Fanny Seward's dress

[L Verge]

Fanny would have mourned her mother for at least a year. She would then have properly started coming out of mourning with tiny embellishments like a white collar on her black dress, touches of gold on jewelry, etc. That could last as long as six months and gradually turn into subdued shades of gray, purple, and lavender. I am still inclined to think that this dress was a party dress from 1864 or earlier.

There are silks and satins that change color according to how light hits them, but I can't imagine that drastic a change from red to lavender. That is also not a "plain silk" dress that I am looking at - especially as shown on the front cover of Ms. Krisher's book. That is a gorgeous dress that belies the image we tend to have of the shy and retiring Miss Fanny Seward.