French Fashions – Winter 1847

Two women are depicted in a library. The woman on the left leans over the back of the chair to whisper something to the other. She wears a light pink ruched bonnet with matching bows, and ribbons. Her dress is light blue with a brocade pattern. The sleeves are long and bell out at the ends. Down the front are large outlined diamonds of two rows of black ribbon connected by light blue flat bows. The woman on the right is seated at a desk in a red upholstered chair and is writing a letter with a quill. She wears a white bonnet with matching feather and ribbon. Her dress is light brown and dark brown stripes. It is long sleeved and has a narrow white collar. The dress has some sort of puffed decoration down the side of the skirt and on the sleeves that seems to be gathered light brown fabric with tassels. Behind the women is an ornate gold framed mirror, candle sconces, drapery, and a large vase. The desk has books on shelves, pigeonholes with papers, ornate foliate carved legs and molding, and a red cover with a scalloped edge.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges