American Ball Gown – Winter 1898

A woman is wearing a light turquoise blue and rose pink dress. The skirt of the dress is gored in diagonal sections of blue and pink stripes to create alternating zigzags across the skirt. On the front seam are flowers on the pink stripes and dots and trailing vines on the blue stripes with more decoration on the lower third of the skirt. The bodice is blue at the neckline with a draped pink section below. The neckline is square with a slight v at the center front, giving the look of a sweetheart neckline, which is edged with white scalloped trim.

The pink section is bloused forming a ‘pouter pigeon’ silhouette and has flower patterns trimming the top edge and the center front. It has a center front point attached to the center front of the neckline. The fitted back portion of the bodice also has flower patterns. A waist or sash of blue encircles her waist. The sleeves are very short and edged with brown fur bands. She is wearing long white over the elbow gloves, two gold bracelets, and is holding a white feather fan.

The toe of one blue shoe just shows at the hem of her dress. Her hair is done up and dressed with a single white feather plume.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges