Habit of a Spanish Lady of Montevideo in South America in 1764

by Thomas Jefferys

The print under analysis is an interesting example of colonial fashion and social stratification of eighteenth-century Uruguay. The image was created by a famous engraver Thomas Jefferys and represents the aristocratic fashion style typical of the Spanish court, adopted to suit the local conditions of Rio de la Plata area. By the mid-eighteenth century, Montevideo was a key military and trade center; clothing was the marker of the social class and background of a "Spanish Lady".

The Spanish Lady in Montevideo is dressed in quite conservative fashion in contrast to the Caribbean one. It is possible to recognize a basquiña (outer skirt) and mantilla, typical elements of Spanish ladies' dresses.