French Fashions – Summer 1855

Two women and a small child are depicted in a parlor. The woman on the left wears her dark hair pulled back smoothly with large pink flowers and green leaves adorning it. The same flowers also adorn the front of the bodice of her dress. Her dress is white with an off the shoulder neck, short sleeves and a pointed waist. Her sleeves have three layers of ruffled white lace, and her skirt has three tiers of scallop-edged floral brocade.

Her accessories include gold bracelets on each arm and a fan in her right hand. The woman on the left holds the left hand of the woman in white. She wears a white bonnet with pink ribbons, white lace and pink flowers over her wavy blond hair. Her dress is light gray-blue with a wide white lace collar and long bell sleeves. At her wrists are wide white lace ruffles under the dress sleeves. The cuffs of the sleeves, the hem of the jacket peplum, and across the bodice and the front of the skirt are horizontal bands of maroon plaid ribbon in a military style.

At her feet a small child sits on the floor and lifts a small bunch of cherries to the woman in white from as basket on the floor. The child wears a short tunic or dress of bright green with black edging. It is less than knee length, with a wide square neck and three quarter length sleeves. Under the tunic dress, the child wears a white long sleeved shirt with a ruffled collar and wide sleeves gathered at the wrists, and white lace edged knickers. White stockings and gray ankle boots with buttons up the sides complete the outfit. The child has wavy blond hair and wears no ribbon or hat.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges