American Fashions – Autumn 1862

Five women are depicted outside. The woman on the left wears a purple bow in her hair that matches the color of her dress. Her dress has a white collar and long sleeves. There are rows of ruffles along her bodice and down her skirt. She also has a tie around her waist with long lappet ends which are edged with ruffles. She holds a fan in her right hand. The woman next to her stands and wears a white bonnet with black lace and a white ribbon.

Her dress is a dark green with a diamond pattern in black. Diamonds also edge the hem of her skirt and the edges of her sleeves. She holds a book in her right hand. The woman next to her wears her hair accented with a red flower. Her dress is gray with a plain collar and long sleeves. There are buttons on her bodice and she has a black waist piece below the bust. There are black linear designs on her sleeves. She holds a small bouquet of flowers in her right hand. The woman next to her wears a white lace cap with a pink bow. Her dress is tan with bows down the sides and black decorations on the bodice and sleeves.

Under her dress she wears a white blouse with a plain collar. The woman on the right wears her hair down, in ringlets, with a red flower. Her dress is a matching red with rows of ruffles on the skirt and bodice. She has long bell sleeves and a black sash with fringed ends. Under her dress, she has a white blouse with a plain collar and long sleeves. She holds a handkerchief in her right hand. All the skirts are very wide; it is the height of the crinoline fashion.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges