In the late 1820s, women’s fashion shifted from the once high empire waistlines (think Jane Austen era) back down to the natural position. From then until the 1860s, details like sleeves and necklines morph and change, but not as drastically as before or after that time period. A small waist and a wide skirt are the hallmarks of the better part of the 19th century. For children and young teens, one of the popular dress silhouettes we see relatively unchanged from 1820-1870 is the open neck, short sleeve, knee length dress as shown above and below.

It makes sense that if I dress isn’t threadbare by the time the wearer outgrows it, it would be passed on to a younger child. Our ancestors were pretty good at making precious clothing last and unlike today, nothing was disposable. Even the most ratty fabric could be recycled and sold to the Rag and Bone man, who would in turn sell it to a factory to be remade into new (albeit low quality) fabric, called shoddy.

So while women’s sleeves, waist shapes (flat versus pointed) and necklines shift, we see at least one girl’s silhouette remain relatively static. This style of dress, characterized below, is what I imagine a historical version of Kirsten’s birthday dress might be:

Wide Neckline
Gathered Bodice into Waistband
Short Sleeves
Knee to Mid Calf Length Hem

I have seen examples of this style of dress worn plain or layered over a undersleeves with a chemisette or a blouse. Sometimes the pantelettes are matching, but primarily they are white. Accessories like lace gloves appear on upper class children.

It should be mentioned that this isn’t the only girls’ dress silhouette of the mid 19th century, but it is very common. For my costume, I’ve chosen an adult silhouette that echos some of these style details (here’s an early sketch!) Do you see something in these images that reminds you of Kirsten’s birthday dress?

See more of The Kirsten Project research HERE.

Kirsten’s holiday story Kirsten’s Surprise centers around her family’s tradition of celebrating Saint Lucia’s Day - a solstice celebration of light honoring Santka Lucia. The holiday took hold during Sweden’s Catholic period somewhere between 1000-1500 and is still honored today with parades and family celebrations on December 13th. If you’re thinking, wait! the winter solstice is on December 21st! (my birthday!), you’re right. There was a change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar for Sweden (and the US/UK) in the mid 18th century, which essentially pushed the calendar forward to account for leap days.

In Sweden, the eldest daughter in each family wakes before dawn and brings a breakfast tray to her family members in the dark, wearing a white (night) gown, red sash at the waist and a crown made of lingonberries and branches with candles glowing. Kirsten’s family celebrated St. Lucia’s day as the start of the Christmas season but her Swedish American cousins have since lost the custom. After a snowy all night adventure to town with her papa to retrieve the family’s trunks and Swedish heirlooms, Kirsten is able to play the part of St. Lucia on December 13th.

For my Saint Lucia costume I’m taking my cues from the artwork in Kirsten’s Surprise, illustrated by Renée Graef but looking through historical photos and illustrations made me so excited for my family’s own St. Lucia’s Day breakfast! Click on any image to view larger!