Now that we have seen how artists interpreted outdoor clothes in the early 1870s, lets take a look at some real outfits that might have been worn to picnics in 1871. For the ladies, dresses would most likely be of plain, unpatterned fabric, trimmed with fringe, braid, and bias strips in either matching or contrasting tones.  The silhouette and would demonstrate the change from the back heavy, oval hoops of the 1860s to the bustled 1870s silhouette.  Fabrics would be of wool, silk, or cotton depending on the weather, and how fashionable and up-to-date the wearer was. Four silk dresses: If the weather was relatively cool, very fashionable ladies might wear highly trimmed silk dresses, such as this one: The design and trim of this dress are very similar to the one shown in Monet’s painting on Monday. In warmer weather, light cotton dresses similar to the ones shown in Monet’s Women in the Garden would be ideal. These dresses are quite easily soiled and torn, but also easily put together.  They seem to have …