American Fashions – Summer 1881

Late Victorian walking suits and women croquet dresses from May 1881

This authentic May 1881 fashion plate print from Peterson’s Magazine titled Les Modes Parisiennes The Croquet Party showcases five elegant Victorian women playing an outdoor game. The illustration beautifully captures elite late nineteenth-century sportswear and daytime attire, displaying the tightly fitted cuirass bodices and narrow historical silhouettes popular in the early 1880s. The figures model a diverse collection of structured gowns in stylish shades of striped cream, pale blue, golden yellow, olive bronze, and charcoal black.

Peterson Magazine outdoor summer fashions and Illman Brothers engraving collection

Expertly engraved and printed by the renowned American firm Illman Brothers, this antique hand-colored steel plate provides premium primary documentation for textile history and period tailoring. The ladies display sophisticated seasonal millinery including structured straw bonnets decorated with ribbons and flowers, while holding traditional wooden croquet mallets on a grassy lawn. This archival fashion illustration serves as an invaluable reference for researching historical garden party etiquette and elite social costume.