Mrs. Warren, Austin Tx

The definition of a good dress will depend primarily, as does everything else, on your impression—who you are, where you are and when you are. A good dress would be worn in public such as visiting, going to church, when you are expecting visitors or for special occasions.

A lower class impression would have a less-worn dress of calico in good repair worn with petticoats. This may also be appropriate for a late war middle class impression, again, depending on who and where you are. A middle class early war impression would call for something a little fancier such as a stylish silk or wool worn with a hoop, while a wealthy impression would wear a silk or wool dress at the height of fashion

1863

Late war impressions call for a little less flash but still, in Texas, not as ragged or worn as other parts of the South. A lower class impression good dress may appear more faded, perhaps patched. Middle class impressions might now appear in a good dress of calico; their silks or wools may be of an earlier style, appear remade or a bit old and faded. The wealthy, if they remained in Texas, did not escape the hardships of the later war years. Their fashions may also appear behind the fashion trends shown in the ladies’ magazines or be remade in an attempt to bring them up to style. Wealthy women may not appear as worn as others as they probably had more gowns to start with and therefore did not wear them out as quickly.

It is important to note that, even in the late war years, hoops were still being worn, at least by the middle and upper classes.