Fashion Plate, May 1806
Subject
Title
Date
Description
La Belle Assemblée, or Bells Court and Fashionable Magazine was published in London from 1806 to 1868 (Harper 2020). It was founded by John Bell, a magazine publisher and major figure in printing and book printing (National Portrait Gallery, 2020). This ladies’ magazine was a resource for short readings, needlework patterns, gardening, music, politics, and fashion. Fashion plates were printed in black and white until 1807 when they were ready colored (National Portrait Gallery, 2020).
A copy of the full 1806 volume is in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia (2020), which includes descriptions for each of the outfits.
The first is described as an “Evening Full Dress.” This look shows an embroidered “Grecian robe” with half “Vandyke sleeves” with a cornelian brooch. A “broad busk” is “carelessly thrown” over the French ribbons on the chest. The image also shows a muslin girdle with acorn tassels with everything over a white sarsnet slip of lightweight silk. The look is finished with white kid gloves and shoes.
The second is a silk “Walking Dress” with a “Parisian” mantle of sarsnet. There is a decorative border that is tied at the shoulder with a bow and an Egyptian brooch. The mantle is described as “graceful and elegant,” with a matching sarsnet morning bonnet. The bonnet is worn tilted to one side to show the meticulously curled hair of the model. The “Walking Dress” look would be commonly worn on outdoor occasions and would always include a bonnet.
The third is “A Fashionable Walking Dress” with a jacket and petticoat of “Circassian cambric,” which is a fine white linen. The description gives the viewer the option to add lace or “worked muslin” to the bottom of the petticoat, and to the jacket and the sleeves. The bonnet is lavender silk sarsnet with “shaded ribband”.
The last is “A Morning High dress of Cambric Muslin” with a robe. The train is long and the dress has a high lace collar with long sleeves trimmed in tulle. The wrists are to be adorned with topaz clasps or bracelets with yellow gloves and shoes. The cap is white lace trimmed with tulle and tied under the chin.
References
Franklin, Harper. “Fashion History Timeline: 1800-1809, 19th Century Decade Overview.” August 18, 2020. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1800-1809/
National Portrait Gallery (2020). “La Belle Assemblée or Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine” London 1806-1832. Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp160026/la-belle-assemblee-or-bells-court-and-fashionable-magazine
“La Belle Assemblée, vol. 1 (part 1,)” London 1806, National Gallery of Australia. Available at: https://artsearch.nga.gov.au/detail.cfm?irn=73090&pictaus=true