French Fashions – Winter 1863

Two women are depicted sitting in a parlor. The woman on the left wears a white lace cap with lappets and a lavender dress. Her dress has a square neckline and long full sleeves. The sleeves are white and gathered into ruffles below her elbows. There are bands of darker purple at the neck, bottom of her sleeves, and waist. Her accessories include a gold bracelet on each arm and a fan in her right hand. The woman on the right wears her hair back in waves and decorated with a wreath of pink flowers. Her dress has a v-neck and long sleeves. The dress is white with a pattern of posies of pink flowers. Around her neck, the ends of her sleeves, the hem of her skirt, and around her waist are bands of dark green material with rows of narrow black edged ruffles. She wears a gold bracelet and holds a teacup and saucer. Both skirts are very wide; it is the height of the crinoline fashion. The parlor walls behind the women are wallpapered in a pattern of stripes with flower garlands in pink.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges