Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - July 1830 Ladies' Pocket Magazine

Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - July 1830 Ladies' Pocket Magazine

Parisian Fashions

Promenade Dress - A gown of grey gros de Naples; corsage uni: sleeve excessively wide from the shoulder to a little below the elbow, and from thence to the wrist, tight enough to show the shape of the arm: the skirt is not quite so wide as they have lately been worn. Conezon of tulle made en schall; the lappels turn back in a point; the back part of the canezon is also cut in deep points, as are the sides, which are very deep, and open on the shoulders. A still deeper point is attached beneath them on the shoulder of the canezon, and the three form an extremely novel and pretty epaulette; they, as well as the shawl part of the dress, are richly embroidered. Bonnet of white gros de Naples lined with pink; the crown is low, and the brim is very deep; the trimming is a rose colored gauze ribbon, brought round the crown, crossed in front, and tied under the chin; a noeud of ribbon is placed in the centre of the back of the crown at the bottom. Manchettes of tulle pointed and embroidered. Half boots of dust colored gros des Indes. Parasol of a large size.

Dinner Dress - An India muslin gown, corsage a la chemisette; it has a little fulness, is cut rather low behind, and on the shoulders, but rises in front so as delicately to shade the bosom; it is embroidered in a light pattern round the top. Sleeve a l' Imbecille, of a very large size, and most beautifully embroidered, as is also the skirt; branches of foliage are scattered irregularly from the bottom to the knee, where they are surmounted by a border in a most striking pattern. The hat is of rice straw, trimmed with noeuds of blue and white gauze ribbon under the brim; toques of ribbon and two ostrich fethers, white tipped with blue, adorn the crown; the feathers are so placed that one stands up in front of the crown, the other droops over it on the left side. Ceinture of Canary yellow gauze ribbon, terminating in a noeud in front. Gauze scarf, one half canary yellow, the other blue; the ends of the scarf are very richly woven in foliage of the same color; it is finished with a deep fringe. A band of ribbon and a noeud ornaments the wrist instead of a bracelet. Pearl earrings.

Cursory Remarks on the last French Fashions

Muslins, ginghams, and unbleached cambrics, are the materials most in favor for promenade dress. Gowns are, comparatively speaking, but little worn, the ridingote form being so generally adopted. These dresses are made extremely plain in general, except for half dress. The chemisettes worn for the promenade are of fine cambric, with collars, and sometimes frills like a man's shirt. A light scarf, or embroidered cravat, is tied loosely at the throat.

Hats and bonnets are both fashionable; the latter are most generally adopted in the morning. They are of the capote form; some have both the brim and crown drawn; others have a plain crown and drawn brim. Crape, silk, and colored ribbons, sewed together, are favorite materials for these bonnets. There are also a good many of the same shape composed of rice straw, of cotton straw, and of fancy straw: these last have the brims somewhat smaller than those that are made full; they are lined with silk, and trimmed with ribbon to correspond.

Bonnets resembling the English cottage bonnet, but not quite so close, begin to be a good deal in favor; they are less trimmed than the others.

The most novel hats have low crowns and wide, but not very deep brims: they are very much trimmed; the trimmings continue to be a mixture of flowers and ribbons; the latter are now uncomonly beautiful, and of great breadth and richness. Plaid ribbons with a plaid edge, are in much request; striped, spotted, and figured ribbons are also fashionable. The colors of the ribbons correspond to a certain degree with the hat, and the flowers that adorn it; as for instance, if the hat is of straw color, and trimmed with roses, the ribbons will be a mixture of straw color and rose. Gauze ribbons are the most in favor: we have noticed, however, within the last few days, some very rich silk ones, with figured stripes, which seem likely to be fashionable.

White and colored muslins and a variety of light fancy materials are worn both in half dress and dinner dress. Ridingotes are most in favor in the former, and nothing is considered more elegant than a dress of this kind, composed of clear white muslin, embroidered down the fronts in a wreath of foliage of various shades of green, and a ceinture of green and white striped ribbon tied in front in short bows and ends, which reach nearly to the bottom of the skirt.

We have seen also some ridingotes of plain gingham rose color, lilac, or blue, embroidered in white round the shawl part, and down the fronts; one of these ridingotes struck us as being exceedingly pretty, it is a rose colored gingham, the corsage is made in the style of a gentleman's coat, but the lappels turn very back so as to display the chemisette a good deal; the back of the dress is arranged in interwoven folds; the sleeves are very wide with a tight and rather deep cuff, composed of interwoven folds to correspond with the back; the trimming is a wreath of lilies embroidered round the corsage, and down the fronts.

When gowns are worn in half dress, they have always a corsage of a three-quarter height with a horizontal drapery on the front of the bust, and sleeves a la Medicis, or a ;' Imbecille. The skirts of dresses are now scarcely ever trimmed, except for balls, and even then we see a greater number of gowns untrimmed than trimmed at the bottom.

Tulle and different kinds of silk are worn in full dress; tulle dresses are always worn over silk slips to correspond, and are frequently embroidered; but the embroidery is either in different colors, or if it is in one color only, it contrasts very strongly with that of the dress. The most novel, as well as the most elegant, gowns of this description, are of white tulle embroidered in feather-stitch, either in wreaths or bouquets of roses, auriculas, camelias, or fruit blossoms. We have seen also some dresses embroidered in bouquets of lilac, at regular distances, and drooping a little to one side; this last style of trimming is remarkably elegant.

Many ladies wear, even in full dress, pelerines of blond lace, which fall excessively low on the shoulders, but do not come quite up to the throat. Some fasten with a brilliant brooch, others have gold or diamond buttons.

We do not remember a season in which there was so much variety and elegance displayed in hair dressing, as at present; generally speaking, the hair is dressed high, but by no means preposterously so. The front hair is arranged either in bands or in light or heavy curls to suit the taste, or the countenance of the lady. If flowers are used to ornament the coiffure, there are sometimes three bouquets, one placed at the back of the head, and one at each side, or else a few flowers are placed among the curls on the left temple, and a branch of liac, or a bouquet of flowers inserted among the bows at the back of the head, near the right side. A bandeau of pearls brought low on the forehead, and small bouquets of flowers scattered irregularly among the bows of hair behind, is a very favorite style of coiffure.

Gauze is also much used to ornament head-dresses of hair, it is arranged in bows, which are intermingled with those of the hair, and forms a voluminous but rather graceful coiffure.

Fashionable colors are the same as last month, with the addition of flamme de ponche, and different shades of grey.

Paris has been unusually gay during this last month in consequence of the presence of their Sicilian Majesties, the parents of the Duchess of Berry. Many grand entertainments have been given to the illustrious strangers by their royal relatives. Nothing could exceed the brilliancy of these fetes, but the dresses of the ladies offered nothing remarkable beyond a great display of jewels. The materials of the gowns were, as usual on grand occasions, gold and silver gauzes, tissues, lamas, &c., &c. A few ladies, but very few, had blond mantillas. It was noticed that several women of distinguished rank appeared in plain dresses, but with coiffures of extraordinary magnificence. Head-dresses of hair were not in so much favor as turbans, dress hats, &c., &c. Where the head-dress was of hair, it was ornamented either with feathers and diamonds, or with flowers intermingled with jewelled combs; the latter predominated. It has been remarked, as something singular, that neither the make of dresses, nor the arrangement of head-dresses at any of these splendid reunions, presented any actual novelty.