Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - January 1823 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - January 1823 Ladies' Monthly Museum

General Monthly Statement of Fashion

Winter having now made its appearance in all its severity, as far as regards intense cold, velvet is in great request, both for carriage and promenade dresses. One of the most novel pelisses that we have seen is composed of puce-colored velvet, and lined with sarsnet of the same color; the waist is of the usual length, and the body tight to the shape; the skirt is very full and much gored; the trimming is of fancy velvet and cord, it goes all round the pelisse, and forms the collar, which is unusually high. The long sleeve is finished to correspond, but the trimming is much narrower. The epaulette is very full, and is composed of three folds. The pelisse closes in front, but fastens on the inside. The above is one of the most elegant walking dresses that we have met with, and is extremely well adapted to the season.

Angola shawls are now greatly in favor; they are generally of a very large size, and are not worn over pelisses, but with silk, poplin, or Merino gowns. It is only the beautiful silky kind of Angola shawl that is in so much estimation. Chinchilla and sable muffs are now very general.

Bonnets of brown beaver, with uncurled feathers, very long and full, are greatly in vogue; a wrought silk band, to correspond in color, goes round the bottom of the crown, fastened with a beautifully polished steel buckle. Black velvet bonnets are, however, more generally in favor than any other kind for plain walking dresses.

Levantine, poplin, and Merino, have entirely supplanted muslin in morning dresses. The last mentioned article is now brought to great perfection in this country, and may vie with the boasted Merino of France. We have seen a beautiful morning dress composed of this material; it is of a dark chesnut color, made half-high, and fastened behind; the body is ornamented in front with a kind of trimming composed of curled pluche de soie; the back is plain and finished round the neck with pluche; the sleeve is long and fits tight to the arm; full epaulette, confined by bands of pluche. The trimming at the bottom of the skirt is similar to the epaulette; it is rather broad, and the dress is altogether of a very novel and striking description.

Caps are greatly in favor, both in morning and half-dresses. In the former are turbans composed of English lace; they are made with small ears and full narrow borders, and are generally ornamented with riband. Demi-turbans are more in favor in half-dress; they are worn in lace, blond, and gauze; but lace appears the favorite. These caps are always ornamented with small bouquets or half-wreaths of flowers: roses, jessamines, mignionette, and various other flowers, are much worn. The cap is fastened under the chin by a full bow of riband, to correspond in color with the flowers.

The most prevailing colors are rose, pink, purple, scarlet, crimson, and dark brown.

In addition to the above, we have been furnished with the following description of several new, tasteful, and elegant dresses, by our much valued correspondent, Mrs. Blundell, of Ludgate-street:

Walking Dress - The most fashionable walking dress is a french cloak with arm holes, composed of black levantine, wadded and lined throughout with pink or amber, worn over an olive-green lute-string dress: the long sleeves rather tight to the arm. The bottom of the dress is in the form of a bell trimming in lute-string. The bonnet is of black levantine, lined with the same material, and black feathers to droop.

Morning Dress - The most elegant and fashionable evening dress is a white figured gauze, with a fulness of gauze at bottom; confined with small bunches of French roses, worn over a pale pink lutestring slip; the body trimmed with blond and pink satin, the sleeves full and intermixed with roses, and a long pink lutestring sash.

Head-dress - The head-dress is composed of white feathers, fastened with a pearl ornament.

The Parisian Toilet
The promenade dresses for this month are of three descriptions: Merino gown, worn with Cachemire shawls; redingotes, either of silk or Merino, also worn with Cachemire shawls, or fur tippets; and silk dresses, which are indiscriminately worn over Merino or levantine robes.

The most fashionable colors for Merino dresses are lavender, ponceau, London-smoke, fawn-color, and Egyptian brown. The waists continue of the same length; collars are very high, and the sleeves tight. Merino gowns are trimmed in different ways, some have five or six narrow flounces, edged with riband or velvet, of a different color from the gown; the top flounce is usually headed with a rich cord or plaited silk band; others again have velvet bands of different breadths, from three to five in number.

Pelisses are in general of silk and velvet; the former are lined and wadded: they are trimmed either with velvet or fur, but most generally with the latter. A few ladies of the first fashion have revived a pelisse which was much admired last winter; it is composed of rich silk, lined and trimmed with ermine. Black velvet pelisses are, as usual at this season of the year, much in favor; they are mostly lined with cherry-colored silk. With these pelisses are worn muffs of sable, Chinchilla, or ermine; with long tippets to correspond.

Black velvet bonnets continue to be generally worn; the most fashionable lining is of cherry-colored and rose-pink satin; white is partially worn. Many bonnets are trimmed with the material of which they are made, disposed in knots; there are generally three in front of the crown. Others are trimmed with ostrch or marabout feathers. Black bonnets may be worn with any dress, as may also rose-colored hats; but if the chapeau be not of either of these hues, it must correspond with the dress.

The hair is worn in thick full curls, so as nearly to conceal the forehead; the hind hair begins to be worn rather higher, and is arranged in full bows interspersed with bands. The favorite colors are ponceau, purple, fumee de Londres, or London-smoke, cherry, and rose-color.