Bathing Dresses – 1867

Two women are depicted on the beach wearing bathing dresses. The woman on the left faces away from the audience. She wears a light gray bonnet with black ruffle around the edges. Her dress is a matching gray and ends just above the knee. She has black ruffles around the collar, sleeves, and hem of the skirt.

She has a jewel neck, short sleeves and a black belt around her waist. Under her dress, she wears matching pants that end just above the ankle. They are gathered at the bottom and end with black ruffles. Her shoes are black slippers with laces that tie around her ankles. The woman on the right wears a hat with ribbons over a dark gray bonnet with black ruffles. Her dress has horizontal stripes in alternating black and dark gray. She has a jewel neckline, long narrow sleeves, and her dress ends just above the knee. Around the edges of the dress, and down the center front is a scalloped pattern in a lighter gray. Underneath her dress she wears matching pants.

Her shoes are black and have laces tying around her ankles. The woman on the right dips her toe into the water, and in the distance behind the women is a row of bathing huts or tents. For a more detailed description, including colors (as this plate is printed in black and white), refer to the transcription below.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges