What a difference in style between mother and daughter! The mother wears either a shirtwaist dress or a shirt and skirt combination in a conservative polka dot pattern. From this angle her boots look almost flat. Maybe she had problem feet and resorted to men’s shoes, since women’s footwear of the era had higher heels and pointier toes.
The daughter, in contrast, wears a much shorter dress and stylish high boots. Are they laced or buttoned? The dress appears to have a sheer dark overlay over a lighter fabric. The sleeves look sheer. Note the fascinating collar treatment, with sharp triangles of fabric weighted down by beads. They give the outfit a kind of jester look. None of my reference books shows anything similar.
Because of the wind, it’s difficult to tell the exact shape and length of the daughter’s dress. The markings on the back of the postcard indicate the photo was taken between 1905 and 1918. The daughter’s stylish outfit places the picture at the tail end of this time span. Care to guess the exact date?
