Event of 1886: Swedish Dress Reform Society is established

Background. The association emerged from the broader Victorian dress reform movement, which advocated for healthier and more comfortable women's clothing, specifically targeting the abolition of corsets. In Sweden, these ideas were disseminated through the translated book 'Reformdrägten' and public speeches. Anne Charlotte Leffler's 1885 speech at the Nya Idun club and her wearing of a designed reform dress generated significant publicity, paving the way for the formal establishment of the society in 1886.

Establishment. In April 1886, a group of women founded the Svenska drägtreformföreningen. The primary purpose was to introduce and adapt the Victorian dress reform movement's ideas within Sweden. The society remained active until 1903, working to reform women's dress toward a more healthy and comfortable style, including abolishing the corset.

Influence. The society gained official support in 1889 when Queen Sophia invited the chairperson to an audience and displayed reform dresses designed by Augusta Lundin. This royal endorsement was publicized as a success. Although no separate societies were established in Denmark, Finland, or Norway, the women's movements in those Nordic nations were influenced by the Swedish society's work on dress reform.