Early Victorian Era Fashion Plate - July 1852 Le Moniteur de la Mode

Early Victorian Era Fashion Plate - July 1852 Le Moniteur de la Mode

Description of the Engravings - No. 331

1st Figure - Visiting Toilet - Bonnet of sewed rice straw, trimmed with taffeta ribbons and decorated with roses without foliage.

The brim is set low in front, and spreads from the cheeks and chin. About half an inch from the edge outside is a silk ribbon an inch and a half wide, sewed at both edges and slightly gathered. Two pieces of ribbon, one at the joining of the brim and crown, the other at the edge of the crown, meet on each side under a tuft of roses mixed with bows and ends of ribbons barely an inch wide. The curtain is taffeta and bordered with a ribbon plaited like that on the brim.

The inside consists of plaited ribbons with a bonnet cap of white blond mixed with tufts of roses; the broad strings are fastened under the brim.

Dress of embroidered muslin.

Body plaited sheaf-fashion, the plaits starting from the shoulder. The edge, in front, is trimmed with a bouillonne through which a silk ribbon is run. A similar bouillonne ornaments the end of the sleeve, and the ribbon passes out on the arm to make a bow. Two festooned bands decorate the body. The basquine, gathered at the waist, is composed of five very small plaits under the waistband. The lower part forms large vandykes with a double festoons, and a flower in the middle of each. The same trimming completes the sleeve, above the bouillon of which are also some small plaits.

The skirt, gathered full, is plain for 10 inches at top, and then plaits at regular intervals for a depth of 6 inches.

A flounce of from 12 to 16 inches deep is sewed under the last of the plaits of the skirt. This flounce is very little gathered, but it is put on so as to form a large flute for each scollop so as to set off the embroidery. Under the flounce there are again plaits for 6 inches, but the scollops of the flounce cover the upper part of them. The bottom of the skirt is finished by a plain hem.

The mentelet consists of a scarf low in the neck, short, and narrow, and ending in a point in front, at the bottom of which is a flounce 12 inches deep. The outer edge of the scarf is festooned in small indentations, and covered with embroidery. The flounce that completes it is festooned and embroidered like that of the skirt, and has besides a sprinkling of lowers on the ground.

Bonnet of tulle, pinked taffeta and lace.

The brim is plain tulle: it forms a point in front and at the sides. It is bordered by a ruche neigee (snow ruche) which sets off the sides and rolls very thick, so as to form a dahlia near the ear on each side.

The crown, which sits back on the head, is of an oval form, plaited lengthwise; a ruche neigee goes round the top. From this ruche begins a taffeta frill gathered with pinked edges. On this frill is a lace of somewhat less width; a bow with two ends falls behind; two strings also hang down at the sides.

2nd Figure - Home Toilet - Taffeta redingote with moire bands; the moire trimmings are edged on each side with a taffeta bias, rather under half an inch wide, and which stands in relief. The joining of the biais and the moire is concealed by a braid about the width of a lace.

A moire band with its edges trimmed with biais follows the outline of the body. Three inches wide at top, it narrows to half the width at the waist, and is then continued about 2 1/2 inches wide on the lappet.

The skirt is trimmed with five moire bands with biais at their edges. These bands are of graduated widths; the top one is 8 inches from the waist, and two inches wide. The interval between each one and the next is 4 inches; the lowest band, which is 4 inches wide, is placed 2 inches from the bottom of the skirt.

On the body there are two rows of moire and three on each band of the skirt. These gradually diverge towards the bottom. These last form a width of apron of 32 inches. (The posture of this figure masks the right side of the skirt, and consequently only the middle row and that on the left side are to be seen.)

The sleeves, half wide, are terminated by a cuff turned up with moire and a biais on the edge.

A row of white lace follows the outline of the body. We see the chemisette composed of a row of lace, an insertion, and round plaits from top to bottom of thin muslin. A muslin bouillon comes below the sleeve; it is fastened at the wrist by a band finished off with lace.