Chas Hecklinger - The Keystone Jacket and Dress Cutter: An 1895 Guide to Womens Tailoring

Ladies Jacket. Tan coating and dark brown velvet were the fabric choices recommended for this well-fitted jacket. The wide sleeves are typical of 1895 and could be made with the Very Full Sleeve pattern Keystone provided. The comparatively small collar trimmed with velvet is also a common feature of womens suits of the era.

Ladies Outdoor Toilette . An example of a lavish Eton jacket paired with a shirtwaist. Recommended for the promenade, this design was fashioned from dark green fabric and black moir, with an off-white taffeta waist. The front panels of this Eton were designed never quite to meet.

Ladies Puritan Cape. Dark violet fabric was recommended for this cape, called a Puritan Cape because of its rather severe outline. Basically a circle cut out of cloth (like the Three-Quarter Cape Keystone provided), it was interlined with stiff crinoline, and featured ostrich feathers and ribbon. The simplicity and excellent style of this cape will be appreciated by conservative women, wrote the editors of The Delineator.

Ladies Double-Breasted Jacket. A popular style for women in the 1890s, this double-breasted jacket was made of tobacco-brown serge. The roll collar, enormous sleeves, and hip length were all fashionable in 1895.

A Variety of Jackets Popular in the 1890s. Peplums (called skirts by Keystone ) were popular in 1895, for carefully pleated peplums offered a tailored, but feminine look. Other jackets were cut so carefully that the backs were full, yet neither pleated nor gathered. Shorter Eton jackets didnt button in front, and often featured wider collars. Large sleeves predominated throughout, which explains why Keystone offers several patterns for wide sleeves.

Ladies Box-Plaited Basque Waist (two lower illustrations). The shirtwaist was fast becoming the important garment every woman needed. Its versatility was renowned, and the basic pattern Keystone provided could easily be altered to achieve a vast array of variations. This shirtwaist, with box pleats, high collar, and full sleeves, is typical.

Ladies Outdoor Toilette. Box coats were a newly revived trend, and with their large sleeves and loose fit, seem almost out of place amid the snug-fitting designs of the era. The skirt is rounded and gored, just as noted in Keystone s description. The entire thoroughly practical outfit is recommended for shopping.

Typical, Fashionable Shirtwaists of 1895. Each shirtwaist required almost six yards of cloth, and featured massive sleeves, stiff high collars, and box pleating.

Typical Skirts of 1895. Full and circular, these skirts are very simple, with just a touch of interest at the back, where a little gathering accentuated the derriere, and a slightly lengthened back hem lightly swept the streets.

Combination for a Ladies Costume. A common style of ladies suit, featuring a circular skirt, vest, and jacket. A tailor with Keystone at his side, could easily recreate this fashion plate.

Ladies Vests. Ladies vests mimicked mens, but added feminine detailing. The fronts were typically pointed, and small or wide collars were common. In the back, cinches for a snug waist were sometimes found, but the entire garment was always tightly fitted with darts, seaming, and tiny buttons.

Two Typical Ladies Suits of the Mid-1890s. Both suits feature mannish woolen cloth, fabric-hogging sleeves, circular skirts, peplums, and snugly fitted waistsall style elements accounted for in Keystone. For the promenade, whether in the morning or afternoon, a tailor-made suit is always in perfect taste, opined the editors of The Delineator.

Ladies Toilette. Considered appropriate for outings, this brown cloth jacket is closely fitted in back and at the sides, with huge leg-o-mutton sleeves and tidy little pockets.

Two Jackets Typical of the Mid-1890s. The open-fronted blazer is made from blue-and-white serge and is coupled with a printed white shirtwaist. The woolen single-breasted jacket is designed to be worn on slightly more formal occasions, and is trimmed with white lapels and cuffs.

Double-Breasted Ladies Suit. A typical suit with a wide peplum and plenty of machine-stitched topstitching.

A Variety of Jacket Styles. A selection of jackets featured in The Delineator, including a cutaway, blazer, saque (box coat), and Eton jacket.