In 1870s, Boise’s women got to be pioneers in fashion, dress for Idaho

Pioneer Idaho women, though far from the centers of fashion in Paris, Europe and the Eastern United States, managed to be up-to-date in their dress. Pioneer Idaho men, though proud of having fashionable wives, daughters and sweethearts, still found their efforts in that direction mildly amusing.

The Idaho Tri-weekly Statesman of Oct. 14, 1875, treated the subject of women’s fashion with humor and poked fun at the latest fashion news from the East. “Where the Woodbine Twineth’ on the new hats and bonnets worn now by Boise ladies is the woodbine, the wild rose, the poppy and various other things too numerous to mention.”

The 1870 census reminds us that there were women in the business of keeping their sisters fashionably dressed. Listed as “dressmaker” were German-born Martha Stotz, 34; Catherine Gillespie, 24, British Columbia; Anna Baker, 40, Ohio; Jane Glass, 32, New York; and Sarah Newel, 20, Ohio. Other women in Idaho Territory were listed as “milliner,” one who designs, makes, trims or sells women’s hats.

In May 1875, “For the Ladies. – A.C. Isaacs has removed her millinery establishment to the south room in the Central Hotel building, and replenished her stock with all sorts of goods for ladies and children, embracing the latest and most fashionable summer styles.”

In October 1875, “The coming fashions. – Those old fogies who have groaned as they saw their wives and daughters shrink before their eyes from the full proportions of the hoop skirt of twelve and fifteen years ago, to the present skimped ‘tie back’ skirt, will now have a new grievance. The Paris fashion makers are about to introduce geometrical, zoological and floral designs on dresses, and Mrs. Grundy will presently appear in a brocade gown, sprinkled profusely with lions, tigers, panthers, griffins, monsters and chimeras dire. The mother of a family will present rather a startling spectacle to her younger children arrayed in such a dress, but this new mode will enable careful mammas to unite self-gratification with the instruction of their children, by illustrating their dresses with objects natural and artificial and making a kind of kindergarten of themselves. Mrs. Isaacs has a large assortment of ladies suits which are exquisitely pretty. See her ad., then go and see her goods.”

In the summer of 1876, “Ladies now hang their fans by a two inch wide cardinal ribbon, caught at the waist on the left side. The bright color forms a pretty contrast both with light and dark dresses. The dear creatures are determined to be pretty at any cost.” (The tone of this item would surely be condemned as chauvinistic today.)

In November 1878, “Mrs. Ellsworth & Mrs. Mitchell, corner of Idaho and Seventh streets, beg leave to inform the public of Boise City that they have opened a shop for dress making and plain sewing. All kinds of bedding and house furnishing goods made to order, at prices very little above the cost of material. Please give us a call and we will try and suit you. Also, nicely furnished rooms to let, with or without board.”

More on fashions for women in early Boise City next week.

This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 6:12 PM with the headline "In 1870s, Boise’s women got to be pioneers in fashion, dress for Idaho."