Spring Break is soon, so what better way to get excited than by looking at colorful impressionist paintings? … Okay. But really, impressionist paintings give me a spring-y feel. The colors always look so bright and effortless, and the subject matter is often everyday scenes or landscapes. For this week’s Fashion Inspired by Art, I want to share three outfits inspired by Mary Cassatt’s Summertime.

Table of Contents

Mary Cassatt

Mary Cassatt was an American impressionist painter who is most known for her paintings depicting the relationship between mother and child. Much of her art career was difficult: She was repeatedly declined for shows, eventually feeling forced to paint more traditionally favorable subjects to appeal to galleries. She noticed that female artists were frequently dismissed if they had no friends that were gallery jurors or refused to flirt with them. Cassatt herself was unwilling to try persuading the men in power and was often referred to as blunt. (If you’re interested in reading more about Mary Cassatt’s life, here’s a link to her Wikipedia page.)

Her career eventually gained traction in part thanks to Edgar Degas and the impressionist galleries that accepted her work. The subjects of her paintings were always women, commonly showing a mother-child bond or depicting the independence of the “New Woman.” Today’s art historians credit Mary Cassatt as one of the great impressionism painters of her time.

An Outing

Products: Watch Set, Bag, Dress, Hat, Earrings, Oxfords

This outfit is inspired by the polished look of the woman in the boat. A ruffle dress is simple but gives a petal-like effect. A wide-brim hat keeps the sun out of your eyes, and cute oxfords make it easy to walk around while looking stylish. The duck earrings are obviously based on the ducks in the painting, but they’re so cute and simple that I would wear them without a reason. Throw on some accessories like a bag and a watch, and you’re ready for your outing!