Writers of historical fiction: rejoice!
As a writer, you never know what kind of random tools that you find online will come in handy, and this article from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (“the Met”) is one such example!
A team of researchers painstakingly reviewed fashion plates, dress patterns, images, and descriptions to compile this comprehensive illustrated timeline of women’s historical fashion from 1784-1970.
The timeline includes an example of popular fashion (mostly dress designs) from every year.
Now, if you’re writing a story, book, or script of an event that takes place in the past 200 years or so, you can have a visual example.
The article also gives a brief description of the general fashion trends of each decade, including details like raised or lowered hem lines or waist lines, preference for long or short sleeve lengths, and a notation about hats, bonnets, and head fashion accessories.