Bridal Fashions – Spring 1837

The woman on the left wears a white, off-the-shoulder wedding dress with straight, lacy, elbow-length sleeves, a fitted bodice, and bell-shaped skirts. A wide band of white lace edges the neckline and covers the upper arm; it is trimmed with white bows. The dress has ornate floral patterns on the skirt and a white satin sash which ties in a bow in back.

The woman wears white shoes and long gloves and has a corsage pinned to her bodice. Instead of a veil, she wears a circlet of pink flowers. Her coiffure is ornamented with a spray of pink and white flowers and two long, white lace streamers. Using a feather pen, the woman signs a large book. Her companion wears a white dress with bell-shaped skirts edged in pink and trimmed with a deep flounce. She wears a short, dark green jacket over her dress. The jacket has a v-neck trimmed with black lace and three tiers of black lace ruffles above the elbow.

It belts at the waist and is has a ruffle of black lace at the waist. A square, black brooch is pinned at the neck. The woman wears a white bonnet with a deep brim adorned with a lacy white veil. The bonnet ties under the chin with wide white ribbons, and she has pink roses in her hair. White gloves and flat, black shoes complete the ensemble. The woman holds a lace-edged white handkerchief and a small white book in her right hand. The two women are indoors, probably in a church.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges