The Fashions
Illustrated London News (23 September 1843): 206.
See commentary below.
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Commentary and captions from the Illustrated London News
Paris, Rue Chaussée d’Antin, 19th Sept., 1843.
Mon cher Monsieur,
—In my last letter to you I confined myself chiefly to a description of evening toilettes; I will now, if yon please, give you some insight into the fashions which I have observed in the various promenades of this city. Let me mention, in the first place, two robes: the one of a sort of rose-coloured dimity, the other of chameleon taffety. The first is made with an open skirt, with double fallback in bears embroidered en soutache. The corsage is open to the waist, with a double cape forming a pelerine behind, and becoming wider in front at the bottom of the corsage, which is embroidered in the same manner as the front of the skirt. The sleeves are plain, and the under skirt is in Scotch batiste. The second is open at the front of the skirt, trimmed with a pleating or puffing à la vielle of similar material; the corsage is plain, open at the neck, and brought to a rounded point, trimmed in froot with a row of silk buttons, the sleeves plain, with a wide frill, forming a jockey, and slashed with India muslin at the opening; the under petticoat is fn batiste, trimmed with two deep flounces or lace. Besides these dresses I particularly noticed two barège robes, the one sea-green, the other shot rose-coloured and white; the first was trimmed with two deep festooned flounces; the corsage high, gathered at the waist and plain above, the sleeves moderately wide, with round jockeys, trimmed with two festooned frills: the band of the sleeve and ruffles are lace of a rich pattern. The sash is worn long, and is made of rose-coloured and green taffety. The other dress was trimmed on the skirt with two deep flounces en biais; ths corsage was open à la vierge, gathered at the waist and from the shoulder; the sleeves are short, plain, and trimmed with a frill of the same stuff. I shall not detain you much longer with a description of accessory details; it will, however, be necessary to give you a slight ides of the differrent fancies which our public promenades offer to the observer. Let us then take, in the first instance, a sort of neckhandkerchief, or scarf, of India muslin, pleated from the shoulder to the waist, with a collar formed of two rows of festooned muslin, and another handkerchief, also of India muslin, but with the collar of lace. I have also remarked a scarf in white barège, and a mantelet of embroidered muslin, with two pelerines, which do not descend lower than the waist, very much scalloped at the upper part of the arm, and falling in front in long squared ends, and trimmed all round it with rich and broad lace. As a further observation, I should tell you, scarfs of black lace are much worn and very becoming, lists of paille de riz, trimmed with a long willow plume, or with roses with taffety ribbons of the same shade, and hats of English point lace, lined with green taffety and trimmed with a bunch of heath, are exceedingly fashionable, as are also fancy straw bats trimmed with white crimped ribbons, and with a small branch of roses; the interior of the posse is ornamented with a ruche of taffety ribbon.
Adieu,
Henriette de B.
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Last modified 25 November 2015