Regency Fashion: Carriage, Dinner Party, Morning, and Walking Dress (1827)

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Records of the Beau Monde FASHIONS FOR OCTOBER 1827 EXPLANATION OF THE PRINTS OF THE FASHIONS CARRIAGE DRESS A DRESS of bright rose coloured gros de Naples with a broad bias fold reversed surrounding the border of the skirt the upper part of the bias trimmed with scallops in black silk passementerie Corsage à l Enfant Hat of white crape ornamented with marabout white feathers and bows and strings of Scotch tartan ribbon the ground yellow with variegated tartan chequers A shawl of jet black lace in a very rich pat tern is thrown over this dress DINNER PARTY DRESS on the hair the other side of the cap is slightly ornamented with the same kind of ribbon WALKING DRESS A DRESS of striped barêge pink on a white ground the border finished by one broad bias fold Long sleeves à la Marie confined at the wrists by dark hair bracelets clasped with gold The body is made quite plain but it is almost wholly concealed by a mantilla of richly embroidered tulle edged round with lace as is a double falling collar at the throat which is fastened in front with a rosette of pink ribbon A Leghorn hat trimmed with white satin ribbon and a short full plumage of white feathers with strings floating loose complete this costume GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON A GOWN of ethereal blue levantine bor dered by three bias folds each fold orna mented with narrow black silk cordon in points The body en gerbe with a sash of pink satin ribbon stamped with black figures in imitation of the French ribbons à la Giraffe A pelerine collar of the Van dyke fashion in points all round the edge FASHIONS AND DRESS fastens behind it is of white tulle richly THE higher classes of the fashionable embroidered and is surmounted at the throat world still remain near the sea or at those by a very full ruff of lace or blond The chalybeate springs which are so requisite to sleeves are short and full A hat is worn some constitutions The sportsmen how with this dress of white crape or stiffened ever have repaired to their family seats in net with ornaments on the crown en ba counties most abounding with game and teaux of blue sarcenet edged with white thither many of the British fair have follow blond among these trimmings are placed ed As to Brighton and other marine large full blown Provence roses The half bathing places not distant from the metro boots which are now so much in vogue in polis their population of real fashionables is the country are made to fit as close as pos hardly more dense than that of Pall Mall sible they are of lemon coloured gros de and St James's Naples MORNING DRESS A HIGH MADE robe of straw coloured taffety made very plain the body en gerbe Long white muslin sleeves with cleft man cherons of straw coloured taffety A sash of the same material and colour as the dress with a bow and long broad ends depending in front The throat is encircled by a full ruff of lace A cap of blond with a very broad border turned up on the right side with a bow of cerulean blue ribbon lying In despite of the declining season the out door covering is slight This is by no means judicious in our fair country women health the chief auxiliary to beauty is often materially injured in our uncertain and short summered climate by not adopting early the warm coverings which are required through the sudden changes always expe rienced in autumn especially in the morn ing and evening which often at the com mencement and close of glowing and sum mer like days wear the rugged face of win ter Possibly however the modish belle will lightly skim over this caution and speed on to the record of the most prevailing fashions give them no other term with which the eye has of late been wearied Our women to whom the palm of loveliness has ever been In support of what we remarked above adjudged would do well not to copy so im the canezou spencer of white muslin or plicitly the French fashions but to prove tulle over a dress of coloured gros de Naples even to their Gallic neighbours that they made partially high only seems to be pre have an inventive taste and fancy exclusively ferred to any other and many ladies attend their own and most becoming to their style evening parties covered only with a simple of countenance We have heard more than barêge scarf It is true the warm shawl one gentleman remark that the ladies hats and even the wintry cloak are taken in the and bonnets reminded them of the figures of carriage to be wrapped over the form at the Guy Fawkes dressed up on the 5th of No midnight or early matinal hour but is not vember to appear as ridiculous as possible the mischief done when at the now chilly Let us hope that a reform has commenced hour of nine they may have quitted their warm dwellings and have risked the ex posure of the susceptible chest from the fear of deranging the trimmings on their dress These barêge scarfs are of uncommon beauty the blended liveliness of their bril liant colours and the manner in which the ends are finished are entitled to special ad miration and indeed it must be acknow ledged that they constitute a warmer cover ing than their texture light as the zephyr would promise Silk pelisses are yet in favour for the promenade and we have seen a few summer coloured mantles in car riages when the weather has been chilly The cachemire shawl however still reposes in the cedar press and those of Chinese crape splendidly embroidered are deemed sufficiently warm and carefully wrapped round the forms of our younger females The hats and bonnets we regret to say continue of an enormous size but whether from their being warmer or from the native elegance of several of our most fashionable women we behold many in those modest and almost universally becoming head co verings the cottage bonnets The wide spreading hat short at the ears with its strings in a long loop or fluttering in the keen north wind must have rendered the ears extremely cold Now in the morning walks especially in the country we see the pretty cottage bonnet of fine straw or Leg horn lined with slight satin and tastefully trimmed with a rich ribbon which ties it snugly under the chin with a bow on one side These bonnets are certainly very large and the crowns rather higher than is accordant with their usual simplicity never theless they have nothing about them that is outré and the sight of them is really refreshing after the caricatures for we can These hats as observed above are now mostly confined to the carriage and gros de Naples watered figured or plain in white and of different colours has succeeded to the transparent crape or stiffened net They are still loaded with puffings of colour ed gauze large flowers broad long strings of no use but fancied ornament in a very long loop or floating over the bust or shoul ders The size of these hats and particularly of the bonnets is generally increased by a very broad blond being placed at the edge We do not altogether deprecate this addi tion as from the size of the hat or bonnet it is requisite to be placed very backward the white blond therefore which is exceed ingly becoming imparts a softness and a modesty which on the countenances of English women may be said in despite of every innovation of fashion to have erected its throne White muslin dresses are now but partially worn except as morning gowns and only by very young persons they are richly em broidered or trimmed with a profusion of lace while some ladies have an affectation of wearing them though flounced and hand somely trimmed without any auxiliary In the latter case however the dresses are of India muslin of the finest cobweb texture and proportionate expense The most fa vourite gowns for married ladies are of gros de Naples generally of delicate colours the lovely primrose with a rich satin stripe of the same colour lavender and olive green The busts of these dresses which are worn chiefly at dinner parties or at those friendly evening meetings in the country where to be well without being full dress ed is the etiquette are made partially high generally in the Circassian style or à lu Vierge Two flounces cut in bias orna FASHIONS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 167 ment the border and are set on full to which fulness the bias always conduces The sleeves are long and à la Marie Many ladies prefer chintz dresses for the morning costume to white but they are now seldom worn at any other time of the day A dress of Parma violet gros de Naples simply trimmed round the border in bias fold tucks made low and à la Vierge with the bust trimmed round with white lace and sleeves of Italian net of the same colour as the dress made long is a favourite afternoon attire At dress evening parties short sleeves are worn they are also seen in the dress boxes of the summer theatres The long sleeves are trimmed at the wrists with an ornament which excites admiration more for novelty than its grace It is formed of stif fened straps of the same colour and material as the dress These straps stand out con siderably from the sleeve and form a sort of coronet round the wrist Some painted In dian taffeties have been seen the ground of which was of the fine Indian red The beauty of these dresses is not obscured by their trimming a simple bias fold forming all the ornament This colour reminds us of the approach of winter and we hope to see again its brilliant and beautiful tint as much in favour as it was at the latter part of the year 1825 and the commencement of 1826 Cornettes and caps of blond ornamented with coloured gauze and flowers of various kinds are favourite head dresses Some of them are made to tie under the chin but the greater part have ribbons or lappets float ing loose One mode however is as much in fashion as the other and in their choice ladies seem guided by what always ought to actuate them the study of what is most becoming to their features Those young ladies who wear no head covering now ar range their charming hair in the most beau tiful manner in clusters of curls in front not too large behind the long tresses are gathered up to the summit of the head where in winding braids or light bows which are infinitely preferable they are fas tened by a comb simply ornamented with one row of pearls Dress hats are worn by many ladies at evening parties they are of white crape or of satin with a small plume of white feathers and puffs of gauze ribbon The caps worn in home déshabille are as plain as possible they are of fine lace or blond the borders full and lifted up by a bow of gauze ribbon on each temple In jewellery young ladies wear pearl ornaments the most chaste and most ap propriate embellishment of value for youth and innocence of which they seem an emblem These ornaments confer honour on the skill and taste of the jeweller Brooches and ear rings in the form of the hop blos som and splendid Greek patriarchal crosses are among the most beautiful and ingenious of these appendages to full dress The fa vourite ear pendants now worn by married females are of wrought gold So exquisite is the workmanship so delicately fine the fillagree work of these that they appear in danger from the slightest touch but it is not so they are so firmly wrought that they are as durable as they are light and splendid However we would advise no lady to trust them to her soubrette to clean for a very trifling expense they can be kept in order by her jeweller and indeed the purity of the gold is such that before they can well appear tarnished something new will ap pear and they will be exchanged beautiful as they are for the next fancy of the mo ment It is fitting however that it should be so The favourite colours are olive green pis tachio green lavender primrose pink aurora Indian red and hortensia blue

Plates and descriptions, along with general observations on fashion, appeared in the October 1827 issue of La Belle Assemblée.

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