File:1800-vs-1830 womens clothing pressure-points.png

Analysis by Carl Heinrich Stratz (1858-1924) of the "pressure points" of women's clothing styles: that is, areas where the clothing is held tightly against the outline of the body, or from which the weight of the clothing is suspended. These are shown in red color in the image.

Above: The pressure-points of ca. 1800 high-waisted "Empire" clothing styles. Below: The pressure points for ca. 1830 narrow-waisted clothing styles. Notice that the Empire style does not involve constricting the waist. Also, the Empire style involves partially suspending the weight of the clothing from the shoulders (something considered highly-desirable by many late 19th-century "dress-reform" advocates), and the overall weight of the Empire clothing would have been less than that of the 1830-era clothing.

Upper left

Fig. 73. Empirecostüm im Jahre 1800. (Costümbild aus dem Figaro illustré)

Upper right

Fig. 74. Körperumrisse von Fig. 73.

Lower left

Fig. 75 Costümbild aus dem Jahre 1830. (Journal des dames.)

Lower right

Fig. 76. Körperumrisse von Fig. 75.