Fashion Plate, June 1827

Fashion plates serve as windows into the past, offering detailed glimpses of the styles and trends of bygone eras. The June 1827 edition of The Lady's Monthly Museum not only adds to the fashion plates in the Historic Textile and Costume Collection, but also sheds light on the elegant and distinctive garments of English women's wear in the later 1820s.

The purpose of a fashion plate was to capture and disseminate new styles and serve as a visual catalyst to individuals seeking to stay up to date with the latest trends. During the 1820s, a period of Romanticism in the arts influenced fashion. Women's attire went through significant modification. Silhouettes evolved from the former Neoclassical styels, and an emphasis on delicate femininity emerged (Franklin, 2020). The fashion plates of this era often featured high waistlines, full skirts, and intricate details reflecting the romantic spirit that defined the era.

The June 1827 edition of The Lady's Monthly Museum encapsulates the essence of later 1820s fashion. The prevailing styles in this particular plate are characterized by high-waisted dresses, creating a distinct silhouette. Both dresses illustrated feature full skirts enhanced with puffed sleeves at the shoulders, contributing to the garments' grace. The color palette of the illustrated garments includes muted pastel tones; the left figure is pink and the right pale purple. The details on the dress of the woman on the left depicts a wide boat neckline, an added bertha collar with ruffles that runs across the upper chest with an added layer of ruffles at the shoulders accompanied by sheer sleeves, a pleated bodice, and fabric added at the hem for an intricate design. An elegant dress such as the one on the left was devoted to evening events.

The woman on the right is depicted in a fashionable walking dress. The dress features piping that runs across the center of the bodice, what could be passementerie trim or lace trim and added fabric trim on the bodice from the shoulders to the center of the waist in a V-shape. The standing collar has a button closure at the front. A waist ribbon separates the bodice and the full skirt of the dress emphasizing the waistline. At the bottom of the dress extra fabric creates a wave-like pattern. Accessories such as hats, gloves, ribbons, hair pieces and jewelry were essential components of these ensembles, contributing to the overall sophistication of the look.

Vernor and Hood were booksellers and publishers based in London during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The firm was known for its participation in the publication of a variety of works as well as portraits.  (Collections British Museum, n.d) The June 1827 fashion plate from The Lady's Monthly Museum or, Polite Repository of Amusement and Instruction can be credited to Vernor and Hood as the magazine's distributor and publisher. The Lady's Monthly Museum was a well known magazine. It provided the people of England with up-to-date fashion trends and literary content. Established in 1798, the magazine catered to a fashion-forward audience presenting a blend of fashion plates, literature, and articles on diverse topics (Skedd, 2004). Published monthly, The Lady's Monthly Museum featured fashion plates that focused on the transforming styles of the time, providing readers with inspiration for their own outfits. The magazine also added literary contributions, making it a useful source of amusement and information for its readers.

References

Collections online: British Museum. Collections Online | British Museum. (n.d.). https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG130105 

Edinburgh, L. (n.d.). The Lady’s Monthly Museum. Capital Collections. https://www.capitalcollections.org.uk/view-item?i=43951&WINID=1700001428935 

Franklin, H. (2020, May 27). 1820-1829. Fashion History Timeline. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1820-1829/ 

Skedd, S.J. (2004). "Pilkington, Mary Susanna (1761–1839)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/22273.  

V&A. (2009, June 30). Fashion plate: V&A explore the collections. Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O753220/fashion-plate-the-ladies-monthly/