Romantic Era Fashion chit Chat - July 1823 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Romantic Era Fashion chit Chat - July 1823 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Dress Spencer - A spencer of pink gros de Naples; the bust is beautifully braided with satin rouleaux, as small as can possibly be made, forming various kinds of flowers; a cape epaulette, consisting of three straps, braided, to correspond with the bust; the collar is cut with square corners, and stands erect with an elegant square-cornered lace frill, to fill up the vacancy in the front. This spencer has been greatly admired for its elegance and simplicity.

In addition to the preceding, we have likewise the pleasure of presenting to our fair readers the following new and tasteful dresses, for which we are indebted to Mrs. Blundell, of the Crescent, New Bridge-Street, Blackfriars.

Morning Dress - composed of jaconaut muslin, made high, to open behind, and let in with a handsome trimming, up the fronts, continuing over the shoulders, and down the back; trimmed at the edge with a broad scollop-work, which forms the epaulette; it is made without a collar, and finished with a full ruff, to fasten with a riband behind. The bottom of the skirt is ornamented witha rich embroidery, surmounted by a flounce of broad trimming, to correspond.

Walking Dress - The prevailing colors for lutestring walking dresses, are, the celestial blue, French olive, and flamme de ponche; those dresses are made high, and ornamented in a most tasteful manner in the front, with puffings of satin, of the same color; they are continued down the front of the skirt in the form of robes, and finished with an elegant trimming of lutestring and satin; the epaulettes and collar are embroidered round to correspond with the body, and the cuffs the same.

Evening Dress - Composed of pink tulle, worn over a white satin slip; ornamented round the bottom with a trimming of gauze and satin in a wave; each vacancy is filled with white roses encircled with gauze; the body is made low, and of white satin trimmed with pink; the front forming a stomacher of points trimmed with pink satin and blond: the sleeves are cut in points to correspond, and a broad blond to fall over the neck and shoulders and round the arms. Head-dress, of white roses intermixed with pink gauze, Pink satin shoes, and white kid gloves.

General Monthly Statement of Fashion
The unusual coldness of the weather throughout the whole of last month, has caused no material alteration to take place in the dresses of our fair countrywomen, since our last report. The spencers and pelisses worn for the promenade, are of Gros de Naples, and are very slightly trimmed in the chevron style. The spencers are made with a French collar, and the mancherons are shaped like a half-melon; the bust is trimmed across with rouleaux of satin entwined with narrow beading; these rouleaux supply the place of brandenburghs.

The Robinette hat is the last novelty that has been introduced. Artificial flowers are now more worn on hats and bonnets than feathers; some beautiful white crape hats have been seen in carriages, with a light and simple wreath of flowers round the crown; many straw and chip bonnets are trimmed at the edges with two rows of gossamer gauze, laid on in bias, the same as were so prevalent last autumn. The open straw bonnets are now become very general; some of them are of the most beautiful workmanship, and display a variety of elegant patterns.

Great diversity is likewise exhibited in the trimming of gowns; we would recommend our fair countrywomen to continue throughout the summer the very light and appropriate trimmings now so much the prevailing fashion. Colored muslins, either plain or beautifully printed, seem more in favor for morning dresses than white; though the latter is partially worn, and will always be a favorite. The trimmings on these gowns consist of rows of triple flounces, very narrow, falling over each other, and placed at equal distances; the mancherons on the sleeves, consisting of plaitings to correspond with the skirt, and the body made in the drawn frock style, confined across by bands of embroidered muslin. Trimmings on silk gowns, which are much in favor for half-dress, are formed of rouleaux, rosettes, wheat-sheaves, representations of sea-weed, and festooned flounces of gauze or Italian crape; the bust, if the dress is made high, is ornamented en chevrons.

The hair in full dress is much elevated on the crown of the head; rainbow-gauze drawn through the hair, and a splendid diadem comb, placed backward, is much admired for an evening party head-dress. Dress hats of colored gauze, surmounted by plumes of white marabouts, tipped with the color of the hat. Colored gauze Spanish hats are the most distinguished head-dresses for the Opera. The cornettes for morning dress are of fine lace, and as to shape, are chaste, simple, and becoming.

The favorite colors for spencers and pelisses are pink, silver-grey, slate, purple, and mignonette leaf-green.