Regency Era Fashion Chit Chat - December 1820 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Regency Era Fashion Chit Chat - December 1820 Ladies' Monthly Museum

Out-door dress has now assumed that appropriate appearance by which it has been distinguished for several winters past. Pelisses are universally worn; they are composed either of cloth, velvet, or sometimes of rich silk lined and wadded; but this last kind of pelisse, although occasionally sported by our fair pedestrians, is more generally adopted in carriage-dress.

There is as yet little novelty in the make of pelisses, but that little is favourable to the display of the shape; we do not allude to the trifling increase in the length of the waist, but to the manner in which the bodies of pelisses are cut; the back, which is the natural breadth between the shoulders, is now sloped down at each side, and much narrower at the bottom of the waist. The sleeves are moderately wide, and set-in in such a manner as just to touch the point of the shoulder, which gives a breadth to the chest as well as an appearance of ease and grace to the figure. There is more variety in trimmings than we usually see at this season of the year: furs are very generally worn, and trimmings composed of them are broader this season than we ever before observed them. Velvet is likewise in much estimation, particularly for cloth pelisses; sometimes it is disposed in a broad byas band, which goes all round the pelisse; the cuffs correspond, and the epaulette is also of velvet, but made full. In other instances the trimming is scolloped or pointed; and we have also noticed a good many pelisses trimmed with fancy velvet, which has a very elegant appearance. Satin mixed with velvet is also much used, particularly for velvet pelisses; full bands of the former, decorated with leaves or shells of the latter, are very general, and these bands are sometimes formed into puffs by velvet points.

High dresses of tabbinet, poplin, bombazine, and very rich dark ruby chintz, are also worn for the promenade, though not so much as pelisses. The chintz dresses are always trimmed with flounces flowered in a running pattern at the edge; the other dresses are trimmed either with satin, velvet, or an intermixture of either with the same material as the dress. Shawls are always worn with high dresses, and are of rich silk, or in some instances of very fine cloth to correspond in colour with the dress.

The materials for promenade bonnets are velvet, black Leghorn, and a mixture of silk with velvet or silk pluche. Bonnets continue to be worn very large; the brims, generally speaking, stand out a good deal from the face; they are rounded at the ears, and come very low at the sides of the face; the edges of the brims are trimmed with satin, or else with gauze to correspond with the bonnet in colour, mixed with satin or velvet. The crowns are still made low. Winter flowers, feathers, and satin, seem equally in favour for decorating bonnets. Fashionable colours are mazarine blue, dark ruby, scarlet, dark slate colour, that brilliant hue the Provence-rose colour, and grey.