Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - December 1823 Ackerman's Repository

Romantic Era Fashion Chit Chat - December 1823 Ackerman's Repository

General Observations of Fashion and Dress

The actual state of promenade dress at this moment offers little either for observation or description, nor can we expect it should afford us much room for either before next month, that being the period in which the London winter may properly be said to begin.

Fancy and taste are, however, busily employed in preparing winter novelties, several of which have been submitted to our inspection; and from these we select what we consider most worthy of the attention of our fair readers.

One of the most striking is a crimson velvet pelisse: it is wadded, and lined with crimson sarsnet: the waist is somewhat longer than last month; the collar, standing out from the throat, but not high, falls a little over, and the long sleeve sits close to the arm. A full rouleau of stin to correspond is disposed in waves up the front and round the bottom; and in the hollow of each wave is placed a branch of trefoil, composed of a mixture of satin and chenille. Full epaulette, ornamented with trefoil, disposed irregularly among the fulness: the bottom of the long sleeve is also ornamented with a light wreath of trefoil.

A hat and spencer of dark green velvet are also remarkable for their novelty and elegance. The bust of the spencer is ornamented with a wreath of vine-leaves in satin, two shades lighter than the spencer: the half-sleeve, made very full, is fancifully ornamented with vine-leaves, which fall over the point of the shoulder. Low collar, finished at the edge by three narrow satin cords: the bottom of the long sleeve is ornamented to correspond. The spencer fastens behind by silk buttons; and the ceinture, which is composed of intermingled silk and velvet folds, is clasped by a gold or steel buckle.

The crown of the hat is of the melon form, but low; the brim is shallow, of the same depth all round, but turned up in front, where it is slashed in three places; the slashes are filled with blond, and finished round the edge by a narrow piping of white satin, of which material the lining is composed. A very full plume of white ostrich feathers, tipped with green, falls over to the left side: the strings are of that rich ribbon called by the French ruban des plumes.

A morning carriage bonnet, composed of intermingled black velvet and satin, is remarkable for its elegance. The crown is low; the velvet and satin are disposed on it in the lozenge style; the inside of the brim is covered with broad black blond lace, arranged in flutings, and the edge is scolloped so as to suffer these flutings to be partially seen: seven or eight marabout plumes, of different sizes, are disposed in front of the crown, so as to form a very graceful ornament; and black blond lappets, edged with a narrow lace, tie under the chin.

We have seen some dinner dresses of bourre de soie, trimmed with an intermixture of satin and pluche de soie. One of the prettiest of these was a bright scarlet, the body made a la vierge. The centre of the bust was ornamented with rouleaus of pluche de soie, which formed a fan; the bust was cut square, and ornamented by a narrow twisted rouleau of intermingled pluche and satin. Short full sleeve, finished at the bottom with a rouleau similar to that of the bust. The trimming of the skirt consists of a fulness of satin, interspersed with ornaments similar to those in the centre of the bust. This style of trimming is striking, but would look better in lighter materials.

Toques, turbans, and dress caps are expected to be very general in full dress; and the two former very much in the French style; that is to say, ornamented with plumes of at least two different colours.

Fashionable colours are crimson, bright scarlet, lavender, chesnut-brown, dark green, violet, ponceau, rose, and azure.