Ackermann's Fashion Week ~ Wednesday - May 1809

I’m running late today. Today I look at May’s fashion plates and description of men’s fashion plus the general observation which is rather long.

FASHION FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

PLATE 23. – BALL DRESS.

White satin slip, under a crape dress, made to fit the figure very exactly, cut open in front, and bound all round with white satin ribbon and a row of beads, linked together in front with bands of beads loosely suspended at distances; short sleeves the same. Fan richly spangled. Pearl necklace, with diamond clasp in front; ear-rings and bracelets to suit. White shoes striped in scarlet or blue. Hair in ringlets on the forehead, and lightly turned up behind with a diamond comb. Petticoats very short.

 

PLATE 24. – WALKING DRESS.

            Dress of white Scotia washing silk. Bishop’s mantle of sage or olive-green striped and plain silks, made entirely without seams; border of the same colour. Hat to correspond, and decorated with artificial flowers. Shoes sage or olive green, also to correspond.

GENERAL OBSERVATION.

Spanish hats, which have been worn all the winter. With feathers, for full dress, are now converted into walking hats, substituting flowers instead of feathers. Straw hats and bonnets, ornamented with flowers, and white silk hats, are making their appearance for the season. Light silk mantles, of all colours, are much worn. Spencers, of a beautiful grey, ornamented with silver, not buttoned, but tied loosely at the neck, form a most elegant dress. The Scotia silk, introduced in the last number, is now in great request for dresses, as is also spotted muslin. Colours vary with the taste of the individual; silver grey is unquestionably the most elegant and most fashionable. The attempt to introduce waists has completely failed; they have not, nor will they ever become fashionable. The full dress of this number is the present standard.

I happened to be in a family party of ladies on the evening of the publication of last month’s Repository:  the moment it was introduced. The dresses became the subject of critical animadversion, and the essay attached to them under the title “General Observation,” was read aloud for the entertainment of the company. Various (as many be suppose) were the comments of the fair hearers. I was pleased to find that scarlet was given up to its fate without a pang: the colour, however, was out of fashion and out of season, so that I could not congratulate myself much on the victory. Green, on the contrary, found its admirers and supporters. Green! Cool, lovely, refreshing green! – Green, the universal livery of nature!  These and similar exclamations from the lovely lips of accomplished beauty, made me almost waver in my opinion, and tempted me to recal the anathema pronounced against it. This was not all.

The passage soon occurred in which the writer looks forward to the time when the “dress of the British fair shall be established on the simple and unerring principles of nature.” -  Here the lovely reader made a sudden pause. – “Principles of nature,” she repeated (as if to ascertain whether she had read the author aright), and at the same instant the “principles of nature” was echoed through the room, accompanied by all marks of confused apprehension.  The whole of the passage was repeated – still nothing could be made of it. At length a maiden lady, with a prudish gravity of aspect and contemptuous elevation of nose, observed that, in her opinion, it was mere impudence. – “Nature indeed!” said she. “It would make the ghosts of our grandmothers blush, could they see how much of nature is already exposed – and has this fellow the assurance to which to which for more? For my own part, I was not without the hope of seeing the modish innovation of the present day set aside, and the hoop petticoat, with all its modest and becoming appendages, again introduced into the circles of fashion:- but if this fellow be permitted to go on – really I have not patience to think of it – I will write myself to the Bishop of London, or to the Society for the Suppression of Vice and get a stop to his impudence.

All this, and much more, was I, in my character of incognito, compelled to listen to; and now I again make my appearance, to defend myself from dreadful a charge. I only entreat to be heard out, and I promise that even the fastidious delicacy of “Cælebs” (who is now become the fashionable monitor) shall find nothing to object to in all that has been advanced.

It has been the aim of all nations to convert those garments which the climate renders necessary, into something decorative and ornamental; and as long as the decorations are kept in subordination to the object decorated, they will be in good taste, but no longer; the moment dress become principal, all beauty and consistency is lost. That dress, then, which displays as much of the form as is required by grace, without infringing the laws of modesty – which shall leave the limbs to act with the greatest ease to the wearer, and the most agreeable effect on the eye of the beholder, and admit only such ornaments as will add to, rather than diminish the beauty of the face and figure, may, in strict propriety, be said to be composed upon the principles of nature.

But my limits will not admit of enlarging at present on the idea. I will resume the subject next month, and will endeavour then to lay down some general rules for the adaptation of the colours introduced in dress to the various characters and complexions of the lovely wearers.

AREIETER ELEGANTIARUM.

GENTLEMEN’S FASHION.

            Under this head we have no other alteration to record in the present month, except that leather breeches, of a very deep colour, approaching to brown, and boot, are much worn by gentlemen. It will be recollected, that, in our number for March, we announced the probability of such a change.

Ackermann’s Fashion Week ~ Tuesday - April 1809

Day two of my Fashion Week posts. Today’s post is the Fashion Plates from the April 1809 edition of Ackermann’s Repository.

FASHION FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

PLATE 15. – FULL DRESS

White satin dress, with purple body, and long sleeves slashed at the top; bows of purple ribbon down the front. Mantle of purple, lined with white silk, bordered with gold, and edged with swandown. Gold net cap with white feathers. White shoes, gloves, and fan. Necklace, ear-rings, and other ornaments, of gold.

PLATE 16. – WALKING DRESS

            A tunic of lilac silk, clasped down the front with gold ornaments; a cloak of the same colour attached, so as to untie closely behind, but to fall loose over the shoulders; fixed on the shoulders with golden ornaments; the cloak is lined with white or straw- coloured silk, and ornamented with a border of gold. Bonnet and boots of the same colour. Raised spotted muslin under-dress, with loose sleeves, bound at the arms and wrist. Gold necklace, and York tan gloves.

GENERAL OBSERVATION.

Red cloaks are at length completely abandoned, and we congratulate our lovely readers on their emancipation from the most despotic dress the ever was introduced by the whimsical and arbitrary goddess of fashion. The writer of this article predicted, on their first appearance, that a colour so disadvantageous, to beauty, could never become prevalent. “Let them,” said he, “enwrap themselves with immense blaze of red, it will come to nothing at last.” And so it has turned out: our promenades presented us with an assemblage of pallid and ghastly spectres, who, though “forbidden to tell the secrets of their prison-house,” carried about with them the visible signs to torture, and appeared literally robed in flame.

Pea-green is a colour generally introduced in spring, for what reason we know not, except it be intended to harmonize with the verdure with which, at this season, all nature is beginning to be clothed, through some may doubt whether a notion of harmony ever entered the inventive brain of a fashionable dress-maker. However this may be, we must enter our decided protest against it; and we entreat our fair readers not to adopt a colour so directly in opposition to good tast, and in which no face or form, be it majestic as Juno, or beautiful as Hebe, can ever appear with advantage and effect. Lilac, purple, all the varieties of grey, are open to their choice. If green must be selected, let it be the deep and rich hue of the Spanish fly, rather than that worst and vilest of all colours pea-green.

Mr. Adair’s treaty with the Sublime Porte will doubtless introduce amongst our spring fashion a profusion of Turkish turbans, Janizary jackets, mosque slippers, and a thousand similar whimsicalities; all of which (provided a northern coalition be accomplished) must speedily give way to Russian cloaks, hussar caps, Cossack mantles, Danish robes, &c. &c. So that by the setting in of the dog-days, our ladies will stand a chance of being arrayed in the complete costume of all the shivering nations of the north. Such is the capricious system introduced and acted upon in the empire of the despotic goddess of fashion! When shall the dress of the British fair be established upon the simple and unerring principles of nature; and when shal those principles be adopted as the barometer of good taste? We have not the vanity to promise ourselves the complete accomplishment of those objects, but to that end all our endeavours shall be directed. Nothing shall appear in our pages but what is strictly compatible with good taste, so that while we discover and expose errors, we will not be wanting in our endeavours to point out the remedy.

FASHION FOR GENTLMEN

The prevailing colours for both dress and morning coats, are dark blue, olive, and bottle green, with silver and gilt basket buttons; long waist and short skirt; but upon the whole, the fashionable coat is very short, and must not come lower than within four inches of the knee. The lapels are rather long, and come even with the hip buttons. The collar is made high, thinly padded, and to fall back two inches.

The dress coat has round cuffs without buttons, with pockets under flaps: the morning coat; sleeves with slits, and three large buttons. The sleeves are worn very long.

The waistcoat is single-breasted; flaps, with small regimental skirts; the collar within that coat: it is made of striped Marcella, of various shades, but buff colours ase most fashionable. Breeches, of a light drab colour, made rather long and tight. For pantaloons, the stuffs generally worn are double-milled stocking and Prince of Wales striped kerseymere.

Ackermann's Fashion Week ~ Monday - March 1809

Today I’m starting Fashion Week, I’ll be showcasing Fashion Plates from Ackermann’s Repository. Today’s post is from March 1809 edition.

FASHION FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

PLATE 10. – LADIES WALKING DRESS

A Polish cap, and pelisse of silver grey cloth, trimmed with gold or silver, buttoned down the front with small round buttons, a high collar with a lace ruff; boots of the same colour as the pelisse, and both embroidered with gold or silver. York tan gloves.

This dress was transmitted to a lady of high rank from Warsaw, and would alone evince the taste and elegance of ladies of that country, were they not already sufficiently known.

PLATE 11. – OPERA DRESS

Henry the Eight hat of purple velvet trimmed with pearls, a dress of the same colour, with a white satin front with large white round pearls; a white satin Spanish mantle trimmed with swandown; white shoes and gloves, pearl ear-rings and necklace, white and silver fans.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

The prevailing colours this month, are rose, green, and purple of various materials, silk, satins, and plain velvets, ornamented with gold and silver, pearls, or embroidery. Satin caps and hats, with short white feathers are generally worn. Small morning or walking hats, trimmed with silk frivolity, are an entire new and very elegant article. Mantles and pelisses of various forms are still much worn for morning dresses. White is again become the favourite colour, and great variety is displayed in the materials and form. Flowers are now beginning to appear again in morning and evening caps. The most fashionable style of wearing the hair the hair is in ringlets á la Ninon; the shoes are embroidered in gold or silver for dress, and for undress in silk, chenille, or ribbon.

We have the pleasure to inform our fair readers, that the fashions for the present month have been again furnished by Madame Lanchester, whose taste and elegance stand so high in the estimation of the fashionable world.

FASHIONS FOR GENTLEMEN

Evening Dress.

The reigning colours for this month are claret and corbean, with plain, flat, silk buttons; the coat rather long in the waist, and short in the skirts, double-breasted, with lapels, high collar, thin padding, and to fall back full three inches; the pockets under the cross flaps cuffs five inches and a half long, with three buttons at top.

            Waistcoats are made of white Marseilles and fancy silks, single-breasted, with narrow flaps, rather long. Breeches of drab silk hose, not made very high; the knee-band low, with four or five buttons at the knee. They are made rather tight.

Morning Dress

            The coats worn for morning dress are generally of dark colours and sage mixed, single-breasted, with short regimental skirts, no flaps, pockets in the plaits of the skirts, high collars, stitched narrow, and to fall back about three inches. Buttons either gilt, or silver basket, or moulds covered with cloth.

            Waistcoats double-breasted, made of silk striped Valentia.

            Is consequence of the excessive advance in the price of superfine cloths and kerseymeres, the leaders of the haut ton have resolved to revive the fashion of wearing leather breeches and boots, which some years since so particularly distinguished English gentlemen from mechanics and servents.

            The preceding observation were communicated to us by Messrs. Austey and Saxe, South Molton-street.