Civil War Era Fashion

Note the wide skirt, the trim drawing the eye to a wide shoulder line and the gathering of the folds into a narrow waist. As was typical of the time, the woman's hair is parted in the center and brushed to the side, also emphasizing the horizontal line and making the face look wider. She wears a contrasting white collar fastened with a pin. Replacing a collar was simpler than mending or repairing the dress itself, thus many dresses had collars that could be easily removed or replaced. Detail of bodice front