Fashion plate (1878)
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Child's bathing costume and promenade dress designs from a Parisian ladies' journal. These elegant dresses are heavily corseted and would have been hugely restrictive to the wearer.
The subject's face is the only part of the body that is exposed to the sun, yellow kid gloves and a co-ordinating parasol ensures that any sunburn is kept to a minimum. Tanned skin was considered undesirable by the Victorian middle classes at this time, who associated the look with the outdoor-working man.
Location: R Crompton Rhodes Collection of Fashion Plates No 340. Early and Fine Printing Collection. F391 S623
Read about Raymond Crompton Rhodes' fashion plates collection
