Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - March 1837 Ladies' Pocket Magazine

Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - March 1837 Ladies' Pocket Magazine

Remarks on the Prevailing London Fashions

Walking dress affords us no observations whatever this month; how indeed could we expect that ladies, whose costume would be sufficiently elegant to render a description of it acceptable to our fair readers, would venture out in such dreadfully inclement weather. Carriage dress affords some variety, and we shall select from it what we consider most worthy of the attention of our lovely subscribers.

Several large square satin shawls have appeared, they are of a large size, lined, wadded, and trimmed round with a broad band of sable. They are always of dark or full colours, and are worn either with robes or pelisses. Satin continues in favour for both, but the most novel of the latter are of pou de soie, with the back and front of the corsage ornamented with plaits at the sides, and tight sleeves trimmed with mancherons of a triple row, but with very little fulness, and arched in the centre. Where a shawl trimmed with fur is adopted, the border of the robe, or the pelisse, is frequently of fur to correspond. Mantelets continue in request both with robes and pelisses; they are always composed either of black velvet or taffetas, but the former are preferred. The majority are trimmed with sable. A few, but very few, are bordered with black lace.

Velvet, and rep velvet, continue to be employed exclusively for carriage hats and bonnets; we see scarcely any satin ones, and none of any kind of silk: the few satin ones that appear are of the drawn kind, and are only adopted in complete neglige; they are trimmed next the face with a very full ruche of blond, which is looped back at each temple by a small knot of ribbon, always of a light colour. Half dress bonnets are trimmed either with a bouquet of ostrich feathers of different lengths, or else a single long, curled ostrich feather, placed on the right side, and drooping over to the left; knots of ribbon complete the trimming, the latter is always the colour of the bonnet, but the feather may be either white only, or white tipped with the hue of the head-dress.

Rich silks, those of the damasked and brocaded kind, such as we have so often described, continue in request in evening dress, except for balls, for which crape, gauze, tulle illusion, and white satin are employed. The skirts of dresses continue to be worn very wide and long; even those of ball dresses are longer than we have ever observed them. Corsages are all cut low, some disposed in folds in the coeur stile; others are made tight to the shape, but trimmed with a lappel which forms a fichu a la paysanne before, and is retained in the centre of the bosom by a mosaic brooch, or one of precious stones. Sleeves vary exceedingly, but in the midst of the different forms that they exhibit, we cannot quote any actual novelty, nor indeed can we expect, so near the spring fashions, that any such should appear. We must, however, observe, that tight sleeves, which it was expected would become general, are very rarely seen, for although some are made so, they are always covered with trimmings, of one kind or another, that disguises their tightness, and renders them more becoming than the immense berets that preceded them.

Our readers will recollect that we predicted that trimmings would be in favour, that prediction is accomplished in its fullest extent; marabous, flowers, ostrich feathers, velvet, and beads are all employed in trimmings, and as they may be arranged in any form according to the taste of the dress-maker, they offer a greater degree of variety than we ever recollect. Some of the most remarkable trimmings are of flowers arranged in detached bouquets in the drapery stile, down one side of the dress, and turning back partially round the border, leaving the front of it untrimmed. Another very pretty stile consists of flowers disposed en tablier, but attached in such a manner as to form a bouillon down each side of the skirt. Feathers are disposed generally in detached bouquets at the bottom of the dress, and if they are of the marabou kind, a wreath formed of their down frequently ornaments the corsage; velvet is disposed in points, bands, or dents de Scie: and beads are employed either in rows forming a cordon of six or eight together, with knots of ribbon or bouquets of flowers placed on them at regular distances; or else they are arranged in waves, each finished by a gold ornament, or one of precious stones.

Turbans are decidedly the favourite coiffure in evening dress; crape, gaze lisse, cashmere, velvet, and rep velvet are all employed to form turbans. Gold, precious stones, and pearls are mingled with those materials, and in a degree of profusion which often spoils their effect, particularly when they are employed with velvet, which, though it is at present a good deal in favour, is, in our opinion, a material unfit for turbans, for it is too heavy to dispose in folds, if, however, it is adopted, it should be decorated with peculiar lightness; a single ostrich feather, with a brilliant ornament at the base, has a good effect. A bouquet of marabous placed far back, and waving in front over the summit of the turban, is, perhaps, still better, but gold bands, tassels, chains, in short any stile of decoration that is heavy, is in very bad taste. Small dress hats are next in favour to turbans; they are composed only of velvet, or rep velvet; an exceedingly pretty one has just appeared in the former, with the brim descending a little on one side, and turned up on the other; it is trimmed with a bird-of-paradise. Fashionable colours for neglige are generally of a dark kind, brown, puce, dark green, and violet. Pale pink, light blue, and straw are adopted in evening dress.