Summer Dresses – 1808

Two women pose in summer dresses for London in June. The woman on the left wears a yellow hat and carries a green parasol edged with fringe in her right hand. She is adorned with pearl earrings. Her dress is full length and white with a tight, ruffled collar. The bodice is pleated and ends at an empire waist. The woman wears a white, three-quarter length coat over the dress. The coat is fastened with a large, white button at the center of the bodice.

White lace trims part of the bodice and the cuffs of the coat. The collar of the coat has two large lapels which fold to either side exposing the bodice of the dress. She wears gray, pointed shoes with flower or bow detailing. The woman on the right has a white, netted hat with red flowers and green leaves on the front. She is adorned with pearl earrings, a pearl necklace and a pearl bracelet on her upper arm. Her dress is pale pink with with a sheer layer covering her bodice and extending in a diagonal across the front almost to the floor.

Her sleeves are short and gathered with a white button on top of her shoulder. She wears elbow length gloves and holds a white fan in her hands. She has white, flat, pointed shoes with flowers on them.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges