GRAND COSTUME, OF RECEPTION DRESS.
Grecian robe of pink satin, with white facings down the skirt, ornamented with silver frivolite bouillon, and superb silver tassels; round the border of the robe, a rich bouillon of silver frivolite covers the hem, and is surmounted by a row of white marabout feather trimming, the plumes separate and upright. The petticoat is of white tulle, with four rows of puckering of the same material; the puckers confined by diamond work of silver frivolite. The corsage is of the same material as the robe, and is an improvement on the Gallo-Greek style; the antique robings being formed of rouleaux of pink satin and blond; sleeves to correspond. Hans Holbein toque of white satin and blond, studded with silver, and surmounted by a rich plume of ostrich feathers in different directions. Earrings, necklace, and bracelets of diamonds.
SPANISH BALL DRESS.
An Asturias robe of transparent net, faced with cerulean blue, the sides of the robe embroidered in floss silk, or applique, with white regal ornaments a la Bourbon – bows terminated with silver aiguillettes, fasten the robe in front; a rich white satin petticoat trimmed round with a ruche of tulle. The body of the robe is tastefully arranged with a rich Vandyke blond-lace, which terminates at the waist. Sleeves of tulle made tight to the arm, surmounted by a short sleeve of blue and white satin in Moorish indentings – sleeves slashed round the arm with blue satin, and Spanish satin cuffs. An Andalusian toque composed of blue satin and white tulle corded with silver, and a silver net, forming one side of the head-dress; ostrich feathers, a l’Espagnole — sandal slippers of white satin.
PREVAILING FASHIONS THE LATTER END OF MAY, AND THOSE IN PREPARATION FOR JUNE, 1824
In addition to our numerous resources, we have been indulged with the inspection of several very elegant articles of female attire, by one of the most approved Marchande de Modes at the Court end of the town, whose taste has long been regarded by the greater part of the nobility and gentry, as the criterion of fashion, and classic elegance.
The small Parisian mob or cornette, either of fine lace or blond, according to the time of day, yet reigns the favourite head dress for in-door costume. These little tasteful coeffures are remarkable for the beautiful flowers with which they are surmounted; the half wreaths are composed of the most choice species of the frutrix, the single holly-oak blossom, and the small Guelder rose: when the queen of the parterre, the rich Provence rose is in the wreath, there are seldom any other kind of flowers, and the damask rose has only its deep tints relieved by sprigs of Portugal laurel, clematis, jessamine, or myrtle blossoms.
The turbans for evening dress are very costly; one in particular, light as well as rich, excites universal admiration: it is of tulle, ornamented all over in treillage work of narrow white satin on which is a row of … puffing, en coquilles, of white satin, forms … edged with ruby-colour, and in the centre, over head, is a large star, formed of Glauvina pins. … turban, of the coronet kind, is elegantly chaste; … entirely of white satin, profusely trimmed with pearls … the coronet part, depend pear pearls, of immens … a plume of short Marabout feathers, plays above; any long plumage would obscure the intrinsic appeal of a head-dress that can only be worn by a lady of great wealth or high rank. The most superb of them we have yet seen, has just been finished for a lady, of the latter description it is of peach-coloured tulle, with satin ornaments in stripes, underneath, adorned with pearls a l’antique; in order to display these ornaments the hat stands off very much from the face; the crown profusely scattered over with pearls and superb … white ostrich feathers, with a small plume of … at their base, finish this magnificent, and novel head dress.
Fancy, ever on the alert to bring out something new, produced a very curious and whimsical head-dress, which, nevertheless, wears on its form the stamp of high … to a pretty face, and where there is to be found … distinguee, indicative of true style, it can only be becoming. It has the appearance of a triple hat toque, the … of pale pink satin, turned up and down in various ways and united, in a manner, by a transparent caul of tulle: about and underneath the carious little … white Marabout feathers; these are lightly and … disposed, and the whole forms a unique and … head-dress for the opera.
A dress of coloured Chinese crape, of a dark … seems much in favour with ladys of rank, either as … costume, or a carriage out-door dress. It is made … high, is faced down the front with satin the … robe, and Brandenburghs, with splendid tassells … the bust, and are continued on each side of … down to the feet; a superb lace colerette finishes … throat. A dress of Canary yellow gros de Naples is much worn at social dinner parties; the body is … plain and simple, a la Vierge, and the sleeves … with but a slight fulness in the mancherons; the … enriched by a beautiful ornament of pluche de soie in bias stripes of two different colours, purple and … about two shades darker than the dress; the purple in a light colour, and that, rather of the …
Muslin and cambric petticoats, of the most exquisite embroidery, are now much in request, with pelisses in gros de Naples, either plain or figured; the latter prevail most in pelisses, but spencers, of the most … and novel kind, are chiefly of plain silks, and better for the elegant manner in which they are now ornamented. We shall only mention two we have seen, just … for ladies who rank high in fashionable life. … gros de Naples, the colour a beautiful pink; it is … at the bust, with numerous straps, entwined in each other, and forming a treillage work, that appears to stand out, distinct from the plain part; but it should be seen to be properly appreciated; the mancherons are finished in the same manner; and the trimming at the wrists corresponds, but more lightly and simply. The other spencer was of a fine and etherial blue; and the bust was ornamented with embossed vine leaves, wrought about with tendrills, in brocade embroidery, executed in the most exquisite manner.
The Indian or Japanese rose-red, for pelisses, was still in favour the latter end of May; becoming as it is to almost every complexion, it seems, however, ill-suited to the refulgency of a summer’s sun; it is still seen on very distinguished females, but will, no doubt, very soon be laid aside; the pelisses of gros de Naples, of this colour, are ornamneted with a representation of oriental foliage, worked in narrow rouleaux, across the bust and down each side in front, and give to this out-door envelope a truly classical appearance: the beautiful light and cheerful colours for summer, require but little trimming, and what they have, is extremely simple: the diversity of ornament seems most displayed across the bust and at the mancherons: the collars chiefly stand up and turn down again; but this rule is not without exception; some collars are broad, pointed perceptibly at each corner, and fall over the shoulders. The Cachemire shawls have no longer white grounds; the favourite colours for the ground-work are bright gold-colour, or olive green; the borders are finely variegated, and they are all of the square kind.
A favourite material for carriage bonnets is white tulle over stiffened net: one we find particularly elegant; it is ornamented with a full half-wreath of flowers, representing the Scotch thistle, and sprigs of Highland heath; and these delicate blossoms, as well as the thistles, are all made of feathers; to the flower of the thistle, this material gives a semblance that may be mistaken for nature. Figured gros de Naples bonnets are also much in request; they are of various colours, but when of pink, they are generally crowned with full bouquets of roses. A carriage dress-hat, for paying morning visits of ceremony, is of pink crepe lisse, with separate pink feathers of the Marabout playing beautifully over the front. Bonnets for morning exhibitions and the public promenades, are of gros de Naples; the favourite colour a light lavender-grey, lined with white; this bonnet is ornamented with blossoming branches of the mezereon.
We cannot forbear drawing the attention of the members of the fashionable world to the unrivalled excellency of the flowers made this season; art is so closely taught to imitate nature, that a superficial observer cannot distinguish them from the choicest treasures of the garden; they are formed of fine cambric, and some, where the texture and appearance of the flower will permit, are of feathers: there are flowers, that like a watch, require several different hands in their composition; the wealthy, therefore, by patronising this delightful art, while they adorn themselves with that ornament, the most appropriate to female beauty, are encouraging and aiding to support, the sons and daughters of ingenuity and industry.
The material chiefly admired for ball dresses, is of tulle with a broad border of fancy flowers, wrought in … beads: the corsages are light and generally … straps of white satin, edged with narrow rouleaux laid across the bust over tulle; blond ornamnet … added, and sometimes form the short sleeve, which is generally surmounted by a flower or trimming to … border on the skirt: where the ball is very splendid, … ladies in grande costume, the favourite trimming is … bullion, now called frivolite bouillon, from the novel manner in which it is twisted.
The colours most approved are pink, Canary yellow, lavender, and light lavender-grey.
PARISIAN FASHIONS FROM A VARIETY OF ORIGINAL AND AUTHENTIC SOURCES
“We have lost every thing, my dear friend,” said the youthful Emma, the moment I entered her dwelling last …day morning; “we have lost everything: except our nour.” — “To have invented the most graceful trimming for a dress, that could have appeared this spring,” replied … as I saw displayed, on a sofa, the pretty dress, intended to be figured away in at the Thuilleries, “and of which, we today, shall set the fashion; in effect, nothing can be more simple, nothing can be more elegant, although for these … first days, we have distinguished several dresses as remarkable for the brilliancy of their colours, as for their novelty. How much do robes of different colours, such as rose, blue, lilac, and yellow, predominate over white? But those colours are many of them shot; this pale lilac and iron-gray, become opal, and this seems the favourite trimming of the …. Canary yellow, with a slight tinge of pistachio, is called primrose. Ingenious effect of human skill! By the most innocent stratagems, the art is discovered of giving to former fashions all the charm of novelty.”
The corsage-blouse, (or drawn body,) is now formed of large flat plaits, which surrounding the waist, seem drawn together by the belt. The collars of pelisses are cut … points, and these points are edged with narrow fringe and puffed beading; at the front of the corsage are two or three flat plaits, which are carried down the length of the petticoat, leaving a space between them about two hadns in breadth; on each side of the last plait in front, are placed ribbons, of which are formed large bows, that are set at equal distances down the middle of the skirt.
Pelerines and coleretts are round, whether a la … (which is the name given to those collars which are slashed and bordered with plaiting of lace or muslin,) they are worn alike over high or low dresses. The sleeves are wide, and a number of little wristbands, very close to each other, …cend almost as high as the elbow. We counted more than twelve of these wristbands on a dress of opal-coloured Cachmire gauze, lined with slight silk of the same colour; the body of this elegant dress was in flat plaits; at the bottom of the petticoat, about a hand’s breadth apart, were three rows of double quilling, in gauze. There is every appearance of this being a favourite trimming this summer.
The greatest novelty are blouses of Florence silk or Marceline, with tucks, and a row of embroidery, in silk, between each tuck; the embroidery represents branches of blue-bells, and coquelicots, in wreaths.
Rice-straw is much in favour for hats, perhaps, because these hats are generally worn by very young or very pretty women. Their form is round, and this shape is the most fashionable, whether the hat is of gauze or gros de Naples. The various ways of ornamenting them is a difficult task to explain; we must first undertake to account for the versatility of taste, and the caprice of fashion. The Ipisboe hat is, indeed, original, whether we regard its shape or the whimsical association of its colour with its ribbons, or the three aigrettes, which surmount it, which are red, yellow, and black.
We have distinguished some beautiful hats of Canary yellow gauze, ornamented with full bouquets of blue-bells; these flowers are spread out in such a way, as to cover a great part of the crown in front, and some of them droop on one side, over the brim. We have remarked also, some hats of straw, or of gros de Naples, where a single flower, with a thousand leaves, is placed in front: this new flower gives to these hats an extreme elegance and grace. Some hats are adorned with all sorts of verdure, in flowers and foliage made of feathers, particularly four little pine-balls, and white thistles.
ANOTHER DESCRIPTION OF FASHIONS.
Except Leghorn hats, which they dare not cut away too much, on account of their value, there is scarce a hat that has any brim behind, and, indeed, very little at the sides; this brim neither stands up nor falls, so that the face remains discovered. The fashion being uniform, it is the ornament above and round the crown of these hats to which the chief attention is paid in our Magasins de Modes. Sometimes it is a corded ribbon, in large puffs, placed in bias, from the top of the crown to where the brim commences; sometimes round this crown, it is a pipe of ribbon, rolled in a spiral manner, with a fringe hanging from it. One of the most distinguished trimmings for a Leghorn hat, consists in a branch of the peach-tree, with its blossoms, and a few little peaches just formed: it is placed in front of the crown, and comes forward a little way on the brim. Some straw-hats are of a square form, and are broad in the brims. The trimmings on Sparterie, or open chip-hats, consist in cockle-shell puffings of taffety, edged with a stripe of Sparterie. Bonnets of taffety, and those of gros de Naples, either in white lilac, or myrtle-green, are trimmed with puckerings, and are as general as they were last year.
Light coloured spencers of gros de Naples are much worn; some are made with loose bodies, en blouse, and with very full sleeves; others with strait backs, like a riding-habit; some are ornamented with Brandenburghs, laced across, and have a falling collar. A muslin petticoat, with three bias folds at the border, is worn with spencers.
On blouses of Organdy silk, are seen rose-buds, with leaves of two shades of green; or, sometimes, purple lilacs, with foliage. Others are trimmed with double SS, and have sweet peas between the SS. The manner of placing the SS depends on taste; some are upright, others incline, others are cross-wise, and the sweet-peas are sometimes round, sometimes long. Green foliage, in embroidery, very often represents the wall-ivy.
From the Journal des Dames
The colours most admired for silks by the fashionables are American green, peacock’s-neck green, and the River Jordan; this latter colour is a dark grey. If a bonnet is of this colour, a plume of feathers float over it, the colour of the tree of Judea, or ribbons of that colour.
The first time L’Auberge Supposee was performed there was a very full audience at the Theatre Feydeau … elegant ladies wore white hats, ornamented with … of the acacia, or dress caps with heath in … hats were of cane. A Hungarian plime, made of … feathers, of rose colour, lilac, and white, formed … of some white hat made of cotton.
At the benefit of Madame Barroyer, at Les … a hat of white crape, trimmed with blond; the … square, and was formed of white satin ribbons; … feathers overshadowed the crown, and part of the … white chip hat was surmounted by a plume of … three colours, white, … and blue. There … turban-toques of Lyones silk, these were of … and worked in with gold.
White gowns are yet but little worn, either at the … or the promenades. B… silks, lawn, cirsakas… and printed muslins (principally checked) predominate.
Barege dresses are made in blouse; the sleeves … pelisses of jaconot muslin … of the bark of trees … or two pelerine capes ane are fastened with … from the top to the bottom.
Half-handkerchiefs of black lace have appeared since the warm weather came in. Silk scarfs also are worn … saca brown, or of marshmallow blossom colour. … are ornamented by a broad layer of yellow satin.
From another Number of the Journal des Dames
In the place of ribbons it is now the mode to … lappets of crape or or gauze to tie down the hats; … placed underneath the brim, are cut in bias, … ribbon, or trimmed with blond, and … rosette.
Some hats or white chip are worn turned up on one side; they are ornamented with a full plume of … feathers, or a bunch of early roses, and leaves … the form of a packet of feathers.
Hats of Sparterie (a material very much reser… willow) are trimmed with a very broad ribbon) of … brown. The fichu of Sparterie that ornaments th… these hats and the front is bound with ribbon. … are also ornamented, sometimes with blue gauze … a fan round the crown, and which serves to su… puffs of a rosette in front.
Several Leghorn hats are simply ornamented with a satin rosette, placed on one side, the ends of … fringed.
The crowns of transparent hats, either of gauze … are trimmed round the crown with crape in plaits; … of a horse-shoe. These hats are ornamented be… blue-bells.
On split straw hats large bouquets of various flowers are worn, interspersed with gauze and detached … yellow jasmine.
Little dress caps are ornamented with flowers … petals, and are black at the bottom of the cup, … a heart or a black point; these are called Ourika, and every mixture of red and black, or black and red, is called a l’Ourika.
Some straw bonnets have crowns that are higher on the right side than on the left.
The new dresses and pelisses, which have pele… have a collar formed of two rouleaux; there is … at the top of the sleeve.
From: The World of Fashion and Continental Feuilletons
Onwards to July 1824