Promenade Dress – 1843

A full-length fashion plate from the early Victorian era depicts a woman in an elegant public promenade dress. She wears a striking slate blue pelisse-style gown with an open front that reveals an intricate, white embroidered underskirt or pelerine panel. The bodice is closely fitted with a V-shaped neckline bordered by delicate white ruffles, matching the tiered ruffles on her long sleeves and cuffs. She holds a closed, slender brown parasol in one hand and wears fitted tan gloves. Her look is completed by a dark green bonnet trimmed with white lace and feathers, secured with a broad green ribbon tied neatly beneath her chin.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges