles Dana Gibson's drawings! Similarly James Gable has said: “I wanted my hats so badly modeled after those wonderful pictures by Charles Dana Gibson...”
The Gibson Girl as an American Fashion Icon
While there are many features that contributed to fashion in the gilded age, especially the famous Gibson Girl “look,” we’ll highlight three that have done the most to define the Gibson Girl as an American fashion icon–a modern woman that became a style inspiration for girls across the globe at the turn of the century.
The Original Sporting Girl
Sporting girls were fashionable women in the late 19th century who dressed for comfort and convenience. Sporting girls wore loose-fitting clothing that was easy to move around, such as flowing long skirts and blouses with large sleeves. In other words, as one of the original “sporting girls” the Gibson Girl was the original “sporty spice”-- the woman who made being “athletic” fashionable, cool, and even “feminine.”
Gibson was obsessed with women’s sports, and his work is replete with the Gibson Girl either bicycling in Central Park, golfing, playing tennis or croquet, or horseback riding. Certainly she was always seen on the “go,” always in some state of action as an active participant in her own life. In fact, many attribute Gibson’s frequent depiction of the Gibson Girl on her bike about town as instrumental in making bicycling a national craze during the period.
In this sense, of all the features of Gibson Girl fashion, the loose “balloon” sleeves were the most prominent and signified a quintessential Gibson “look.” The sleeve which was tight and closed in 1890 began to open up by 1892, reached its peak expansion by 1895, and then began to droop and sag between 1896 and 1899, closing finally at the turn of the century.
Furthermore the loose bouffant, upswept hairstyle was another important feature of her look. Both the looseness of the Gibson’s Girl’s billowing sleeves and her loose, haphazardly “piled” hair literally and figuratively gave the Gibson Girl new freedom–freedom of movement and freedom from time. It gave her the freedom not only to be “sporty” but also the time to pursue other things than attending to her beauty regimen–such as politics. For these reasons, many suggest that the Gibson Girl also played an important role in popularizing the women’s suffrage movement.
We’ve done our best in this coloring book to faithfully render Gibson’s dedication to sports and include three full-length fashion illustrations depicting the Gibson Girl engaged in sporting activities, including bicycling, tennis, and swimming.
Scenes of the Gibson Girl Playing sports from the Coloring Book
Bathing Suits Befitting Bathing Beauties
If you peruse Gibson’s volume of work, one thing becomes clear. He was fascinated by the beach and coastal scenes, explicitly women’s place in those scenes. Some of Gibson’s best work showcases the Gibson Girl and her coterie laughing, exploring, playing and swimming at the beach. In fact, his best beach scenes include women fully submerged in ocean water unchaperoned by men, like modern mermaids.
For these reasons, no collection of Gibson Girl coloring pages would be complete without beach scenes, showing her in her liberating, modern “bathing suit” pursuing her pleasure and her passions.
Indeed, our newest collection shows the Gibson Girl on the beach and on the dock near ocean water to really bring her full complexity to life.
Scenes of the Gibson Girl at the Beach in the Coloring Book
The Drama of the Gibson Girl Evening Gown
The Gilded Age was the era of the debutante, and like the flapper in the Roaring Twenties, she wore a style of dress that was dramatic and attention-grabbing. (If you love flapper fashion or the period of the Roaring Twenties, you’ll love our fashion coloring book: The Roaring Twenties: The Golden Age of Paris Fashion. Unlike other fashion eras in the 19th century, the neckline of the evening gown during this period began to plunge, showing more skin and emphasizing feminine sexuality.
Beyond plunging necklines, the dramatic Gibson Girl evening gown was accented by long and lavish trains, exquisite embroidery and even jewels and precious stones. When a Gibson Girl debutante walked into the ballroom she not only glittered from the gold and diamond encrusted jewelry at her neck, but also sparkled head to toe from her glittering attire.
The Gibson Girl evening gowns became one of fashion's most important contributions to fashion history after originating in New York City during this time.
Once again, we’ve tried to do justice to the Gibson Girl debutante and her lavish ball gowns by including many scenes with dramatic evening gowns in this coloring book.
One Last Takeaway
There is a reason the Gibson Girl is seen as a precursor to Barbie–she is unquestionably beautiful. But her beauty and particular image of femininity only tell you half the story. It doesn't tell the whole story about this iconic woman and her fashion influence on American culture.
So here it is in a nutshell: the Gibson Girl was an icon of New York fashion during the Gilded Age. She was not only a symbol of unparalleled beauty, but also women’s freedom and power, and more importantly–the hope for a better future for all Americans.
We hope our discussion of the Gibson Girl and fashion in the Gilded Age has inspired you enough that you’d consider purchasing our new coloring book celebrating her grace, beauty, and style.
Remember, you can 30% when you purchase this book from our website :)
