Fashions for July 1831

Loretta reports:

For my first July fashion page, I sought examples of the fashions Olivia—heroine of Last Night’s Scandal—would be wearing. 

For American women, publications like The Atheneum supplied, along with essays and stories, the latest fashion news from London and Paris.  Like The Spirit of the Public Journals, an English counterpart I’ve quoted from previously, the Atheneum reprints material published elsewhere, in the days before copyright protection. 

JULY 1831
THE LATEST LADIES' FASHIONS.

EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE.
MORNING DRESS.
[WORLD OF FASHION.]—A dress of Chinese green gros de Naples, the corsage is square and draped horizontally in front of the bust. The blond lace chemisette rises above it. Long sleeves of gaze de Paris over short green ones. The mancherons are blond lace. The trimming of the skirt consists of nœuds formed of the material of the dress, and corded with satin. They surmount the hem at regular distances. Blond lace cap trimmed with province roses, and coques of rose-colored gauze ribbon. White and green gauze scarf.

EVENING DRESS.
A dress of white tulle over satin, corsage croisée, trimmed round the back and shoulders with a superb fall of blond lace. Béret sleeves. The skirt is trimmed with a wreath of green and rose-colored ribbon, cut in the form of rose leaves; it is drawn up a good deal on the left side of the skirt, and terminates in a bouquet of roses. The hair is dressed in bands, intermingled with a silver bandeau on the forehead, high bows, and a plaited braid behind. A chaperon of roses surrounds the bows. Diamond necklace, &c. &c.

HEAD DRESSES.
Fig. 1.—A blond lace béret, ornamented with aigrettes, composed of ears of green and ripe corn, and a band and nœud of green ribbon. The jewellery is gold and emeralds.
Fig. 2.—A back view of the evening dress béret.

From The Atheneum or Spirit of the English magazines. PUBLISHED BY KANE & CO.  OVER 184 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON.  Clapp and Hull, Printers.  Corner of Washington and Franklin Streets, Boston.