Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Fashions for February 1830

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Loretta reports:

From La Belle Assemblée
Fashions for February 1830

EVENING DRESS.
A DRESS of gaze satinée, the ground rose-colour, the stripes of that peculiar shade of drab-colour which resembles unbleached cambric. The skirt, somewhat more ample than last month, is slightly gored, and trimmed rather below the knee with a fringe of uncommon breadth and beauty. It has an open-worked head, very richly wrought in lozenges. The corsage is cut very low, but not quite square round the bust, being rather higher in the shoulders than evening dresses generally are. Sleeves, à la Sultane; very wide, fastened at the wrist by gold bracelets, and drawn round the arm just above the elbow, by a row of fringe, to correspond with that on the skirt, but narrower. The hair is arranged in loose full curls, which fall low on each side of the face, and parted in the middle to display the forehead and eyebrows. The hind hair is disposed in two very large knots on the crown of the head. A scarf of Circassian gauze, corresponding in colour with the ground of the dress, and fringed at the ends, is tastefully arranged in conques, which are intermixed with the bows of hair. One of the ends falls on the left side to the neck; the other forms a tuft on the right side. The necklace, earrings, and bracelets, worn with this dress, are a mixture of pink topazes and filagree gold. A boa tippet, of the finest sable, is thrown carelessly round the neck. White kid gloves. Slippers, white gros de Naples.

EVENING DRESS.
A GOWN of gros d'Orient; the colour, vert de Chine; the border of the skirt, which reaches nearly to the knee, cut in double dents, which are corded round the edge with satin. The corsage, cut exceedingly low, and falling much off the shoulder, is crossed before and behind, and disposed in two folds on each side. Short and extremely full sleeve, of the bouffont form, over which is a long and very loose one of gaze Œrienne, with a cuff à la Montespan, cut in deep scollops, which turn back from the wrist. The hair is arranged in tirebouchons, which fall as low as the neck on each side of the face. Head-dress, a béret/composed of green satin. This is of a very large size, and is ornamented with three esprits/ two are placed near the top of the crown on the right side, and one under the brim on the left. Massive gold ear pendants and bracelets, the latter à la Grecque. Necklace, gold and emeralds, with three very large emeralds pendant from the centre. Gros des Indes slippers, en sandales. White kid gloves.

3 comments:

Vanessa Kelly said...

The fabrics look beautiful but, wow! What crazy dresses! I wonder if you could lift your arms above your shoulders, with sleeves like that.

The contrast between the naked shoulders and all that material below is quite dramatic.

Isabella Bradford/Susan Holloway Scott said...

I love how the language of fashion is always changing, yet never quite makes sense. Can you imagine going to your hairdresser now and asking for "the hind hair to be disposed in two very large knots on the crown of the head"?

StimmeDesHerzens said...

well hello, through another 18cen blog I check in on sometimes, saw yours, and thought, hey I kinda like this...the more I know about the 18cen, the happier I am !
((Love the warming machine. For a long time in Germany a similar device was used, these were made from porcelain and you can still see them in the various castles which dot the country. Similar size.))

 
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