Regency Fashion: Witzchoura

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For JANUARY 1 1817 THE GREATEST NOVELTY IN DRESS THE PRESENT PERIOD Is the ENGLISH WITZCHOURA being most iodispensible appendage to Dress that can conceived It protects i be wearer from the of the weather prevents dress from beiug ranged and forms a most elegant and useful covering for Evening Parties the Walking or Riding Its make is perfectly A Chapeau Bras is attached to the Witzchoura in a very novel manner Too much cannot be in praise of the English Witzchoura it is an vantage to dress that cannot be disputed and desirable will it be found that few will be enough to be of a contrary opinion It is different to the general style of cloaks and is indisputable novelty that must have numerous trons It was invented by Mrs Bell of alone it can be procured MRS BELL begs leave to state that she resolved in consequence of the reduction in price of Manufactures to supply Ladies with article in the first style of fashion at charges different from those to wbich they have been customed Ladies of rank fashion and taste Dress will find it their very great advantage to attend to this notice as she pledges herself that article shall be made in the first style of and elegance of the best materials and not to surpassed if equalled Ladies in the Country abled to have all the Novelties and Elegance of London and Parisian Fashions with the same as if in the metropolis or Paris Mrs Bell has great Novelties in Pelisses Spensers and Hats and Bonnets Mrs Bell is the loventress of the LADIES CHA PEAU BRAS tbe New INVENTED CORSETS free from snperflúities of Steel Whalebone or hard and the BANDAGE CORSETS iuvented for Pregnant Ladies before or after Accouchements and for Ladies inclined to Corpulency She begs to assure her distinguished Patronesses as well as the Fashionable World that she bas been busy in preparing a variety of Millinery Dresses Corsets great variety of patterns Pelisses Ladies Habits & c an assortment of which is now ready combining Taste Elegance and Novelty The BALL DRESSES and BODICES Mrs has made have been declared uuequalled for their characteristic propriety as well as for their of effect and novelty THE ARMENIAN DIVORCE CORSET PRE VENTS THAT ROUNDNESS AND STOOP IN THE BACK FREQUENTLY CONSPICU OUS Being the greatest novelty ever known in Corsets just invented by Mrs BELL and already patronized by the Nobility possesses also the followiog requi sites 1 It gives to the bust grace elegance and 2 An effect to dress unknown in this or any other coustry and a form to the back most sur prising 3 It is divested of the trouble of lacing 4 It may be put on and completely adjusted mo mentarily and without the aid of any individual Ladies will find it their peculiar advantage to have no dress made without being provided with it The above can only be had of their Inventress Mrs Bell at her Magazin des Modes No 26 Char lotte street Bedford square Ladies waited upon within ten miles of London No Letters received upless post paid No 91 Vol XIV ease La Belle Assemblee, January 1817

The name Witzchoura is derived from the Polish word wiczura, meaning wolf fur coat, and is reminiscent of Polish style (sometimes called a la Polonaise).  The originator was said to be Napolean’s Polish mistress, Marie Walewska, who wore a fur lined cloak and said to come into fashion about 1808, and remain so until roughly the 1830s.

Generally, the Witzchoura was a mantle, pelisse, or cloak with sleeves that often had a large collar and occasionally a hood.  True to the inspiration, they were usually fur lined and fur trimmed and worn in the winter.

round with blond Many ladies when the weather is chill wear cloaks of fine cloth chequered with black on scarlet pelisses however are most fashionable and these are of satin or velvet with the sleeves immensely wide at the top they are a la Marie and are confined at the elbow and at the wrist by two bands set very near together the fulness between forming a bouffont Short mantles named cloaks a la Witzchoura are thrown over dresses on quitting a ball room they are lined throughont with fur The Ladies Pocket Magazine, 1829

You can read another mention in a recent fashion plate post: Regency Fashion: Carriage, Evening, and Ball Dresses (1819) – Regency Reader (regrom.com)

Thanks to Regency Reader Michelle H for the inspiration behind this post!

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One Response to Regency Fashion: Witzchoura

  1. Susan Macdonald says:
    January 12, 2022 at 5:36 pm

    I know Gunter’s Ices was a respectable place for a governess to take her charges. Is it true Regency “ices” were closer to modren popsicles than ice cream?