More fun with 19th century
fashion prints. đ
Although I mostly collect
prints from Ackermann’s Repository
and La Belle Assemblée, I have
smaller collections of prints from other publications, including the Lady’s Magazine, the Ladies’ Monthly Museum, and the French Journal des Dames et des Modes, which
was published in Paris between 1797 and 1839.
I especially love the prints from
the 1830s from that last magazine—the fashion prints are wildly over the top: dresses with absolutely
enormous bouffant sleeves and flowing skirts that seem to involve acres of
fabric, often exuberantly printed, and millinery that would stop traffic...and they often include fun
background props as well—like this particular print, from the August 5, 1833
edition (the magazine appeared every five days—!!)
Here is what I am guessing is
an afternoon dress, something suitable for paying calls or shopping. The two
ladies so animatedly chatting are wearing the same style; this tĂȘte-Ă -tĂȘte pose
was often used to show the back and front of a dress. Here are the large gigot
sleeves, full skirts, and large bonnets of the time, along with an elegant
black lace scarf and pleated bodice. But
what grabbed my attention about this print was the furniture.
Check out the chair in the
foreground: it’s a wooden armchair, covered with a fabric slipcover that’s
right out of a “shabby chic” photo shoot! Maybe I’m just being silly, but for
some reason this tickled me. To stay in keeping with the illustration, all I
can say is, plus ça change, plus c'est la mĂȘme chose...!*
*The more things change, the more they
remain the same. ☺
1 comment:
Shabby Chic has been around under various names throughout history. It was really popular in the 1890s/early 1900 as the Arts and Crafts movement gained popularity.
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