8 Modern Day Empire Waist Dresses With Bridgerton Style Flair 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 Empire waist dress of pale pink silk satin embellished with silver sequins, and coral satin train, created by Charles Frederick Worth for Madame Boyard, whose husband worked for Worth, circa 1892 : r fashionhistory 1930s Style Empire Waist Column Dress With Velvet Waistband Very Breezy