American Fashions – Summer 1904

A young woman with red-blond hair wears a yellow suit trimmed in black with a tucked, lace trimmed pink blouse. This transitional outfit combines the flowers and lace popular in the Victorian era with the angularity of approaching modernist styles. The skirt and matching bolero jacket are yellow, trimmed with five bands of black ribbon on the jacket center front, hem, and sleeves.

The ribbons are arranged with a wide band at the hem edge, a medium band above, and two narrow bands at the inner edge of the trim pattern, which is repeated at the hem of the skirt. The bolero has a high standing collar which is also trimmed with the black ribbon rows. The bolero sleeves are short, creating a continuous line with the hem of the bolero.

The skirt fits smoothly over the front of the figure, with a slight flare out to the hem. Extra fullness is created with deep pleats at the center back, forming a small train. Underneath this outfit is a pink tucked and pleated blouse. The blouse has a high neck edged with a band of flowered lace at the top and bottom. The bodice has two horizontal curved bands of lace at the bust line and just above. Between and below these bands the pink fabric is softly tucked over the entire bodice.

The long sleeves of the blouse are tucked to the elbow, where the tucks are released forming a bell shape. Below are long snug cuffs with bands of lace above and below, over a band of pleats. In front, below the black waist, are two square lappets edged with lace on three sides. She wears tan gloves, and her hat is black with a medium brim, decorated with a brooch or buckle with yellow ribbon at the front, and a drape of veiling at the back. At the right is a smaller black and white back view of the outfit.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges