French Fashions – 1874

Three girls, a boy, and a woman are outside, next to a pond. The woman on the far left wears her hair up and has a small straw hat trimmed with black ribbon and a garland of red flowers and green leaves around the brim. Her dress is light blue and cream with long sleeves. Cream bows accent the shoulders and wrists. The overskirt is draped up at the front and has falling pleats at the back of the bodice.

The cream pleats show the blue lining. The underskirt is blue and edged with a wide pleated flounce and two cream bands above. She sits on a rock and looks down at a garland of pink flowers in her hands. The little boy on the left wears a tan suit with red accents. His jacket has a red bow at his red trimmed sailor collar and he has a red sash tied around his waist. His pants are just below knee length, and have red zigzags trimming the hem that match the trim on the jacket cuffs. His short boots are brown, and his stockings are white, as is his ruffle edged shirt.

His brown hair is wavy and brushed back. He kneels on his left knee and reaches forward to feed a swan. The girl next to him wears a white bonnet with pink flowers and pink edging. Her dress is light pink trimmed with scalloped lace on the cuffs, collar, peplum, apron, and hem of the overskirt. Her knee length underskirt is pink, she has pink bows at her waist, and her gray boots are mid-calf length. She shades herself with a pink ruffle edged parasol. The girl next to her wears a blue ribbon in her blond hair.

Her dress is blue with a white lace collar and a wide v neck. The dress is cut in a princess line style, with dark blue double breasted buttons, dark blue edging, dark blue with white lace trimmed pockets at the sides, and a dark blue decorative pattern at the hem and on the pockets. Her boots are blue, with white uppers, and blue bows and are mid-calf length. She wears a blue choker with a gold pendant. The girl on the far right wears a straw hat with red flowers and black ribbon.

Her dress is maroon and gray, cut in a masculine style. The underskirt and vest are maroon, and the jacket and overskirt are gray trimmed with maroon. She links arms with the girl in blue. Her boots are light gray and mid-calf length. They are standing on grass looking at the swan and a group of ducks in the water. In the background is a arched wooden bridge over the water, trees, a stream with reeds, and a castle with two pointed turrets on the hill at the back.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges