Sitting under the Arbour

Hugo Birger’s women in bustles are emblematic of the sophisticated world that awaited the Swedish artists in Paris in the 1880s. In Sweden, bourgeois respectability demanded that dresses have long sleeves, preferably black, while the women in Paris wore bright satin dresses adorned with trails, frills, lace and flounces. Dainty bergère hats with bows and satin shoes completed their stylish creations inspired by 18th century fashions.