Fashion Plate, September 1826
Fashionable Walking & Evening Dresses for September 1826

Fashion plates are records of fashion from the eighteenth century through the early twentieth centuries. These printed and hand-colored images were produced to show what was fashionable at the time. As part of the earliest magazines, fashion plates captivated the eye of fashionable ladies. These became quite popular as women's fashion was rapidly evolving. Fashion plates told people useful information about dress: “fashion plates were increasingly relied upon to suggest the latest and most appropriate outfits for different times of the day and for specific occasions” (Ingham). Changes in women's fashion became easier to follow after the publication of the first ever magazines to present fashion plates: “A spate of periodicals emerged in the 18th century, including a number aimed at women, and from 1759 the Lady's Magazine (1770-1847) became the first to record contemporary fashions with its ‘habits’ of the year” (Ingham).

Women's clothing rapidly changed throughout the early years of the nineteenth century, specifically the 1820s. “This decade is notable in fashion as providing a bridge between the classic, high-waisted Empire styles of the early 19th century and the large sleeved, full-skirted styles of the mid-19th century” (Matthews). During the 1820s, women followed fashion very closely by subscribing to fashion magazines. Garments consisted of one-piece dresses with back closures. They could be simple in construction but highly ornamented with ruffles, bows, swags and lace.

The plate includes the following information: "Invented by Miss Pierpont, Edward Street, Perlman Square," suggesting that Miss Pierpont was a dressmaker or designer for the Lady's Monthly Museum in which this fashion plate appeared. As we see in this fashion plate titled "Fashionable Walking & Evening Dresses," the ladies are wearing either a long or short sleeved gowns. The evening dress on the right displays short sleeves, worn at evening parties and, according to the 1826 edition of La Belle Assemblée, “finished round the arm by a quilling of tulle” (Matthews). Typically the time of day indicated if the neck and arms were covered or not. Here we see the low neckline suitable for evening attire. She also wears long gloves that cover the lower part of her arms. Other accessories include a scarf draped around her neck, a sash, and white slippers for her feet. Drop earrings decorate each ear, and her curls and bun appear to have a comb or other piece of jewelry embellishment.

During the day arms were covered with long sleeves, as we see on the left with the lady in the fashionable walking dress. This outfit incudes a large collar of the blue fabric as well as a ruff of fine white around the neck. Dark slippers can be seen below the hem. In addition to this, puffy sleeves, prevalent at this time, can be seen. These gathers give the gown a silhouette with more width to the shoulders and at the hem. The cinched waistline makes the waist look small. This silhouette is further emphasized by the wide-brimmed bonnet complete with a large bow and fabric flowers.

Decorations on the trims of evening gowns became popular during this time, including reflective trimming of silver and gold. In this white evening gown we see three flounces bound with decorative trimming. “The durable and always elegant fashion of trimming the skirts of the gowns with flounces, was still the most prevalent mode” (Matthews). The blue dress on the left features “a charming ruche down the front” (Wendell). It is ornamented with bows and gathers in the middle down the front of the gown. During this time, dresses were mostly made of silk, cotton or wool fibers and fabrics including taffeta and satin.

References

“The 1820s in Fashionable Gowns: A Visual Guide to the Decade.” Mimi Matthews, July 13, 2021. https://www.mimimatthews.com/2015/11/23/the-1820s-in-fashionable-gowns-a-visual-guide-to-the-decade/.

“Fashion Plates Introduction.” Fashion Plates introduction - National Portrait Gallery. Accessed November 14, 2023. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/research/new-research-on-the-collection/fashionplates/fashion-plates-introduction.

Ingham, E. (n.d.). Fashion Plates Introduction. National Portrait Gallery. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/research/new-research-on-the-collection/fashionplates/fashion-plates-introduction.

“The Lady’s Monthly Museum Improved Series:V.24 (1826).” HathiTrust. Accessed November 14, 2023. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ptid=hvd.hn1prs&view=1up&seq=2.

The Lady's Monthly Museum, accessed December 13, 2024. HathiTrust Digital Library.https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn1prs&view=1up&seq=202&q1=Fashionable