Belgian fashion has interested both international scholars and the general public since the rise of the Antwerp 6+ in the 1980s. However, the long nineteenth century remains understudied. Delving into the formative stage of Belgian fashion from 1830 to 1914, this investigation addresses a notable gap in scholarship. Drawing on a database of over one hundred previously unexamined Belgian-made garments, this research charts the industry’s organisation, researches its gender and class dynamics, studies its stylistic and material characteristics, and sheds light on the role of fashion in articulating nationalist sentiments. Based on this novel corpus of Belgian garments, this multifaceted research project offers fresh insights that resonate across (inter)national fashion studies, gender studies, and cultural history. It challenges the prevailing notion of Belgian fashion as modelled after Paris and instead proposes a narrative of a flourishing and unique Belgian fashion system, influenced by other European fashion centres, and with individual characteristics. Moreover, it contends with patriarchal histories by asserting the predominant influence of women in the Belgian fashion industry, all while investigating fashion's role in shaping Belgian identity during this transformative period.