The Gilded Age

Known as a time of opulence and excess, the Gilded Age flaunted the world's most sumptuous silks, velvets, satins and lace, accentuated by exotic feathers and jewels from around the world. Cosmetics were a work of art, housed in ornate compacts that had as much flare as the women who owned them. Corsets, bustles, ruffled trains and silk gloves were a must, as were the parasols that kept pale completions safe.