Evening Dresses, March 1808

Lady’s Monthly Museum, March 1808.

“London Dresses for March.”

Evening Dresses March 1808

This magazine did not always indicate what type of dress is depicted in a print. Sometimes the title of the print will indicate evening and/or walking dress, and sometimes the magazine text indicates full or walking dress. In this case, there is no identification of the type of dress on the print or in the text.  However, Fig. 2, on the right, is clearly an evening ensemble — the long ermine trimmed robe would not have been worn during the day. However, Fig. 1, on the left, is less clear. The short sleeves and long gloves, a combination seldom seen in day wear in English prints, suggest an evening ensemble. Perhaps Fig. 1 represents Half Dress and Fig. 2 Full Dress?

It is likely however, that the magazine’s readers would not need a definition of the type of dress to recognize full dress, half dress, or walking dress. As I have never seen a magazine provide any definitions of those terms, they were probably clearly understood by all women at that time,

The print is described in the magazine as follows:

“Fig. 1.–Plain muslin dress, embroidered round the bottom, sleeves, and tucker to correspond; a fashionable silk mantle; head-dress the same colour; white kid gloves.

“Fig. 2.–An under dress of sarsnet, with long sleeves; a Turkish robe, of rose-coloured velvet, trimmed with ermine; head-dress of white sattin [sic] and velvet, ornamented with ostrich feathers; kid shoes.”

 

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