Le Beau Monde, August 1807.
“Full Dresses for August 1807”
This magazine was published by John Brown Bell. He was married to Mrs. Mary Ann Bell, who was to become a very famous and influential modiste in London, and who acted as what we might call the fashion editor of La Belle Assemblée. Her name is never mentioned in Le Beau Monde, but if you compare the style of fashion commentary to that of La Belle Assemblée after she became fashion editor in late 1811, I think we can surmise that the descriptions of fashion prints in Le Beau Monde, including this one, were written by Mrs. Bell.
It is interesting that the dress on the left is named “An Opera Full Dress.” Dresses meant to be worn to the opera are generally considered Half Dress. In any case, the lengthy Mrs. Bell-like descriptions of both dresses make them sound gorgeous.
The print is described in the magazine as follows:
“An Evening Full Dress for Ladies.– A beautiful pink blossom Italian crape, body and train made with an apron front, which descends to the bend of the knee, trimmed with a broad Brussells lace, worn over a soft white satin slip, ornamented round the bottom with a magnificent border of hearts-ease, worked with pearls; white satin sleeves made plain and short, and worked at the edge with a small wreath of hearts-ease to correspond with the dress: the back made very low and square, inlet in the middle with rich point lace; the bosom easily full, drawn very low down at each corner of the neck, with a crooked pearl slide to separate the bosom; a rich pink girdle with large full tassels, intermixed with pearls, fastens the waist, and reaches nearly to the extremity of the dress: the hair bound straight across the top of the head, combed smooth on the right side of the head, and lies flat on the face, in an irregular form; long ringlets from the left eye, and from behind the right ear; a rich tiara of pearls in front. Ear-rings and neck-lace of dead gold. Gloves and shoes of pale pink silk.
“An Opera Full Dress.–An elegant dress of white spider gauze, superbly embroidered in rich bunches of silver acorns, worn over a white figured sarsnet petticoat; the dress and petticoat trimmed with a rich silver border; the back of the dress made frock fashion; the front to the form of the bosom; short puff sleeves gathered into a silver band to correspond with the dress; and a bunch of small full blown roses in buds, intermixed with jessamine, and fastened in the center of the bosom. The drapery which confines the whole of the hair, is composed of pale blue and purple shot sarsnet, richly embroidered round the edge with a wreath of silver grapes and vine leaves. The drapery is suspended from the right side of the head, and reaches to the ankle with a rich tassel of blue and silver at the end: the drapery is fastened round the head with a handsome high scollopped band of silver, with a silver crest in front, similar to a tiara. White kid gloves, Shoes of pale blue sarsnet.”