American Fashions – Winter 1886

Two women are in a room decorated with two framed pictures, porcelain pieces, and two Oriental fans. The woman on the left is wearing a high-collared deep blue dress trimmed with medium blue, red and gold plaid at the center front. Her underskirt is also of this plaid. Her blue overskirt is draped at the side, and has a long, wide bow at the hip, with large bobbles of red with gold netting trimming the ends.

Four matching bobbles trim each side of the center front of the bodice, and small sections of plaid trim the sleeve cuffs. She holds a small hammer in her right hand, and reaches up to help her companion hold the Christmas holiday garland with her left hand. She wears a bangle bracelet on her right wrist. Her companion stands on a low wooden stool and reaches up to drape the garland above the picture. The woman on the right is wearing a high-collared dark green and blue striped dress with red collar and cuffs.

Her bodice has a ruffle at the back, and the sleeves are slightly full at the shoulder. There are pockets at the hip, decorated with dark blue rosettes matching rosettes at the cuff. She wears a bangle bracelet on her right wrist. The two women are decorating for the Christmas holiday with a garland of ivy and blue flowers.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges