Regency Era Fashion Chit Chat - April 1819 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Regency Era Fashion Chit Chat - April 1819 Ladies' Monthly Museum

The lapse of a month has made a considerable alteration in female fashionable costume; the spring pelisse and spenser has completely superseded the warm habiliments of winter. On cold days, indeed, the wrapping cloak and cloth pelisse are still to be seen on a few, but a very few ladies; the generality, however, of the fashionable belles are attired in silk pelisses, satin, or gros de Naples spensers, or walking dresses composed of stout silk, poplin, or tabbinet.

Head-dresses have as yet varied less thanmigth be expected; velvet bonnets are still very generally worn, and a mixture of velvet and satin is considered very fashionable. Beaver hats, of a small round shape, ornamented with full plumes of feathers, are still to be seen occasionally both in carriage and promenade dress; but, upon the whole, satin bonnets, to correspond in colour with the dress, are considered most tonish. Spring flowers begin to be in estimation, they will probably be more so towards the conclusion of the month, but at this moment feathers are most in favour.

Lilies and poplins are still most worn for home costume. Muslin begins to be seen in morning dress, but as yet it is but little in use for dinner-gowns; these are generally composed of silk, and trimmed either with satin or gauze; the trimmings of some are composed of a mixture of both; others have gauze only, intermixed with chenille; a slight intermixture of satin and chenille is also fashionable. Dinner gowns are invariably cut low round the bust; but we have noticed, in several instances, a small lace tucker worn with these low dresses which shaded the neck in a very decorous manner. We have been favoured by a house in Bond-street with a sight of a very elegant dinner-dress, which we shall endeavor to describe -

It is composed of pale blue figured gros de Naples; the skirt gored and moderately full; the trimming consists of plain white transparent gauze, of that very rich, but light kind which we call the French gauze; it is disposed in deep festoons, each of which is ornamented with a full rosette of the same material, and in the hollowpart of each festoon is a bunch of leaves composed of white satin and chenille. The body is cut very low, and short in the aist; the lower part composed of the same material as the gown, the upper part of white satin; the former is full, but confined by three gagings under the arm, which forms it to the shape; the latter is tight, and is cut byas in such a manner as to show the shape of the bust; a row of very narrow blond lace is set on almost plain round the bust. The sleeve is short and full; it is a mixture of blue gros de Naples and white gauze; there are three points of the former brought over a fulness of the latter; a white satin band confines this fulness, and the points, which are tacked to it, are each finishedby a small white silk ornament.

Dress caps, toques, and turbans, though much in favour with matronly ladies, are not generally worn by youthful elegantes, who mostly appear, in full dress, with their hair ornamented either with pealrs, or flowers. Coronets of the former, intermixed with coloured gems, are very fashionable; and wreaths, crowns, and bouquets, of the latter, are all in favour. Fashionable colours are green, rose-colour, lavender colour, azure, and straw colour.