On February 27, 1864, Harper’s Weekly published the following illustration—”a few of the various styles of garments manufactured by” New York City–based clothing wholesalers Kirkland, Bronson, & Co. “New York clothing is famed far and wide for its excellence,” noted the paper’s editors in their review of the company’s spring and summer fashions for 1864, “the characteristics which distinguish it above the make of other cities being novelty in the designs, durability and taste in the material and trimmings, and superiority in the workmanship.” As the folks at Harper’s Weekly clearly recognized, even with the country gripped by civil war, civilians (with means) might still find respite in a bit of fashion-thinking.
