last week, after styling an outfit inspired by the gibson girls, i got a few requests for a post with some of my actual inspiration images. the thought actually grew out of my recent visit to the met museum american women exhibit where they featured several vintage gibson girl looks. to watch a video with the outfits from the exhibit, you can click here. the gibson girl has come to refer to the symbol of independent american beauty at the turn of the century. but i really just love their elegant yet sporty styles with high collars, waist coats, and fun hats! so i decided to take some time to dig up some vintage photographs of some of the famous gibson girls themselves!

first up, pictured above is evelyn nesbit. she was an artists’ model and became famous for being the subject of illustrations by charles gibson, whom we can thank for the title “gibson girls.” i find her gaze to be so incredibly captivating and i love her outfits complete with those wild feathered hats. images from the library of congress.

there are tons of photos of miss gabrielle ray on vintage postcards as she was an english stage actress, and was apparently one of the most photographed women in the world. you can certainly see why, with her stunning beauty and perfect gibson girl hair. i just love all of her cute costumes, especially the sporty sailor looks. postcard images from performing arts.

camille clifford was pretty much the quintessential gibson girl, with her statuesque hourglass figure which was the subject of many illustrations of the era. she represented an ideal of the time with her corseted 18-inch waist. certainly not an ideal i could ever imaging wanting to live up to, but her images are stunning nonetheless. postcard image from performing arts.