Cut, Construction and Silhouette: The practice of bespoke tailoring and shifting forms of identity in the early nineteenth century

In parallel with the development of early nineteenth century men’s social roles, the sartorial dandy style, with its elegance and neatness reflected in theories about ‘hygienic and dress’, opened new opportunities for men to dress and to ‘dictate taste’ for fashion. The wearing of plain, woollen, bespoke tailored clothing led to the need for improved construction and fit, which, in turn, stimulated the development of the already dominant London tailoring profession. The same period also witnessed the expansion of women’s social roles, not least when it came to horse riding and walking. In response, tailors took their techniques for constructing male fitted clothing to produce women’s walking habits alongside well-established garments for riding thus bringing together style and practicality. The style was deliberately masculine in its cut, construction, and silhouette. These developments contributed to the emergence of new social roles and meanings. Dandyism, alongside the craft of bespoke tailoring, therefore helped to break down established gender boundaries, offering new forms of identity for women and a route towards empowerment within a society where the male and female sex were understood to operate in separate spheres.