Early Victorian Era Fashion Chit Chat - February 1843 Godey's Lady's Book

Early Victorian Era Fashion Chit Chat - February 1843 Godey's Lady's Book

General Remarks

Furs are very fashionable this season. Muffs and boas are very much worn. Many velvet shawls are trimmed with fur.

A new cloak or half coat has made its appearance since our plate was finished. It is of black velvet, confined to the waist with a cord and tassel. Suspended to each shoulder, and entirely detached from any other portion of the garment, are two wings or lappets, of the same material as the cloak, which give a very beautiful and graceful finish. No other colour but black has yet appeared.

For evening dresses nothing is prettier than white, the skirt trimmed with triple folds; the sleeves very short, and a Grecian corsage. Some are made with the upper skirt very short, and rounded so as to open up the centre in the form of a tunic, a border in cachmeire is placed upon the edge of the hem, and continued up the fronts as far as the point of the waist. The corsage very low, tight round the top, but fulled into the waist, a narrow lace encircling the neck. Short, plain sleeves, trimmed with two rows of cachmeire bordering; the same kind of trimming forming a ceinture for the waist.

For ball dresses the double skirt or tunic continue to be adopted; some are trimmed with flowers, such as mignionette, geranium, and mistletoe. Also cordons of flowers for bordering the double and triple jupes, and trimming the bodies and sleeves. These cordons consist of a very light foliage, intermixed with very small red flowers, brilliant as so many grains of coral; the corsage is mostly very low and draped, finished in the centre with a rosette or bouquet.

For head-dresses flowers continue to be much worn, but there are also a great many decorated with white or black lace, relieved at the side with very small scarlet flowers falling low on each side. A very elegant style of coiffure is that of a lappet or veil thrown partly over the head, and raised on one side with a beautiful full blown rose or camelia. The hair is still being worn in full ringlets on each side, the back part tastefully arranged in plaits caught with a handsome comb, a tulle scarf or veil being passed through the loops at the back, forming a very graceful appendage to the appearance of the head.

Caps - The form of the caps, both for the morning and evening costume, are very plain upon the top of the head and full at the ears, either ornamented wih loops of very narrow ribbon, forming a perfect bouquet on each side, and falling rather low upon the cheek, or with very small light flowers. A turban cap is composed of very light tulle, gathered on each side so as to form a series of narrow folds over the crown of the head and the back. A small roulleau of tulle, caught with loops of pale green, narrow ribbon, ornaments the back part, the sides being caught with loops of green ribbon of various lengths; others are made quite round, the lace forming a perfect curtain to the back of the neck; these are mostly decorated with bouquets of flowers placed carelessly on one side, or rosettes of ribbon having two rather long ends. Caps, with lappets, are always graceful, particularly when rounded at the ends and turned back upon the side, where they are attached with a gold or coral pin, which are being much worn now.