IN April 1865 an article from the Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine was featured in The Whitehaven News , which described summer trends.

We take a look at the summer fashions people were swapping their winter cloaks and furs for and how they compare to the trends of 2015.

The article states that fashions include “either half-fitting paletots or loose casaques” (a paletot was a jacket often worn over a dress and casaques were loose-fitting blouses popular with women in the 1800s).

The garments were embellished with “coloured ribbon or strips of stout silk” and ornaments put on in “scallops or zigzags.”

Some of my favourite garments mentioned included “pretty paletots scalloped around the bottom”, advertised to be worn by young ladies.

It is edged with “narrow quilling of coloured ribbon” and could be worn with a “scalloped out skirt and edged like the paletot”.

Both, the article says, are best made out of “fancy woollen materiel” like “alpaca, mohair, or poplin of a neutral shade.”

My favourite dress mentioned is a “very pretty evening dress of pink silk” with white and black lace insertions.

This style of garment would most likely be worn by the upper classes at formal evening events.

Rosettes of ribbons seem to be popular in the article, with a “tight-fitting paletot of rich black silk” made with a “large rosette of purple ribbon” on the back. The purple is carried through the garment with a “bouillon of purple silk” trimming.

The popular shape of the season seemed to be “princess shape” with a “green and havannah silk” princess shaped dress “finished off with tassels” mentioned in the article.

To wear with these dresses are “sashes of either black or white lace”, which are “extremely elegant” and very fashionable for the summer of 1865. Elegance and class, lace and ribbon seem to be the fashions of Summer 1865.

Quite differently, the fashions of summer 2015 are festival themed and very modern.

Khaki seems to be the colour of the season, with popular designers opting for khaki-coloured jackets, shirts and dresses. It gives a breath of fresh air from the neon colours of last summer.

The garment that is top of the must-have list this season is jumpsuits. The loose cut and thin material gives a very summery look and looks great whether patterned or plain. Comfy to wear all day or when you are on holiday, they are a must- have this season. Team with some strappy heels for an evening or a pair of sandals during the day.

There are two materials turning heads this season. The first of which is lace, especially white lace. Dresses, crop tops, skirts – all your summer staples can be bought in gorgeous white lace, giving an immediate summer vibe. White lace seems to dominate all of the summer lines for the high-street stores, so is readily available at great prices.

Suede is the second material leading the way this season. Light brown suede has made an appearance in skirts and tops in many high street lines.

Embellished with some black buttons, the material looks great and adds something exciting to a normal look.

This year’s trends are very different to those of 1865 – but I think I know which I would choose.