Fashion Forecast: 1833, Part 1

What was the well-dressed young woman wearing in the first half of 1833? I'm dividing this year in half just because I have a lovely selection of prints to share, and don't want to leave anything out!

In January, she might be wearing a Morning Dress or Walking Dress as shown in The Court Magazine. I have the original text for these: "Morning Dress—Dress of chaly [challis], printed à colonnes, high body, with crossed plaits, plain back, laced; large full sleeves, tight to the elbow. Apron of black gros de Naples, embroidered with a wreath of sweet peas; epaulettes on the shoulders embroidered also; cap of Brussels lace, trimmed with maïs gauze riband. Walking Dress—Dress of blue saphire satin, plain body; tippet of black velvet à godets, and long ends; blonde ruff, with a bow of maïs gauze riband; capote of maïs terry velvet, lined with black velvet, and plait of velver to mix in the curls; trimmed with a maïs and black cerbère feather and maïs gauze riband." "Maïs" here indicates a pale yellow, like maize or corn.

Also in January’s Court Magazine, this elegant Evening Dress. The text reads, "Dress of white Cachemire [cashmere] à colonnes, alternately high corsage drapé, with borders to corespond with the pattern of the dress; short sleeves of white gros de Naples under long crapelisse sleeves; hat of grenat velvet, trimmed with torsades of velvet and a green bird of Paradise."

This print from Court Magazine’s February edition does something that Ackermann’s prints didn’t: show a front and back view, but slightly varied (a different fabric, perhaps.) This is a charming Dinner or Evening Dress, with an elegant turban headdress:

March’s Court Magazine has two wonderful Ball Dresses, one of them for a costume ball as it called "Catherine Seton", after one of Mary Queen of Scots ladies-in-waiting. Text reads: Catherine Seton--Dress of white satin, trimmed with blue velvet and pearls. Tunique of the same, and cordelière in pearls. Cherusse of blond; head dress of pearls, and a veil. Ball Dress—Dress of cerise gauze “à damier,” trimmed with gauze ribands and flowers. Plain body with bouffantes short sleeves “à côtes,” with sabots. Wreath of small flowers same as the dress."

One thing I especially enjoy about these prints from Court Magazine are the attention lavished on backgrounds as well as on the dresses themselves, making them even more eye-candyish. April's Court Dress definitely qualifies as eye-candy, by the way--the description reads: "White satin dress embroidered à tablier, in gold lama [lamè]; train and body à l’antique, in violet velvet embroidered in gold; sleeves à pointes, in velvet fastened with brilliants, blonde mantilla and sabots. Plume of ostrich feathers, and blond lappets."

Also in April's edition is a Carriage Dress—again, we have a front and back view, with slight variations: "Pelisse of green rayé watered silk, trimmed in front, cape of the same with epaulets; frill in plain blond net. Bonnet of mauve satin with one white ostrich feather."

Another Court Dress features in May's Court Magazine, this time in cherry-pink and white, with a bow-decorated train and sleeves, an emerald parure, and the requisite ostrich feathers and lappets:

And lastly, for June, a restrained yet still wildly romantic Evening Dress, all of the same fabric but with a scalloped overskirt, gathered bouffant sleeves, and a few outrageously large bows to finish things off. And again, the background art is as pretty as the dress:

What do you think of 1833's fashions?