Two Women and a Child – Summer 1827

Two women and a child display their London fashions. The dark-haired woman on the left wears a carriage dress,while the light-haired woman on the right wears a walking dress. The woman on the right holds the hand of a small child. The woman on the left wears a dress of yellow with large red polka dots. The full skirt has two wide gathered flounces at the hem with scalloped hems bound in red.

The bodice of the dress has a wide falling collar, white leg o’ mutton sleeves with scalloped cuffs, and a scalloped ruffle-edged collar. She wears a wide-brimmed white hat trimmed with tall white feathers and with wide ribbon ties that have bows on the underside of the brim. The white ribbon has a yellow scroll pattern and fancy edges. She wears yellow shoes with tiny bows, white gloves, a wide gold bracelet on each wrist, and holds a white lace handkerchief. On the right the second woman wears a white dress with two wide ruffled flounces at the hem, edged with a narrow zigzag trim. Two narrow ruffles edge the neckline.

Her white hat is wide-brimmed and is decorated with folded elements and wide white ribbon with green scrolling. The ribbon falls in graceful curves down to the hips. She wears brown shoes with tiny white bows, yellow gloves, and a wide gold bracelet on each wrist. In between the two women stands a child wearing a bright blue, belted tunic over narrow white trousers or pantaloons. The sleeves have a moderate leg o’ mutton style, with white pointed cuffs and a round white pointed collar.

The tunic is belted at the waist with a blue belt with a rectangular gold buckle. A row of blue buttons fastens the center front of the tunic skirt with the bottom unbuttoned. At the collar the child has a red and yellow striped tie or scarf which is tucked into the belt. The child wears white gloves, brown leather buttoned boots and a wide-brimmed blue hat with a short tassel hanging down. The child has shoulder-length blond hair falling into ringlets.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges