American Fashions – Summer 1889

Two women and a girl stand on grass before dense trees to have a picnic. The girl on the left faces away and waves her handkerchief. She is wearing a light blue dress with princess seaming, a white square collar trimmed with lace, and a long white ribbon sash tied in a large bow hanging almost to the hem of her skirt. Her sleeves come just below her elbows, are full, and have ribbon bows at the elbows. Her hair is pulled back into a blue bow at her neck, and she wears a gold bangle bracelet with a pendant Her skirt is ankle length, and she wears black boots with low heels.

The woman in the center is opening a jar. She wears a black and red dress with a pleated collar.The dress has elbow length sleeves with bows at the sleeves, the neck, and the waist. The dress has four rows of red ribbon trimming the hem, and has black lace on the sleeves, bodice, and underskirt. She wears a ring and two bracelets. The woman on the right is wearing a dark green floral brocade dress with black trimming. The collar is of black pleats, black pleating trims the elbow length sleeves, and black ribbon bows adorn the asymmetrical draped bodice and skirt. She wears two narrow gold bracelets.

The picnic basket is wicker and rests on a fringed cloth on the ground. There are two bottles, a jar or can, and some stacked lates visible.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges