Original: White Sheer Dress, c.1855

LACMA's online collection deserves more credit than it gets. It may be smaller than the Met, but it's much easier to search and sort than many other collections.  And it has some real beauties, like this:

White muslin dress, c.1855
From Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The more I look at this dress, the more it appears an understated masterpiece. No trim, no wild colors or print: just white muslin, made interesting with clever use of fullness--on the bodice, in the puffs, and in the large bishop sleeves. The tiered skirts also make excellent use of the lightweight fabric, for a floaty and cool summer dress.