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Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier
The Great Lillian Russell
It is generally understood that the costumes worn by Lillian Russell are novelties and models of the American dressmaker’s art… The styles have never been known until they came into grace on the perfect form of the “Divine Lillian.” The San Francisco Call, California – 1894
With her voluptuous figure, high plumed hats, and bejeweled gowns, Lillian Russell was the talk of the fashion world in the Gay Nineties. Onstage, she dared to wear purple tights and calf-high dresses that showed her naked ankles. Offstage, she was a meticulous dresser, adorned in diamonds and lace taffeta outfits. She was considered to be the ideal female of her generation, representing all that was glamorous.
To learn more about Lillian Russell’s style and other legendary trendsetters of the Old West read How the West Was Worn:
Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier.
