Gowns – Spring 1837

The woman on the left wears a blue, green, and purple plaid dress with bell-shaped skirts and a low neckline. The sleeves puff above the elbow, then are fitted down to the white cuffs. A ruffle runs down the front of the skirt, and the neckline is edged in white. Over the dress, the woman wears a short, lacy white shawl with long, curved lapels. The shawl is trimmed with lace ruffles, has an extra ruffle over the shoulders, and fastens with a pink bow at the waist. The woman’s white bonnet has a deep brim and is trimmed with white ribbons, lace, and green ferns.

The woman wears black shoes, white stockings, pale yellow gloves, and has pink flowers in her hair. She holds a white handkerchief in her right hand, which she rests on a tall, white, ladder-back chair. Her companion stands behind her and is seen in profile. She wears a pink dress with bell-shaped skirts, a white lace collar, and a deeply flounced hem. Her poke bonnet is green and trimmed with green bows, white lace, and sprays of pink flowers. It has a deep brim with a sheer dotted veil. The woman wears a large, fringed, black net shawl around her shoulders. She stands at a railing, probably on a porch, with a wooden floor, looking at at the scene in front of her. Trees are visible in the distance.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges