Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - February 1821 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - February 1821 Ladies' Monthly Museum

General Monthly Statement of Fashion

At this season of the year, when the weather fluctuates from mild to cold, and vice versa, as it does continually from the latter end of January to the conclusion of February, fashion may be said to have a two-fold appearance; thus one week we see her votaries in the gay spring pelisse, and the next in the warm cachemire, trimmed with costly fur, and the delicate fingers seeking warmth in the muff of squirrel, Siberian fox, fitch, or sable.

The winter pelisses are chiefly of cachemire, of a light colour, lined with bright pink satin, and trimmed with a broad border of grey squirrel-skin; this elegant pelisse, generally of a cream-colour, is fastened down the front with pink bows, and has a high French collar. Another winter pelisse is of gros de Naples, and of a dark, changeable colour, approaching to the plum, but rather lighter; this is lined with white, with a broad fur at the border of the black squirrel, and is fastened with bows down the front, of a colour to suit the pelisse. Spensers, of almost every kind, and of every material, are in high favour; the colour mostly admired is Regina blue, and which is generally trimmed with swansdown, or with blue plush silk.

Black velvet bonnets for the morning lounge, are much in favour; they are lined with white satin satin, with a curtain edge of fine lace, and a profuse plume of black curled feathers. Swansdown is a favourite trimming on bonnets; a few beaver hats have made their appearance for the promenade, but they are by no means general; they are mostly black: but when a pelisse, or spencer, is of coloured silk, or velvet, the bonnet is usually made of the same material to correspond. The brims of the plain walking bonnets still continue very large, and the crowns low. Coloured feathers, and in profusion, are worn on black carriage hats; the favourite material for which, either in white or black, is the Lapland-iced moss.

Pearl-coloured cachemire dresses made partially high, with the top of the sleeve trimmed, en bourrelet, with satin, are much worn at dinner-parties; as are figured poplins of a bright crimson, with white satin stomacher and sleeves: and gros de Naples dresses of lavender-grey, trimmed with swansdown, are also much in requisition for such occasions, especially when the party consists of friends and intimate acqaintance. Gowns of twilled sarsnet, trimmed round the border with rouleaux of the same material, set on very full, have a beautiful and novel effect; the shade formed by this manner of placing the rouleaux is admirable, especially when they are of satin. Merino crape, and coloured bombasins, are much worn for undress; they are finished by three narrow flounces of the same material as the dress, in small plaits.

We shall first mention in the article of head-dresses, the Catharine Parr head-dress; and which, we doubt not, though we have seen it in more than one magazin de modes, was taken from the engraving in our last number, and to which we refer our fair readers. It is of black, or crimson velvet, richly adorned with very large pearls; it proves how little the dames of old were given to the caprices of fashion; for it is the exact shape of one worn by Anna Boleyn, several years before. The cornettes for undress are made in this shape; dress toques are ornamented with gold cordon, and loops of the same.