Bridal Fashions – Winter 1847

Three women pose in wedding gowns. The woman on the left is seated in a wooden chair with deep red upholstery. She has her back to the viewer which shows the full length of her long, sheer veil. Small white flowers decorate her hair underneath the veil. Her dress is white with long narrow sleeves and the skirt has six tiers of floral patterned lace or embroidered fabric. She holds a prayer book or Bible on her lap with her gloved hands.

The woman in the center is adorned with a crown of white roses and a long sheer veil. Her dress is white with long sleeves and narrow lace collar and cuffs. In the center of the bodice is a small floral corsage. Around her waist is a white sash tied into a bow. The rest of the bodice, sleeves and skirt is plain fabric. In her gloved hands she holds a prayer book or Bible. The woman on the right has small, white flowers across her hair with a sheer veil draped over them. Her dress has a narrow ruffled collar.

Sheer lace creates a second collar around her shoulders. In the center is a floral corsage. The bodice comes to a point at the waist and the entire dress is made from white lace or floral brocade. She holds a handkerchief in her gloved hand. In the background is an open book, possibly the church register, on a bench and a large glass window.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges