American Fashions – Spring 1904

This illustration depicts a woman with red hair standing in a three-quarter pose modeling a pale green gown with lace applique and rosette details. Her green dress is made of a thin material in many fine soft gathers and wraps around her in a form-fitting fashion. The yoke, lower bodice, and upper skirt are of white and pink floral lace applique, with a final band on the skirt at knee level.

Four bands of narrow black trim encircle the yoke across the back to end at the left front, where two pink roses are attached. From the roses the black bands hang to another two roses at the left hip. It is impossible to tell if the bands fall freely, or are attached at the waist. The waist has a slight v at the center front, and is also trimmed with four black bands.

Below the hip the bands fall freely almost to the floor. The sleeves are of horizontal soft pleats, reaching to the elbow, and ending with a wide ruffle. The skirt falls in more soft pleats in a flared trumpet shape with fullness at the back to form a slight train. The back view, shown to the right of the main figure, shows that the lace banding at waist and knee extends around the entire skirt.

The black bands suggest the stems of the attached roses. To add to this effect the model reaches up as if to inserts a long stemmed rose into her upswept hairstyle. Behind the model is an angled band with curvilinear lines. The drawing is signed with the initials M.B.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges