French Fashions – Winter 1883

Two women are standing in an elegant room in front of two potted palms. They are wearing evening gowns with cuirasse bodices. The woman on the left is wearing a short-sleeved dress that has a red bodice and a white and gray striped skirt. The bodice has a low scooped neck edged with a narrow white ruffle. A garland of pink roses encircles the skirt at the hip. The skirt has three tiers, and is gathered up at the back, creating poufs at each tier. She wears a white ruffle as a choker with a pendant, and has pink roses as a corsage. More pink roses adorn her hair, which is dressed to the back in curls. She wears long white over the elbow gloves, a gold bangle bracelet, and carries a red fan.

The second woman is wearing a short-sleeved light pink dress with a floral pattern. The skirt has a train, and is pouffed at the back below the bodice. The bodice has a large standing collar edged with ruffles, as are the very short sleeves. The plain pink underskirt is gathered into tiers, and the floral overskirt and train are edged with ruffles. She carries a closed white fan and wears long above the elbow gloves and a gold bangle bracelet. Her hair is adorned with an ornament of an upstanding white egret feather and pale pink plumes. Both outfits show the elaborate back detailing of the fashionable bustled silhouette.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges