Evening and Walking Dresses – Autumn 1836

Two women in an evening dress and a walking dress. The woman on the right is seated on a sofa and faces the second woman. Her hair is decorated with bunches of green flowers, circling the bun and side curls of her hair-do. Her dress is off-the-shoulder and the neck is trimmed with white, ruffled lace. The bodice is white with four, wide, horizontal, green stripes. Her sleeves are elbow length and made into two large puffs. Green ribbon bows accent the puffs. The hem of the sleeves is gathered at the elbow into a ruffle with a single green stripe. She wears a pair of fishnet gloves.

The skirt of her dress is white and floor length, and is very wide and gathered. The bottom of the skirt is edged with three green stripes with a vine pattern in between. The woman is seated on a burgundy colored sofa with striped upholstery. The woman on the right stands and faces the seated woman. She wears a wide brimmed bonnet decorated with red, blue, and white flowers as well as stalks of wheat.

A black ribbon ties the bonnet underneath her chin. Her dress has a white, turned down collar with a ruffled edge. A large oval gold brooch with a gem in the middle adorns the center of the collar. The dress is a light lilac color with a dotted pattern.The bodice is plain with a single seam running down the center. Her dress has low dropped-shoulder sleeves with a double tiered ruffle extending up from the waist and over her shoulders. Underneath the ruffle on each side is a very large puffed sleeve, which is gathered in at the elbow.

The forearm of the sleeve is comprised of four very small puffs, ending in a plain cuff. In one hand she holds a white, lace trimmed handkerchief and in the other, a yellow parasol with a carved wooden handle. She wears a lilac purple belt with a gold belt buckle. Cascading down the front of her skirt, from the center of the waist to the ground, is a column of ruffles. She wears a pair of black shoes with white stockings. The women are standing in what looks like a parlor with white, paneled walls and a tan carpet.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges