American Fashions – Winter 1896

The theatricality of high-society winter promenade and city walking apparel in 1896

Delineating the strict outdoor fashion protocols for wealthy women during the late 19th century, this original hand-colored lithograph offers a spectacular look into Gilded Age luxury. Sourced from the January 1896 installment of La Mode de Paris by New York publishers A. McDowell and Company, the visual layout illustrates how urban winter wear combined heavy, windproof fabrics with aggressive silhouettes, ensuring that affluent ladies maintained a highly commanding and visible social presence during formal afternoon carriage rides and city strolls.

Geometrical paneling breakdown of two-tone tan and emerald velvet bodices

The featured garment stands out as an exceptional exercise in vertical symmetry and color blocking. The silhouette relies on massive, oversized gigot sleeves in a warm tan or camel-colored cloth that narrows sharply past the elbow into tight emerald-green velvet forearms. This deep green shade is mirrored in continuous vertical velvet stripes that run from the scalloped bodice lapels down to the hemline of the bell-shaped A-line skirt, smartly punctuated by matching ornamental silver buttons and an elaborate feather-trimmed winter hat.