American Fashions – Summer 1907

Three women, one with blond hair, one with black hair, and one with brown hair, stand in casual conversation while a fashionable crowd behind them intently watches a horse race. The ladies and the crowd display their fashionable clothes, hats, and parasols while at this social event. The artist creates a deep recession with the three ladies in the foreground, another group in the middle-ground, and a large indistinguishable crowd in the background.

The artist draws the viewer’s attention to the blond female in the center with her bright red parasol. The long, covered seating structure along the race-track lends an illusion of depth. The woman at the left has her back turned to the viewer and wears a gown of mulberry embroidered French voile decorated with Cluny lace. Her dress has a high collar of white lace, softly gathered sleeves, and a back waistline in a raised v.

Soft pleats fall from the Empire waistline into a flared skirt. Her hat is a high crowned, narrow brimmed straw decorated with a wreath of purple flowers and a large black feather plume. The woman at the center is seated in a wooden chair and gazes at the third woman. Her gown is black chiffon satin taffeta with embroidered batiste and lace. The collar is very high and of white lace, More white lace embroidered in black extends from the collar to the waist in a band at the center front.

Small top stitched pleats at the shoulders are released to form fullness at the bust. The sleeves are full from the shoulder to the elbow, and she wears white elbow length gloves. The skirt is formed of inverted box pleats, top stitched down to below the hips, then released to form the fullness of the skirt. She wears a black velvet hat with a turned up brim on her blond hair. The hat is decorated with a large white ostrich plume springing back from a red pin or flower at the front.

The third woman, at the right, stands, looking down at the seated woman. Her dress is of pale yellow tussar with Irish lace. She gestures with her right hand, which is holding a gold oval object on a long chain which might be a lorgnette or eye glass in a case. She wears two short strands of pearls at her neck. Her gown has a white lace fold over collar in a v, over an under layer with a square neckline.

Again the dress has softly released pleats at the shoulders, full elbow length sleeves, with lace cuffs matching the collar. A black tie in a soft bow encircles the collar with the ends falling to the waist. A belt of the same fabric as the dress finishes the waist, and has a large rectangular buckle at the front.

The skirt has knife pleats stitched to the hip than released softly. The pleats radiate back from a plain front center section. She wears a wide brimmed straw, with a black band, black under brim decoration, and a large yellow rose with green leaves at the front. She wears white elbow length gloves.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges