European fashion in the 1890s can be broken down into a few sub-periods: 1890-1892, 1893-1896, and 1897-1899.

1893-1896 is the stereotypical 1890s look: a narrow waist with a flared (A-line) skirt - gored, fullness in the back, hem interlined with light buckram/crinoline to stand out - and very large sleeves. Here's an example.

1890-1892 is the lead-up, with much smaller, softer sleeves and less flared skirts. (Example.)

1897-1899 is the winding-down, with very small puffs at the top of the sleeve, or a couple of flounces sewn into the armscye. The skirt is still flared. (Example.) The s-bend corset associated with the Edwardian period was invented during these years.

This is probably more information than you needed/wanted, but I'm not sure if you''re costuming a play or if you're coming up with your own costume along someone else's guidelines. You can also get a good idea of 1890s fashion from Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion II - 1860-1930 and Norah Waugh's Cut of Women's Clothes.