Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Fashion Forecast: 1827, Part 2

What was the well-dressed young woman wearing in the second half of 1827?

If she were on holiday after the season (don’t forget, no one who was anyone lingered in London much past mid-July) she might wear this very pretty apricot-colored Promenade Dress, with its leg o’mutton sleeves, lace van dyke falling collar, and tiers of ruffles around the hem…and a truly striking bonnet lined with what looks like a tattersall pattern and adorned with artificial flowers and ribbon ruchings (Ackermann’s Repository, August):


Pink seems to be popular this season, as it appears again in this Evening Dress from August’s Ackermann. Here it’s in the form of puffed appliques on a white gauze overskirt, edged at the hem with a double row of dagged trim. The appliques repeat on the bodice, and there is a neat pink belt or sash to finish it off. The headdress features loops of ribbon and a dyed heron’s plume as well as a lace veil. I must say that I definitely fancy this dress!


Ruffles make an appearance again in this Evening Dress from the September issue of the Lady’s Magazine, both around the hem and on the long-tailed scarf-like thing called a fichu-pelerine. Notice the width of the shoulders in this dress, a tendency that will only increase over the next few years until, in the 1830s, women will be forced to go through doors sideways:


More pink…and another striking Evening Dress, from the September edition of Ackermann’s Repository. This one features a deep, scalloped band of pink around the hem, pink scalloped cuffs, and a pointed bodice also of pink. Her hat seems large for an indoor event, but headgear gets quite daring over the next few years…and I love her feather fan!:


Speaking of daring headgear…this Promenade Dress is almost overshadowed by and astonishing hat with a tall crown, broad brim, ostrich plumes, and a veil! The dress itself is handsomely restrained, though, with triangular decorations around the hem, puffy leg o’mutton sleeves, and another fichu-pelerine collar. (Ackermann’s Repository, October):


Here’s a sweet Ball Dress, also from October’s Ackermann’s, dainty in yellow and white with festoons and bows of ribbon decorating the skirt, a yellow ribbon sash, large bows on the sleeves, and what looks like a flounce of eyelet around the neckline. Ruffled gloves finish the look…but a heavy armlet on her left upper arm that looks like it was borrowed from Cleopatra makes a daring statement:


And now an equally dainty Dinner Dress, with a lace and embroidery gauze overskirt on top of a blue underdress, a ribbon sash with what looks like gold embroidery on it, a lace van dyke falling collar, and gauze oversleeves atop small puffed sleeves of blue. Her headdress is a more restrained turban, and her shawl looks almost like a guazy plaid—not very good for keeping the chill off, but very pretty (Ackermann’s Repository, November):


Here’s an outfit that would do a much better job of keeping its wearer toasty warm! This Carriage Dress from December’s Ackermann’s includes what looks like a velvet cloak, lined with ermine and topped with a capelet of darker velvet, worn over a green dress trimmed with bands of embroidery. An ermine muff contribute to the general warmth, and the whole is topped off with a white wide-brimmed hat trimmed with plumes and loops of pink ribbon. Very cozy!:


Equally cozy is this Walking Dress from the December edition of the Lady’s Magazine. I have the original description for this one: A PELISSE, of dark-grey satin, with a broad border and facing of black velvet, is fastened down the front with gilt oblong buckles. The body is made quite plain, and the sleeves, which are en gigot, terminate at the wrists with very broad black velvet bracelets, confined by a gold buckle. A pelerine cape of black velvet is worn with a white blond colerette, falling over, of a rich Vandyck pattern. The hat is of black velvet, lined with Canary-yellow, and large bows of black velvet and stain are placed over the crown, each bound with yellow satin, as is the edge of the bonnet, round which is a black blond. The bonnet is tied down close on the right side, with yellow strings in a bow. A reticule of Indian painted taffeta accompanies this dress:


One more pink-and-white confection, this time a Ball Dress in white decorated with long loops and knots of pink ribbon and a wreath of tiny roses and leaves, which also appear around the short puffed sleeves. The bodice is pink, with a sort of Van Dyke effect at the waist and lacing across the front. Note her hair, which is dressed in curls and loops of hair standing up…I wonder how they managed without hair-spray? (Ackermann’s Repository, December):


What do you think of 1827’s fashions?

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