English Afternoon Dress – Autumn 1799

Two women in afternoon dress for October 1799. The woman in front is wearing a white afternoon dress with white gloves. The dress has a plain underdress with a wide ruffle at the neck and a long overdress that has three-quarter length sleeves, and ties together at the waist. A double layer of lace ruffles edge the hems of her sleeves, and the front edge and hem of her overdress.

She wears a white and gray dotted scarf wrapped around her head into a turban with a large white feather at the front. She wears oval earrings and a gray bead necklace, and her shoes are white. The woman behind her wears a similar white underdress with a light pink overdress with white lace ruffles around the collar. It is edged in gold along the front opening. Puffed sleeves reach to her elbows and gather in three tiers with gold ribbon at each tier. She wears her hair up, possibly with a turban, with a large white and tan feather in it.

She wears gold earrings and a gold band necklace, or ribbon, high at her neck. Her shoes are bright blue. The woman in front sits on a chair and gazes at a book of sheet music, while the woman standing in back leans on a harp with her fingers intertwined, looking to the left.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges