Mary Lincoln's Fashions

[L Verge]

In the photo that Gene linked to, I would be delighted to have any one of those dresses - back in the days when I dressed in period dress at Surratt House. They are all lovely, imo. Elizabeth Keckly had a wonderful reputation as a dress designer and modiste. She had cut her teeth on high society in Washington before Mrs. Lincoln arrived in the city. I do not believe that she would have dressed the First Lady in anything that was objectionable, and the photos that we see of Mrs. Lincoln appear to be high fashion.

The frontal views of hair styles in those days are severe with the center part and the sides pulled back. The "interest" of hair styles then was supposed to be focused on the back views. The hair garlands remind me of the hippy days of the 1960s.

I believe that I'm correct in saying that the Empress Eugenie was the fashion plate to be emulated at that time. And, I would never give a French aristocrat the chance to critique anything American. We were all a bunch of backwoods bumpkins to them. As for whom to compare Mary Lincoln to in modern First Ladies? My choice would be Laura Bush most of the time, but Nancy Reagan when it came to evening attire.