Regency Fashion: Walking and Evening Dress (1828)

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THE MIRROR OF FASHION FOR NOVEMBER 1828 WALKING DRESS A DRESS of stone coloured gros de Naples with a broad hem round the border turning down with points and headed by an other row of points which stand upward Each row of these ornaments is bound round the points with a narrow rouleau The body is laid in small plaits and made partially high with a double frill round the neck pinked and of the same colour and material as the dress under which is worn a fichu of fine India muslin surmounted by a double French ruff of lace and fastened in front by a small bow of riband A sash of white riband with coloured stripes encircles the waist A bonnet is worn with this dress either of celestial blue or sea green gros de Naples as best suits the complexion it is trimmed with scrolls of the same colour and material as the bonnet and lemon coloured riband edged with pink The strings float loose EVENING DRESS Over a white satin slip is a dress of blue crape of a very pale tint with two rows of ornaments round the border ingeniously finished by delicate needlework representing vine leaves The corsage is plain with a pointed zone of blue satin the sleeves short and full with a lace frill round the arm and at the shoulders are cleft mancherons embroidered at the edge in a slight pattern A very narrow tucker of blond surrounds the bust The hair is arranged in a very novel manner round the face it certainly has rather too much the appearance of the large curls so lately and happily grown out of favour but it is not composed of curls neither are the light puffs of hair which are almost transparent from their gossamer arrangement disproportionably large except just above the forehead where they represent a dignified elevation accordant with full dress and they are in fact only two light puffs formed from the longer tresses and are so beautifully divided by pearls and a splendid diadem ornament of the same valuable materials that no other mode of dressing the hair would have appeared so well The whole is crowned by a superb plume of white ostrich feathers The ear rings are of wrought gold and the necklace of opal The bracelets of white enamel and gold

GENERAL MONTHLY STATEMENT OF FASHION However charming are now the environs of London and how ever beautified and improved in its sanative air may be the metro polis itself yet the mania for absenteeism still prevails to the continent and long sojournments in distant counties continue and we scarcely dare to indulge the hope of seeing town well filled by the higher orders of society till November and a great part of December however cold and gloomy have passed away But fashion is not quite in that undetermined state as she was the two last preceding months her votaries begin to think winter costume and the dress makers and milliners are in preparations for the gelid season In the balls which lately took place in the country the simpli city of style which marked the little rural dance was done away and the dress was more similar to that of a bal paré favourite costume was of flock gauze with two broad flounces rich blond round the border Many young ladies on these occa sions wore also dresses of plain tulle with draperies of blond gracefully ornamenting the skirt though lightly the waist con fined by a sash of broad riband shaded in various colours Fichu pelerines trimmed with broad lace and pointed the point behind confined under the sash are very fashionable Dresses gros de Naples for home costume will be of dark colours now have seldom any other ornament round the border than one very broad hem when such gowns are worn in half dress there is generally some little ornament over the head of the hem such as a row of embroidery or a Greek pattern in silk braiding Chintzes are yet worn in morning deshabille The sleeves of almost all dresses are generally à la Marie and the trimmings at the border of the skirts consist chiefly of one or of two broad flounces headed according to fancy Bonnets of gros de Naples are very fashionable They are trimmed round the crown with long puffs of broad riband striped in various colours these ribands though rendered gay in appear ance by this diversity are of rich texture and well adapted to the approaching winter A rúche of blond is a favourite ornament at the edge of hats bonnets have already appeared not only of watered gros de Naples and satin but also of satin and velvet mixed together and these last mentioned are black they are close but not very long at the ears Straw and Dunstable bonnets cc3
large close and very simply trimmed yet continued to be worn in the morning walks they were lined with coloured satin generally of a dark tint but not dull veils are very general but flowers are seldom seen on hats and then only in carriages this is as it should be nothing so much marks the gentlewoman as a retired and simple attire for walking The hair is now well arranged the large and monstrous curls which used to surround the face while they disfigured it are totally done away the corkscrew ringlets so well adapted to young faces but to them only have now succeeded and seem to present again to our view the beauties of the Court of Charles II Ladies of riper years arrange their hair very often à la Madonna on the forehead while a few light ringlets ornament each temple this is a very becoming and graceful fashion both to young and old and there are some of the former who do not look well with too great a profusion of corkscrew ringlets especially if the face is thin and pale The dress hats are made of crape and blond and are ornamented with short white feathers with this head dress the half Madonna style we have just described does not look well and the hair in full clusters of curls on each side the face is the only way in which it can be becomingly arranged under a dress hat there is now so charming a diversity in fashion that provided a lady does not quite lose sight of the reigning mode she is at free liberty to wear what best suits her features The bêrets and turbans are immensely large and thereby obscure the beauty of the hair if ever so well arranged they are worn in every style of dress a plume of marabouts or a few aigrette feathers rendering these head dresses fit for the evening party The autumnal cap formed of fine lace with a coloured caul of gros de Naples is a charming coiffeure for home dress it is trimmed with bows of gauze riband with rich satin stripes the colour of the caul these caps are expected to prevail much this winter The silk pelisses and cloaks are numerous particularly the latter the former are of very unobtrusive colours such as milk chocolate fawn and Egyptian sand they are made very plain fasten close down the front from the throat to the feet and have all that comfortable appearance which first distinguished this judicious out door garment on its first introduction into this country The mantles or cloaks appear all new and if they are so there will be but little novelty in this kind of envelope to be
recorded at present they have arm holes and triple pelerine capes those for evening parties and the theatres have a hood instead of capes which for those ladies who wear no cap or turban can be put on the head and serve as a capote against the night air Scarfs and square shawls of cachemire are fre quently worn over high dresses of poplin or gros de Naples The colours most admired will be puce myrtle green ethereal blue Hortensia milk chocolate and Egyptian sand A favourite colour for cloaks is slate Hair in front continues to be dressed in full light curls divided in the centre The bows are arranged high and brought more forward on the summit of the hair with a pearl comb the whole surmounted with a plume of fashionable feathers Invented by J Colley 28 Bishopsgate Street Plate and description appeared in the November 1828 edition of The Ladies’ Monthly Museum.

What does an immensely large beret truly look like?

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