THE REGENCY LIBRARY  

Fashions from La Belle Assemblee August 1810 from the July 1810 issue (pages 41-43).

English Costume.

No. 1-Evening Visiting Dress.

A complete lemon-coloured sarsnet dress, trimmed with an embroidery of roses; a white lace drapery with train, fastened down the front with topaz snaps; a rich embroidered scarf is thrown carelessly across the shoulders. Topaz necklace, and earrings. The hair in loose ringlet curls, divided by an ornamental comb. Gloves and shoes of white or lemon-coloured kid. A bouquet of natural flowers.

No. 2-Promenade Walking Dress.

A plain cambric round morning dress, made high in the neck, with short train, let in round the bottom with two rows of worked trimming. A pelisse of green sarsnet, made to fit the shape, trimmed round with a narrow fancy trimming, cut with two scollops on the left side, on the right with one; fastened on the neck with a gold brooch, and confined round the waist with a girdle of the same, with gold clasp. A Lavinia unbleached chip hat, tied down with a broad white sarsnet ribband; a small white satin cap is worn underneath, with an artificial rose in front. The hair dressed in full curls. A plaid parasol; with York tan gloves; green silk sandals.

A Description of Several Dresses Worn by Ladies of Rank and Fashion.

1. A short white lace pelisse, rounded at the bottom, and trimmed with a deep Mecklin lace, made to fold over the bosom, and confined in the waist by a pale lilac brocaded ribband; the pelisse lined throughout with lilac sarsnet; a small round French embroidered muslin, ornamented with a fancy lilac and yellow satin flowers. Shoes and gloves of pale lemon coloured kid. Parasol brown shot with yellow. Necklace and bracelets, Egyptian pebbles set in gold.
2. A pale straw coloured sarsnet pelisse, of a walking length, thrown open before, over which was worn a very small black lace tippet by way of crape, brooched at the throat with a gold or pebble brooch. Gloves and shoes of pale French grey, or stone colour.
3. A white crape frock, trimmed round the bottom with a pale pink scalloped ribband, spangled with small silver spangles resembling dew drops. Pearl necklace with diamond clasp, and small brilliant snap earrings. White kid gloves and shoes with silver roses. The hair braided in with pearls or beads, and twisted tightly round behind.
4. A petticoat formed by twisting a broad white French lace round the figure, worn over a white satin slip; the body of the dress of pale pink satin, with long white lace sleeves. Ornaments of diamonds or pearls. Shoes and gloves of white kid.
5. A robe of fine French lawn or cambric, with a great deal of lace let in on the bosom, and trimmed round the bottom, sleeves and throat with Mecklin lace. A short white lace mantle, lined and tied with pink. A Brussels point lace cap, with a variegated pink and white satin flower. York tan gloves, shoes of pale lemon colour. Parasol shot with pink.
6. A fine plain India mull muslin pelisse, over a lining of pale buff sarsnet, made a walking-length, and edged with fine edging. A large bouquet of muslin to correspond, with a careless bow of soft figured buff ribband, and tied under the chin. Nankeen half boots.

General Observations and Reflections on Fashion and Dress.

    The Court of Fashion is at length dissolved, and its gay votaries are at this moment so scattered, that until they begin to rally a little, we scarcely know whither to follow them; we have, therefore, not as yet much to add to our last ample communications on this subject.
    To begin, as usual, with the promenade dresses, we have noticed a great variety of short mantles, with small Parisian hoods, which some ladies wear over the hair, and confine under the chin with a small bow of ribband. This is undoubtedly a very pleasing and becoming fashion, and gives a look of the most bewitching modesty to the features; the hair should be dressed full, and rather high in front, and the hood must be nearly composed of lace, with only a light ribband introduced for the sake of correspondence with the mantle. Short muslin pelisses, lined with pale coloured sarsnet and hemmed with broad lace, are very prevailing, as indeed are pelisses of a walking length, lined and thrown open so as to display the dress; when they are composed only of sarsnet, a small cape of black or white lace, and sometimes fine sprigged muslin, is added by ladies of fashion, this adds something to the consequence of the dress, without taking from its simplicity. Black lace cloaks are also much worn, sometimes lined, but more frequently not; these are so convenient, so graceful, and elegantly negligent, and withall so valuable in themselves, for we speak only of real lace, that we cannot help giving them our warmest approbation and decided recommendation; it is a fashion from which good taste can never long dispense; and there are but few periods at which it is not distinguished for its appropriate elegance, with only slight variation like jewels, in conformity to the caprice or whim of the day.
    Silk, or lined spensers, with lace tippets, scarfs, and large lace handkerchiefs, are all much worn, and have a light juvenile appearance. The al Fresco hat, in white unbleached chip, is still a reigning favourite; for its description we must refer to our last Number. Small lace caps, ornamented with stamped satin flowers, and a light lace veil thrown over, are the most approved dress for the evening public promenade. We have observed several ladies with merely a lace veil over the hair, it is, however, generally black and rather deep; it will be evident that this fashion should not be generally or indiscriminately adopted. It requires more good sense as well as taste, and a nicer sense of propriety than is usually imagined, to adapt our dress to time, place and season; it should be remembered that nothing can be really elegant but what is really fit. If it be true that variety, levity, folly, all appear in our dress, why may not modesty, propriety, delicacy, and good sense, as well as taste, be render conspicuous by it; it were surely an unfaithful mirror that reflected only our defects.
    In respect to dinner, or afternoon dresses, no difference whatever had taken place. they are made up to the throat, or just above the rise of the bosom, with long sleeves, of a moderate height in the back, and for the most part in the frock style. We have observed several dresses made up to the throat, and trimmed round with a broad vandyke lace. They are mostly made in sarsnet, Opera nets, coloured or white muslins, and generally worn with a small tippet of fine wrought muslin or lace over the dress.
    Morning robes are invariably made high in the neck, with long sleeves, generally laced up the back, or wrapped, in the Grecian form, over the bosom; much lace is here also introduced; neatness polished into elegance, with a degree of graceful and modest negligence, seem to be the characteristics of this class of dress; as we have often said, that dress is always the most perfect which seems to have cost least effort. Coloured striped muslins may probably be considered too homely a style of dress for notice, they are likely, however, to become very general at our most fashionable watering places. A new kind of hat has just appeared, made in white whalebone, which, to all the delicacy of the chip, from its transparent quality, has the appearance of being lighter; we have observed several coloured chips and straws, we have also remarked that they are very unbecoming, and are besides inconvenient, as being difficult to adopt to every kind of dress; a mixture of ribband and straw is surely to be preferred.
    In full or evening dress, Paris nets, black and white lace, fine embroidered or plain muslins over satin slips, with figured gauzes, white or coloured crapes and satins, made up in the frock fashion, with short trains and sleeves, unless for dancing, when long sleeves and no trains are more convenient and most approved.
    Nothing is in so much estimation for morning dresses as the fine French cambric, delicately wrought, and trimmed with Valenciennes lace; the French corded, spotted, and moss muslins are rather on the decline; they have the appearance of too much substance for the present season. The waists are certainly worn long, but not extravagantly or ungracefully so by elegant people.
    The dresses of all descriptions are made fuller, which is undoubtedly a great improvement, it gives ease and play to the air and figure. Coloured muslin pelisses of a very transparent texture are light and prevailing; the colours of every kind of dress are of a pale and undecided hue, gay colours at this season would appear gaudy.
Gipsy hats, with the waggoner's crown, begin to re-appear, and although straw hats are not considered of sufficient elegance for the evening promenade, no lady of fashion who indulges in the pleasures of a rural stroll or sea-side ramble, can possibly dispense with one.
    No variation has taken place in the mode of wearing the hair, it is curled in round, thick, flat curls over the face, plaited behind, and twisted round the back part of the head, the ends confined by a gold, pearl, or diamond comb, according to the degree of dress or fancy of the wearer. The most fashionable ornaments for the head are beads, bandeau, rolls of crape twisted with pearls or silver, silver nets or flowers, artificial and foil wreaths, which should be made to sit close to the head, in order to avoid giving an appearance of size, which, if natural, would be considered ungraceful.
    With regard to jewellery, in the morning we have observed a great profusion of necklaces in coral, gold, Egyptian pebbles set in gold, Maltese and amber beads. In the evening, pearl, diamond, and emerald necklaces abound, but amethysts and garnets are of the most select adoption; they excel all other gems in the appearance of brilliancy and whiteness which they give to the complexion. Hoop earrings are quite out, small brilliant snaps, and in full dress, pearl drops are the most esteemed.
    The most novel shoes are composed of brocaded silk; for walking, nankeen boots, or jean sandals, bound with coloured binding, are very general; in dress, white satin slippers or sandals, bound with silver and ornamented with silver roses, or in silver brocaded silk, are much admired.
    The prevailing colours for the season are light blue, pale pink, buff, lavender, straw, lilac, and yellow.