Gilded Age Fashion
More Than 50 Iconic Looks and the Stories Behind Them
Transport yourself to the glamour of elite American society in the 1870s-90s.
Showcasing stunning gowns from the late 19th century designed by founders of couture, Gilded Age Fashion draws from the finest museum collections to tell the story of an era defined by opulence, when families like the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Rockefellers dressed exquisitely for the grandest events on both sides of the Atlantic.
Author Elizabeth Block details the social customs that guided the sartorial choices of the fabulously wealthy. Each sumptuous gown featured tells a story about its creator and the woman who wore it, and the opulent balls, opera nights, charity benefits, and society weddings she might have attended. Gilded Age Fashion opens a dazzling window into America's most extravagant age.
Book Details
Author: Elizabeth L. Block
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
Publication date: March 31, 2026
Hardcover ISBN: 9781964786063
Length: 144 pages
What Gilded Age Fashion Explores
Through more than fifty remarkable gowns, Gilded Age Fashion explores the social customs and public occasions that shaped elite dress in late nineteenth-century America. Elizabeth L. Block connects the women who wore and influenced couture with designers including the House of Worth, the rituals of balls, opera, weddings, and visiting, and garments preserved in major museum collections.
What period does Gilded Age Fashion cover?
The book focuses on elite American society from the 1870s through the 1890s. It examines how women dressed for public and private occasions—and what their clothing revealed about wealth, etiquette, identity, and social power during the Gilded Age.
Talks and Interviews About Gilded Age Fashion
Elizabeth is available for lectures, conversations, podcasts, and media interviews exploring Gilded Age dress, couture, social customs, museum garments, and the women behind the era’s most memorable looks.
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About Elizabeth L. Block
Elizabeth L. Block, PhD is an award-winning art and culture historian, author, and speaker whose research explores fashion, beauty, material culture, and women’s cultural power. Gilded Age Fashion is her third book.