A Pelisse, Please!

Oh, La Belle Assemblée. You got me right between the eyes with this one!

May I present, for your viewing delectation, a Walking Dress for March 1812.

The description reads

No. 2.—Dress for the Fashionable Promenades.

A purple velvet pelisse, with a full standing-up collar, worn carelessly open over a round white dress of fine French cambric; the pelisse trimmed with a broad bordering of braided ribbon, the same colour as the velvet. A Minerva bonnet of amber coloured sarsnet, with a long white ostrich feather across the front; the feather made round, and very full; long black lace veil, a-la religieuse; a chain necklace, composed of pearls with a gold ornament depending in front, representing the Apollo Lyre, set round with a circle of pearls; a gold Lisbon chain with an eye glass hanging below the waist. Plain gold oval-ring pendants. Purple half-boots, and York tan gloves.

Lots to unpack here.

•  I’m struck by the “carelessly” style suggestion, which has appeared in other fashion prints. It’s fascinating how at times being absolutely neat and buttoned-up and pulled together is the desirable mode, while at others a dash of wind-blown untidiness is all the rage.

• “Fine French cambric.” Hello, we’re smack in the middle of the Napoleonic wars at this time! I don’t know if its use here means it was actually imported from France (which I really can’t see, considering the embargo.) It might be worth doing some digging around to find out if “French cambric” meant a particular weave or finish…or if describing some article of fashion as “French” was just to give it a little extra desirability. 

• Lots of description of jewelry in this particular plate, which is unusual.

Now, that amazing pelisse! I’m reminded of coats from the high heyday of evening wear in the 1950s and 1960s, aren’t you? The high collar, the rumpled, gathered look of the fabric (which seems slightly at odds with the description of the trim)—it’s scrumptious. I'm trying to tell if it’s self-lined or not—it rather looks that way, but trying to put on and take off a velvet-lined pelisse...hmm.

The dress is pretty enough, but honestly, who’s looking at the dress? 😁 The hat confuses me, however; wouldn’t wearing the lace veil over it (as shown in the image) hide the ostrich feather?

On reflection, I don’t care. I’m too in love with the pelisse.

What do you think?