Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Regency Fashion for February

Brrr. It's cold. Brass monkey weather, as my old mum likes to say. And if you don't know what it means~~ I'm not telling. But the minus 10 or so here in Toronto would never be replicated in England. Which is why the fashions are so delicate. One of these days I really must try to find Russian fashions from the same period. It would be interesting to compare.

I thought I was being pretty brilliant with this monthly fashion thing. Then today driving to work I thought - Oh but. If the fashions advertized in February are like today's fashion meant for the next season, have I made a bloomer? A fashion faux pas. (Holy corset batman.)
Guess what. I don't plan to figure it out. If it came out in La Belle Assemblee in February, then its gonna be here in February.

February 1811
1. EVENING dress. -- Shirt, of apple-blossom silk, buttoned down the front, and trimmed round the bottom; sleeves and bosom with lace. Head-dress of the same materials. White gloves and shoes, with an Indian shawl either colored or white.

2. Morning dress. -- Shirt of muslin, high to the neck, and a robe front, forming part of the dress, fastened at the waist -- worked at all the edges and round the bottom. Bonnet of satin, with a feather.

Don't you love the ways that sounds "apple-blossom silk"?



DANCING DRESS.
February 1809
The head ornamented with bandeaus of frosted gold; gold necklace, ear-rings, and armlets; white satin opera dress, trimmed all round with gold, tied in front with a gold cord and tassel; white satin shoes, trimmed with gold, and gold button in front; white gloves, and fan edged with gold.

This is so pretty. It makes you want to dance just looking at her. There's a bit of Isadora Duncan there, don't you think?



February 1800

MORNING DRESS. First Figure. Cambrick muslin dress drawn close around the neck; shawl cloak; round bonnet of willow or chip, generally slate colour or brown, with feather.

Second Figure. Dress of the same as First Figure of coloured cambrick muslin; bonnet of green velvet, with white muslin handkerchief round the brim, tied behind in a bow, the ends hanging down the back.

These are much mor on the practical side, and a bit 18th century, as if this designer hadn't quite caught up with the classical style.

I have a few more pictures and descriptions for February. So I will post some more here on Monday and some more on the website over the weekend. Actually, I have decided to organize my pictures in the same way I am running the pictures here. I will put them in month by month folders. I do have some that do not indicate a month, so I am going to double file them by year. I do like to organize and index things. Must be the historian in me.

Have a wonderful weekend. See you Monday.
Until then ~~~ as always ~~~ Happy Rambles

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