02/14/10

What could be more fun than having one's own Belle Assemblee?

My Regency Ramble blog gives a monthly fashion show just like the one below.

  La Belle Assemblee 1810

A lilac sarsnet train and petticoat, covered with silver net lace; the drapery of white crape, tastefully looped up in a bow with diamonds on the left side; the bottom of the petticoat, drapery, and train trimmed with a rich point lace; body and sleeves of the same, richly trimmed with lace and looped with diamond Brooches; lace tucker; the headdress a bandeau of diamonds with a rich plume of white and lilac feathers; diamond hoop earrings, diamond necklace, with Maltese cross; bracelets of diamonds; white kid gloves; slippers of white satin.

We still have the feathers in this 1820 picture (please excuse the quality) but the style is much less extreme.

This is also from La Belle Assemblee.

And this is an old favorite of mine that you have seen before. A comparison of full dress for July 1805 with that of 1756.  Now the women who were wearing the earlier gown would have been in their 60's when the skimpy later gowns came out.  They were often quite vocal in their disapproval.  The earlier gown is closer to the Victorian era, wouldn't you say?