Equestrian Fashions – Summer 1847

Two women and a little girl are shown outdoors in a park. The woman on the left is seated in a wooden chair. Her bonnet is white with lace and ribbon details on the outside and white bow tied under her chin. Her dress is lavender with tiered layers of scallop-edged fabric on the shoulder and skirt. Underneath she wears a white blouse. Her accessories include a black lace shawl draped over her elbows, white gloves, and a white lace handkerchief. The little girl in the center wears a straw hat with blue flower decorations around the crown. She wears a short black bodice or jacket with white lace collar and cuffs, and a pale blue knee length dress.

The white lace trim of her drawers is visible below her skirt hem. She wears black lace mitts and short blue boots with black toe caps. The woman on the right is dressed for riding. She wears a gray high crowned hat trimmed with two orange feathers. She wears a white blouse with a purple scarf or neckerchief tied in a small bow at the neck. He riding habit is deep forest green with the jacket lapels, hem, and cuffs edged in maroon.

The jacket is buttoned down the front. The long skirts of the jacket has two pockets trimmed with frogs, and a white lace handkerchief hangs from the one on the left. In her gloved hand she holds a riding crop. Behind the ladies is a lattice fence and several trees. On the left side of the frame is the base of a marble statue, with only a bare foot and drapery visible, with ivy growing up the side.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges