1860 1869 Fashion History Timeline The empire waist reshaped fashion in the early 19th century. It borrowed from classical antiquity and rejected the ridgid styles of the 18th century. While the fashion looked more relaxed, the societal Mid 19th century Work Woman Dresses Maggie May Clothing Fine Historical Fashion Empire Regency epochs of fashion: Costume and Dress throughout History The 19th Century Dresses Come Out for their Close ups Today's DAR Around the turn of the century, fashion became a kind of language, one that spoke of status, taste, and the quiet art of being seen. These women, likely photographed between 1898 and