Bridal Fashions – 1860

Two women and a little girl are depicted in a parlor. The woman on the left wears a white bonnet with blue ribbon. Her dress is a matching deep blue satin. Her dress has a jewel neck and long very wide bell sleeves. The sleeves are edged with a ruffle, and have a bow on the upper sleeves. Her blouse is white with a narrow collar and long full gathered sleeves. She wears a belt or sash with a brooch or clasp at the center front.

The bottom of her skirt has multiple tiers of ruffles. The blond child next to her wears a brown dress that ends just above the knee, showing white lace trimmed knickers. She has a white shirt collar and long bell sleeves. The dress is black on brown plaid, trimmed with wide band of brown with black edging, a brown sash, and a diagonal band of brown with a braid trim. The woman on the right wears her wedding dress. Her hair is up and she wears a white sheer veil with a coronet of flowers. Her dress has a jewel neck, a narrow lace collar, and long narrow sleeves with lace cuffs.

At her waist is a bow and a posy of flowers. Her skirt has five tiers at the hem. She holds the little girl’s hand in her right hand and a handkerchief in her left. She is seated on a red upholstered chair. The parlor has tied back drapes, a green patterned carpet, two flower arrangements, and an oval framed picture. All the skirts are very wide; it is the height of the crinoline fashion.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges