Evening Dress – Winter 1826

The woman wears a mulberry-colored evening dress with a low, scoop neckline and short, puffed sleeves. The neckline is edged with pink and white stripes, while the sleeves are white trimmed and banded with mulberry. The bodice of the dress has a stiff, corset-like appearance, and the woman wears a band of mulberry at her natural waist. At the center front the bodice is pointed and extends below the waist. Two rows of wide, white puffed trim finish the skirts. The woman wears white, flat shoes and white, elbow-length gloves.

Her hair is ornamented with red and blue flowers and twists of white lace. A heavy, fringed, yellow shawl with narrow green stripes hangs from the woman’s left arm and is caught up by her right hand. Heavily bejeweled, the woman wears a gold bracelet made of rectangular stones on her right wrist, a gold necklace with dangling green stones, and matching drop earrings composed of a green teardrop followed by two gold drops.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges