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

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

General Monthly Statement of Fashion

The robe of Fashion is always so motley, that it is almost impossible to describe it accurately, or to pronounce any part of it permanent. The weather has been, however, as changeful as the deity herself; the silk pelisse, or close buttoned spencer, is therefore often succeeded by the black lace scarf-shawl, and vice versa.

Bonnets of Leghorn are again in favor; they are generally crowned with a superb half wreath of full-blown roses. For the carriage we have observed a hat of a new kind of fancy straw, placed on one side, with a full-blown damask-rose, on the uncovered side of the hair, underneath the hat, which is ornamented in front with a full plume of down feathers. Long white lace veils are also worn in carriage airing, over a cornette of blond, with a colored satin crown. The bonnets for walking still continue large, and are low in the crown; they are generally ornamented with flowers most in season. A bonnet also of plain sarsnet, very simply trimmed with riband, is also much admired on account of its elegant neatness for the morning promenade; it has a trimming of folded puffing of gauze at the edge.

Cambric dresses, with two narrow flounces at the hem, richly embroidered, and a broad border above, formed of fine letting-in lace, with narrow quillings to answer the flounces, placed in zig-zag, is a novel kind of white dress, that is universally admired. The full part, at the top of the long sleeves, called the mancherons, are ornamented to correspond with the border. Chintzes, with three flounces pointed, are much worn for morning home costume, as are muslins striped in colors; and plain sarsnets, with India mulins richly embroidered or trimmed with lace, are most in requisition for half-dress. Indeed, fine book mulins are made up in evening-dresses, with satin bodices, more than any other article, while gauze, crape, and net, are confined now to the ball-room.

For home-dress, mobs of fine blond, and net with a half wreath, in front, of pomegranite blossoms, or damask-roses, are the favorite head-dresses. Those for the morning dishabille are of fine net and blond, ornamented in various ways, with colored satin ribands. The evening coiffure consists of a new kind of turban, in the form of that in our engraving. These turbans are chiefly white; but some are blue, or pink, and, instead of roses on each side, they have one spiral ornament of flowers, or jewels, according to the style of dress or ceremony of the party visited. For full-dress, white satin toque-turbans with superb plumes of white feathers are much esteemed. Where there was not a great display of pearls, diamonds, or other valuable jewels, this head-dress prevailed much at the last drawing-room; though some ladies wore their head-dresses of silver lama to correspond with their dresses. The diamonds worn at the drawing-room were superbly set in ears of corn, jessamine, and other flowers, and formed into diadems.

The most fashionable jewellery for half-dress is coral; and the favorite colors, sea-green, Egyptian-sand, peach, and celestial blue.