Evening Dresses – Summer 1829

The woman on the left wears a blue evening gown with a low, sweetheart neckline and short, puffed sleeves. Lacy white ruffles extend over the sleeves from the shoulders. Sheer lace over-sleeves drape loosely from the woman’s shoulders to her forearms. The bodice is trimmed in white, and she wears white shoes, stockings, and elbow-length gloves with pointed edges.

Her hair is elaborately styled and decorated with pink and white flowers and a gold hair ornament set with red jewels. She wears gold drop earrings and is seated on a low, pink ottoman. The woman on the right stands with her back to the viewer, looking at her companion. She wears a green, off-the-shoulder evening dress with short puffed sleeves and a green sash that ties in a bow in back. The neck of the dress is edged in white, and she, too, has pale, gauzy over-sleeves. Hers are pale green and extend to the wrist, where they taper.

The skirt of the dress is trimmed with a row of green bows at the knee. Wide, zigzagging, green ribbons fill the space between the hem and the row of bows. The woman’s flat, black shoes lace up the ankle, and she wears white gloves. Like her companion, the woman has an ornate coiffure, trimmed with sprays of pink flowers. She wears small, dangling gold earrings and a gold cuff bracelet set with an enormous green stone on her left wrist. Her left hand holds a small, closed fan.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges