Paris Fashions – Spring 1804

Three women in Paris fashions. All women wear short-sleeved white empire-waisted dresses. The woman on the left wears a white ribbon tied in a bow at the waist, and her skirt has a ruffle at the hem. The bottoms of her sleeves are gathered and she wears long white gloves and a neck and shoulder covering made of ruffled, patterned lace. She wears a gold head band with oval decorations on it.

The woman in the center has detailed stitching along the hem of her skirt and her sleeves are edged with ruffles. Her overskirt has a wide lace border along the hem. She wears long gloves and a band of green beads on her left arm. She wears a hair band like her arm band with the same beading details. She also wears a wreath of yellow flowers in her hair. She holds a fan in her left hand, and wears a bright red sash around her neck and the tops of her shoulders as a scarf. The woman on the right wears a dress with loosely flowing sleeves.

The bodice has is edged with a small ruffle. Her small bodice has a series of small diagonal pleats and a small ruffle along the neck. She wears a veil of transparent netting that reaches to her knees in front and has trailing vines and leaves embroidered along the edge. The veil is attached to a wreath of olive leaves. She wears long white gloves.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges