Walking Dress – 1822

A woman appears in a walking dress from 1822. She wears a purple long-sleeved empire-waist dress with ermine fur on the cuffs of the Juliet sleeves and at the bottom of her dress. Short ribbons are attached to the bodice, down the front of the dress, and on the puffs of the sleeves, with a small purple bead anchoring either end of the ribbon to the dress. On the bodice and down the skirt, these short ribbons are arranged horizontally to resemble toggles holding the dress closed.

The collar of the dress is folded down with a ruff on top of it. She wears pale yellow gloves and a pink poke bonnet. Red and yellow roses adorn the bonnet and a pink ribbon ties under her chin. In her left hand she carries a black handbag with a silver handle and clasp. She stands on the landing of a set of stone stairs, her right hand resting on the stone banister.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges