Woman’s and Girl’s French Fashions

A brown-haired young woman and brown-haired child, perhaps a mother and her daughter, look at each other while they model their circa 1820-1830 fashions. The woman wears a long colorful dress with a tight fitting bodice and full skirt. The fabric consists of white alternating with yellow or lavender bands, with each band having floral motifs or floral garlands in multiple colors.

The bodice is cut on the bias to create a v pattern at the center front, which has a white band. A white ruffle adorns the jewel neckline. The long sleeves are bias-cut gigot or leg o’ mutton style, very full at the upper sleeve and snugly fitted at the lower sleeve. White bands line the dropped shoulder line, and pass over the upper sleeves as decoration.

A wide green belt with a tall white oval buckle fits snugly at the natural waistline. The skirt is vertically striped with soft pleating at the waist. To complete the outfit she wears yellow gloves, blue boots, and a pale straw bonnet with a wide brim, with yellow ribbon bows on the brim, and white lace veiling. She rests her left hand on a green wooden chair. Looking up at the woman and holding her straw bonnet by its pink ribbon ties, is a young girl wearing a white and green dress. Her green skirt is full and gathered and reaches her knees.

Under the skirt, she is wearing white lace trimmed pantaloons. Her bodice is white with a jewel neckline with a narrow zigzag ruffle. At the waist, the bodice reaches down over the skirt in a series of zigzag points, with a wide green sash at the waist. The long sleeves are leg o’ mutton style with a dropped shoulder line. She wears brown flat soled boots.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges