Walking and Morning Dresses – Autumn 1810

A woman in the foreground stands wearing a white dress with slim, ankle-length skirts, long sleeves, a high waist, and a high collar. The bodice is trimmed with lace and various white-on-white patterns. A small gold ball is pinned at her collar, and the hem of her dress is ruffled. She wears white stockings and flat, white shoes. Her gloves are short and white, and she wears a white (possibly fur) shawl speckled with blue and black spots around her shoulders. She carries a closed, blue parasol with fringe in her left hand.

She wears a white bonnet decorated with lace, bows, and berries at the crown held in place with a chin strap. Behind her, a second woman sits on a peach-colored chaise longue upholstered in pinkish red, with a matching tassel. The seated woman wears a white dress with a high, ruffled collar and long skirts trimmed with another ruffle. The dress has a high, ruffled waist and sleeves, which puff above the elbow and are fitted near the wrists where they end in ruffles. More white ruffles create an exaggerated yoke on the bodice. The woman wears short white gloves, white stockings, and flat, white shoes.

A book is open on her lap; she turns the pages with her right hand. Her bonnet is round and white, with a ruffled brim and a bow under the chin. She looks up at the standing woman.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges