Gallery of Fashion, July 1797.
“Court Dress”
This court dress would have been worn at the June Drawing Room in honor of the King’s birthday. Unfortunately, the magazine does not name this dress as having been worn by a specific lady, though clearly it was an important, and very rich, noblewoman, considering the amount of diamonds involved!
The Gallery of Fashion was a very exclusive and expensive magazine. Any court dress depicted in this publication would have belonged to, and appealed to, a very noble audience.
As was typical of prints from this magazine, there are lots of metallic accents. All the diamond jewelry and the spangles on the big bows on the skirt are all painted in bright silver. Though it’s impossible to see online, it is quite beautiful in person.
The print is described in the magazine as follows:
“The front hair in Vandyke curls, the sides combed straight, part of the hind hair turned up plain, and the rest in twists and loops. Chiffonet of yellow crape, crossed with two diamond bandeaux; two yellow-stained ostrich feathers on the left side, with a diamond aigrette in the front. Petticoat of yellow crape, with a border of white crape, embroidered in festoons of laurels and roses, and a deep silver fringe; drapery of white crape; the whole ornamented with festoons of roses, bows of white satin ribband, and silver spangles. Body and train of lilac crape; diamond epaulettes. Lappets, tucker, and ruffles of point-lace. Sash of white satin, trimmed with silver fringe. Diamond necklace and ear-rings. White shoes embroidered in silver.”
