Oh my goodness, what a cloak!
It looks more like a prop from Game of
Thrones than a Walking Dress
from the April 1811 fashions in La Belle Assemblée...but
a Regency miss and not a mother of dragons got to wear this beauty.
Let’s have a closer look: the
text reads Round dress of cambric muslin,
with a ruff collar, trimmed round the bottom with narrow purple ribband;
cassimere crimson mantle, confined close to the back, lined with purple silk,
embroidered round the neck, cape, and sides with purple fancy border; a deep
cape falling from the shoulders, sloping to a narrow point, with tassels. A
crimson velvet bonnet, turban front, and trimmed with purple to correspond.
York tan gloves. Yellow kid boots.
Wow. It’s quite a garment, isn’t
it? It reminds me a little of the Jubilee cloak we saw from 1810 with the
purple-lined red, but this takes things a step further: the deep V detail on
the back, the tassels, the purple embroidery—very striking! The fabric is
cassimere, or kerseymere, a very fine, soft fabric woven of merino wool.
The accompanying hat is also
striking: part turban, part Phrygian cap, and of crimson velvet to match the
cloak. It rather reminds me of a very gorgeous seashell!
I do confess to being a tad disappointed
that the boots are not also scarlet, but one can’t have everything. ☺
What do you think? Would you like a cloak like this?
1 comment:
I do like that cape. It looks like something Princess Anna of Arendelle would wear in Frozen. The fairy tale does seem to take place in the early 19th century. I love the head wrap thing.
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