Just Because

I think it’s time for some fashionable eye candy, courtesy of La Belle Assemblée. There’s something very relaxing about contemplating many of these prints, and this one, from the January 1810 issue showing fashions for February, is particularly pretty:

Evening Dress

A jacket of pale buff Merino cloth, with antique stomacher, richly embroidered in green chenille, finished with silk tassels; a fine India muslin petticoat and train, embroidered round the bottom with a trimming to correspond, and worn over a white satin slip. A Spanish cap of cloth and green satin, of the same colour as the dress, ornamented with a long green drooping ostrich feather, border similar to the dress. A French shawl of ruby coloured silk. Emerald necklace and earrings. Green kid slippers with silver roses. Limerick gloves. The hair on the forehead in short ringlets, with a long Theresa curl flowing gracefully over the left shoulder.

I’m fascinated by the construction of the “jacket” : it’s very abbreviated, with the front consisting of the stomacher (the decorated piece over the bust and tummy) and a strappy belt. I’ll bet it would have been a pain in the you-know-what to wear—probably shifting all over the place unless one sat or stood very still (or had pinned it into place!)—but it’s quite charming in an illustration (and I like the sneaky way the artist gave us the peplum-ish back view on the lady descending the stairs at right!) The embroidery around the hem of the muslin petticoat completes it nicely. And the tassels—I love tassels. 😍  And then there are her gloves: we learned about tan Limerick gloves—made of exquisitely fine calfskin—in the Accessories series.

The hat is quite a confection itself, with the matching chenille embroidery, that ostrich feather (!), and the insouciant long curl “flowing gracefully” over one shoulder; evidently one should not have cut one’s hair into a fashionable crop to sport this look. The image does not include the “emerald necklace and earrings” suggested in the text, but I kind of like the jaunty gold hoops and big pearl necklace—combined with the hat, they have an almost piratical air.  And of course, even though the Peninsular War raged on, a “French shawl” was still acceptable, because fashion.

What do you think of this decorative, if improbable, ensemble? 

And just a quick note: Regina and I will be taking a few days off to enjoy the Independence Day holiday. We hope you'll enjoy your holiday as well!

A Good Habit to Emulate

I was so excited to acquire this La Belle Assemblée print! Riding habit prints aren’t all that uncommon (Ackermann did several, as did several of the French journals of the time) but this one is just so much fun: the saturation of the colors, the pose, and the fact that the person wearing the riding habit is, yanno, actually on horseback...!

Let’s look at the details.  The text at the bottom reads:

A French Lady on Horseback in the fashionable stile of Riding in the Long Champs & Elisée at Paris.

Engraven from an original drawing taken on the Spot for La Belle Assemblée.

Or Bell’s Court & Fashionable Magazine for March 1807

The text (from the April 1807 edition) reads Parisian Costume No. 3. Represents a Parisian lady, mounted in the most fashionable style, for the Long Champs and Elisées, at Paris.—An equestrian habit of fine seal-wool cloth, with elastic strap; the colour blue (but olive, or puce, are equally esteemed), with convex buttons of dead gold. The habit to sit high in the neck behind, lapelled in front, and buttoned twice at the small of the waist; a high plaited frill of cambric, uniting at the bosom where the habit closes. A jockey bonnet of the same materials as composes the habit, finished with a band and tuft in front. Hair in dishevelled crop. York tan gloves; and demi-boots of purple kid, laced with jonquil chord.

Isn’t it pretty? Note the long trained skirt (to keep the limbs modestly covered when riding side-saddle, the gold buttons detailing the back of the bodice and along what looks like decorative pockets to the side. The jaunty jockey cap decorated with a flower of the same fabric and the brim curling over the ears (excellent if one is wearing pretty earrings!) and the elegantly severe lapels—all wonderful. I’m also interested by the safety strap, to keep our stylish equestrienne safe in her (not illustrated, oddly enough) saddle. I’m only sorry we don’t get a glimpse of the purple kid demi-boots!

The one point I have to question is the “from an original drawing taken on the spot” part, as there is a basically identical print from an 1805 Journal des Dames et des Modes...but as we have seen before, copyright law as we know it was basically non-existent in the 19th century...

I hope you enjoyed today’s eye candy!

Newer Additions to My Collection: Fashions 1810

It’s been a while since I started doing (and finished up) regular Fashion Forecasts here...and one corollary of that is that I’ve since acquired a lot more prints for any given year. Since the last time we looked at fashions in the year 1810 was back in 2009, I thought I’d post some more prints from my collection...because, eye candy.

Enjoy!

1810 was the year of the child, at least as far as Ackermann’s Repository was concerned: this particular year features multiple images of children, which gives us a nice look at what the fashionable child was wearing...in this instance, from January, not all the much (someone give that child a sweater!) Mom’s Evening Dress looks much warmer.

My oh my, the fur-lined cloak in this Carriage or Promenade Dress from January looks cozy!

Another fur-lined cloak in February’s Opera Dress—perhaps because there was no central heating in theatres. Note her opera glass in one hand, the quizzing glass around her neck, and a copy of the libretto in her hand (at least, I am assuming that’s what it is).

That’s one chunky toddler...but what a sweet pose! Note mom’s Morning Dress includes long sleeves and a high neck—possibly a blouse or a tucker underneath the dress proper. (February)

This print from April is the ONLY one in Ackermann’s twenty-year run featuring men’s clothing—a pity, don’t you think? The accompanying text reads

FASHIONS FOR GENTLEMEN

Full Dress.—Superfine corbeau colour coat, with covered buttons; white Marcella waistcoat, single-breasted; light sage green, or cream-coloured kerseymere breeches; also those of black florentine silk are very fashionable and consistent in this style of dress. Dark blue coats, with plain gilt buttons, are likewise considered fashionable. The cravat is still worn high and full.

April’s Walking Dress is truly multinational, if you read the description! It always surprises me that even though they’d been at war for decades, French fashions were still all the rage in England.

WALKING OR CARRIAGE COSTUME.

A round high robe of French cambric, with Armenian collar, and cuffs edged with narrow antique lace; three rows of appliquéd lace beading round the bottom. An Egyptian mantle of lilac shot sarsnet, trimmed with broad Spanish binding, and deep thread lace. A Parisian bonnet of the same material, ornamented with narrow stripes of white satin ribbon, and trimmed at the edge with lace, or a plaiting of French net. A small French cap, and flowers appearing in front of the forehead. Chinese parasol, with deep awning of white silk. Ridicule to correspond. Lilac kid slippers or half-boots. York tan gloves. Child’s dress of nankeen or buff kerseymere, of the Highland order.

A three-fer! July’s Promenade Dresses are interesting: in particular, the purple one reminds me of dresses one hundred years in the future, ca. World War I.  The veil in the middle dress is, er, interesting.

Mom’s Full Dress (September) is very Renaissance inspired, with the slashed sleeves, broad, framing collar, and lacing in the bodice. The children’s clothing is charming, I think.

Another first (and only) for 1810: a plate using a church as the background. The description for this Morning Dress reads:

A MORNING DRESS, OR COSTUME A LA DEVOTION

A plain cambric high gown, with surplice sleeves, and van dyke border round the throat. A Spanish robe of pea-green muslin, crape, or sarsnet, bordered with cable trimming, and buttoned to the shape in front. A winged mob cap, composed of white crape and beading. A bee-hive bonnet of fine moss or plaited straw, ornamented with white sarsnet ribbon. Limeric gloves, and Spanish slippers of sea-green kid.

What I’ve loved about the fashions of 1810 is that they’re different and interesting—not all alike (1820-22, I’m looking at you)—the Full Dress looked nothing like the Promenade Dresses, which look nothing like this Evening or Half Dress, with its embroidered bodice and hem and an embroidered Indian shawl.

Newer Additions to My Collection: 1809

It’s been a while since I started doing (and finished up) regular Fashion Forecasts here...and one corollary of that is that I’ve since acquired a lot more prints for any given year. Since the last time we looked at fashions in the year 1809 was back in 2009, I thought I’d post some more prints from my collection...because, eye candy.

Enjoy!

I do like the poses in a lot of these early Ackermanns. Doesn’t the young lady in this Dancing Dress (not Ball Dress, for some reason) look like she’s having fun? Note the shorter hemline, a feature of dresses intended for dancing in. (February 1809)

Also from February 1809, and noteworthy in that the model for this Half Dress was not a sylph-like sprite like those seen in Ackermanns from later years, but a woman of some substance.  Note the lace oversleeves and “Egyptian headdress” with a tassel falling on one shoulder.

Here’s an official Ball Dress: I love the fashion popular in these earlier years of over-dresses caught with ropes of pearls for closure...but what I love even more are her blue-striped slippers! (May 1809)

What a selection of Walking Dresses! The yellow one worn by the seated lady looks almost Renaissance-ish with those slashed sleeves...and her dainty little veiled hat is adorable. The standing figure looks right out of A&E’s Pride and Prejudice in that spencer and dress of muslin. And even the little girl’s dress is charming—if you look very carefully, you can just see that she appears to be wearing pantalettes. (June 1809)

Another figure of generous proportions for this Opera Dress...and what a delightfully insouciant pose! I’m also struck by just how baggy full-length kid gloves became after being worn for a bit—I’m afraid they would have driven me crazy. (July 1809)

I was very excited to finally acquire this plate of Mourning Dresses from September 1809; how odd to see a toddler in mourning (though she seems much more concerned with retrieving her doll!) Note the drawstring at Mom’s waist, and the delightful lions’ feet on the pedestal.

This print is full of visual delights, despite the mother’s curiously posed legs and feet (perhaps she’s a contortionist?): her Morning Dress buttons up the front of the bodice, and she’s wearing some kind of be-ruffled robe or pelisse over it. Note the fire-screen in the background...and my, that is one healthy-looking child! (November 1809)

I rather liked this Tyrolese Walking Dress from December, though more properly it’s the coat that's Tyrolese (it’s of shaded green, or drake's-neck velvet, lined throughout with amber sarsnet, and trimmed with gold or Chinese floss binding.) However, the hat is evidently English through and through: it’s described as an Amazonian helmet, composed of the same materials, ornamented with a patriotic band and and bow, towards one side; a curled ostrich feather, tipped with gold, on the other.

It’s a little hard to determine just what a patriotic band is—perhaps it’s striped like a Union Jack?