Ball Dress – 1830

The woman wears a pale blue, off the shoulder ball dress with full skirts and elaborate, wide sleeves. The neck is edged with a thin band of white trim, and the front of the bodice is gathered in the center. There is a pale blue band at the natural waist, and her skirts are trimmed with a twist of blue cord and intricate patterns of knotted blue fringe.

The woman’s sleeves are white and puffed at the shoulder, then fitted at the elbow. The puff is trimmed with jagged, blue designs at the shoulder. The lower half of the sleeve is blue and bracelet-length. It bells out from the elbow and is trimmed with white lace and a blue bow at the elbow. The lower section of the sleeve is white and composed of small puffs set off with blue. The woman wears white gloves and a wide, gold bracelet on each wrist.

Her shoes and stockings are white and her shoes lace up the ankle. A narrow white fur boa is wrapped around her neck, and she carries a small, closed, white fan in her right hand. Her coiffure is elaborate and trimmed with many feathers, a small, gold butterfly ornament, and a golden arrow. A rear view of her hairstyle is offered in the upper right corner. This view also shows her dangling earrings.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges