American Fashions – Spring 1904

This illustration of dress No. 1282 is on the reverse plate of dress No. 1285 of L’Art de la Mode from the Morse-Broughton Co, New York, “American May 1904.” The drawing is much less rendered and printed with a different, less expensive-looking process. The model stands in three-quarter view with her face turned toward the viewer as she displays her yellow gown, with an all over pattern of leaves, or abstract flowers.

Her gown has a deep v neck over a pink under layer with a very high lace collar. The gown has a layered collar of three or four ruffles with each edged with a narrow band of black with a picot edge. A rosette of eight loops of narrow black ribbon adorns the front of the v neck. The bodice has three vertical bands of black lace or netting on each side of the center front.

The sleeves are elbow length with two ruffles at the top, extending the look of the collar, and two ruffles at the elbow, trimmed with a black rosette. The waist has three horizontal rows of black with bows at the back, and two long streamers over the skirt. The skirt is gored smoothly over the hips, flaring into a trumpet line at the hem with a slight train. A band of vertical lines of black lace or netting, mirroring the bodice, surrounds the skirt at knee length.

Below, five bands of wide ruffles encircle the hem, each edged with narrow black ribbon with picot edging. She wears elbow length fingerless mitts or gloves, and holds a bouquet of pink roses. Her black banded, yellow flat brimmed straw hat is trimmed with white ostrich plumes. An uncolored back view of the dress is shown to the left.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges