Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - June 1825 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - June 1825 Ladies' Monthly Museum

General Monthly Statement of Fashion

The morning and home dresses are now chiefly composed of fine chintz, or delicately printed muslin, beautifully checkered on a ground of some chaste and light summer colour: at each corner of the checkers are branches of sea-weed fibres, of a deep red colour. Dresses of gros de Naples, for half-costume, are greatly admired. The favourite colour, is Parma violet. The dresses are made partially high; and round the bust are points, each divided by a handsome tassel; in the front of the bust is an ornament resembling a bias fold; down the centre of which is a row of small buttons, and, on each side are two Brandenburgh ornaments, spreading out, at each end, next the arms, in fleurs de lis. The sleeves are finished on the outside, from the shoulders to the wrist, in small plaited rouleaux; and the border of the dress has two rows of puffing, each surmounted by points and tassels to correspond with the trimming round the neck. The greatest novelty in silk dresses, is the shagreen rose-coloured silk, being a kind of rich gros de Naples, powdered over with extremely small spots. In dresses of this material, the front ornament, down the skirt, is formed of satin, of the same colour as the dress, in alternate stripes across, on which are ornaments of blond. The border is trimmed in the same tasteful manner: a broad flat rouleau, in bias, conceals the hem at the border. The sleeves are long, and the cuffs trimmed to correspond.

Pelisses of gros de Naples are most in favour: those of rose colour, or violet, are much admired for the carriage and a bright purple and sapphire-blue for the promenade. The back and front of these pelisses are very full, and confined on the shoulder by a double row of buttons, on a folded strap of gros de Naples. Down the front of the skirt is a folded strap, and buttons, which are continued round the border, and brought in a sloping direction up the sides to meet the waist. The sleeves are confined tight to the wrist, and are cut very full from the elbow to the top of the arm. The collar is square, and stands off from the neck with a full ruff of Urling's patent lace. The waist is confined by a broad sash of gros de Naples, and a gold buckle at the left side.

Leghorn hats are generally worn: the trimming consists of a broad sea-weed riband, fastened at the side with a simple bow, the ends of which are fringed a quarter of a yard in depth, and fall over the shoulder.

Drawn bonnets, of gros de Naples, are much in favour for carriage or full dress: they have no trimming, but have a simple quilling at the edge, and are tied, under the chin, with broad strings of the same material.

A carriage bonnet of satin, of peach-blossom colour, is much admired; it has a broad white blond falling over the face at the edge of the brim; the crown is ornamented with branches of lilacs.

We have been much pleased with an elegant dinner-party dress of crepe lisse, worn over a slip of apple-blossom satin; the border was trimmed with treble rouleaux of satin, in the vandyke style, meeting each other, confined by large satin bows: short, full sleeves, trimmed to correspond, and a rich white blond lace round the arm. The body was plain, with a broad blond of the same pattern, quilled in the middle, round the bust.

A new head-dress, called the turban-cap, is greatly admired for half-dress; it is formed of tulle and white satin rouleaux, which compose the Circassian turban next the face, with full-blown eastern roses, falling gracefully over each side; handsome lappets, trimmed with blond, depend from the sides; the whole forming a very beautiful head-dress. The mantelet cap for the theatre, is very elegant; it is of white gauze, the front ornamented with fichu points, bound with white satin, among which are interspersed full-blown summer roses.

The newest opera hat is of light blue crape, ornamented with stripes of white satin, in bias, and crowned with white feathers.

The most fashionable colours are, pink, Parma violet, peach-blossom, and Egyptian brown.

The Parisian Toilet

At the theatre and in the promenades are seen a great many white hats, composed of tissue, or rice straw, which have two parallel ornaments, viz. on the left, a bouquet of cockades, and on the right, a riband depending from the crown to the edge of the hat. The trimming of some Leghorn hats consists of five long white feathers, two of which stand erect, and the other three gracefully falling over the front of the bonnet. Some toques, composed of blond and satin rouleaux, are trimmed with marabouts, or plumes, curled, and intermixed with roses.

To many robes of Chinese crape, are adapted sleeves of Chinese tulle. Redingotes, called peignoirs, are much worn; they are of muslin, which is doubled in taffetas, and bordered with small lace, puckered. These peignoirs have a flat back in bias, confined by means of five rosettes of muslin, bordered with lace.

Dresses of clouded muslin, and of barege, with long sleeves of tulle, or blond, are very prevalent at the theatres. The greater part of these dresses have the corsage in form of a sheaf, or crossed, forming three folds, on each side, behind as well as before.

The most prevailing colours - are violet, lilac, walnut-color, blue, and ruby.