1), for sporting activities, and most often by the new female workforce, as seen in the photograph of young librarians wearing a variety of shirtwaist styles (Fig. The shirtwaist was worn as standard day wear (Fig. Stokes in the Sargent portrait, the look was often completed with a jacket and straw boater hat. It consisted of a simple skirt, and a shirtwaist, or blouse, that was tailored similar to a man’s shirt, but could feature tucks, frills, and lace trimmings (Laver 208). Indeed, perhaps 1890s womenswear is most marked by the shirtwaist ensemble, as captured in John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Mr and Mrs I.N. Menswear began to have a significant influence on women’s clothing (Fukai 127). The simplified silhouette was present throughout the day (Tortora 397-400 Font 26-28). Morning wear featured high necklines and long sleeves, while afternoon clothing opened at the neck and featured shortened sleeves, and finally, evening wear bared the chest and arms. The general delineations of morning, afternoon, and evening wear held throughout the decade. As the nineteenth century wore on, the complex set of rules governing dress became ever more intricate, resulting in a dizzying array of recommended ensembles by the 1890s (Ginsburg 176 Font 26).
