The empire waist reshaped fashion in the early 19th century. It borrowed from classical antiquity and rejected the ridgid styles of the 18th century. While the fashion looked more relaxed, the societal Dress Maryland Center for History and Culture Clothing & Textiles: Empire Fashion of the Early 1800s New Canaan Museum and Historical Society The empire waist reshaped fashion in the early 19th century. It borrowed from classical antiquity and rejected the ridgid styles of the 18th century. While the fashion looked more relaxed, the societal