American Fashions – Autumn 1885

Five women stand in an elegant room. The woman on the left is wearing a high-collared, black and gray pinstripe hip length jacket in a masculine style, with a standing collar, wide lapels, and gold buttons at the front and on the cuffs. The jacket comes to a point at the center front. A plain white collar and cuffs are visible. Her skirt is gray and gathered up into poufs at the side over an underskirt of the black and gray pinstripe.

She wears a black hat with a pink plume, black ribbons, and a gold ornament at the side. The second woman is the bride. She wears a high-collared white satin bridal gown with a long train. She wears her hair up with a floral ornament on top, and a long veil over all. The dress has a standing collar edged with a very narrow ruffle, long narrow sleeves with lace cuffs and lace sleeve caps, and a pointed bodice. The bodice has lace at the center front, two small orange blossom corsages, one worn at the collar and one at the waist on the left side, and small buttons at the center front at the waist section which is pointed on top and bottom and edged with a wide lace ruffle. Her underskirt is lace with a tasseled trim over a narrow pleated band, and the overskirt has wide vertical pleats all round. She wears gloves and holds a small Bible or prayer book.

The woman in the center wears a light-blue satin and white lace three-quarter sleeve dress. It has an extremely pointed bodice of blue and white floral pattern, with vertically tucked blue lapels and blue bows on the sleeves. The underskirt is tiered white lace ruffles on the sides and a center front section of blue, with blue satin draped over it, and a bow as an accent on the left hip. She wears her hair up with a floral ornament. She wears pearl earrings, a gold bangle bracelet, gloves, and holds a closed fan in her hand. The second woman from the right is wearing a purple and gray high-collared dress with three-quarter sleeves. She has her hair dressed high with a hair ornament, and has curled bangs.

She has pendant earrings that may be two loops, or two circle motifs. Her dress has a hip length jacket with a center fastening below the bust. Her blouse is gray or black lace with a high ruched collar with a brooch at the center front. Her underskirt is elaborately patterned purple and silver brocade. The overskirt at the back is purple, and has black lace draping across the front, with a brooch ornamenting the drape at the hip. The woman on the right is wearing a high-collared tan dress with brown patterned border at the center front, the cuffs, the standing collar, and the hem, and a brown velvet collar and a matching muff. Her bodice or blouse has a large number of small buttons fastening the center front.

She wears a bangle bracelet and crescent shaped pendant earrings. Her tan hat is trimmed with brown velvet, and a feather ornament like an owl face, with two standing plumes. All women are wearing gloves. Behind them in the room are visible two potted plants and a large gold framed mirror.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges