La Belle Assemblée, March 1818.
“French Carriage Dress.”
This pelisse includes fastenings from neck to hem known as Bandebourgs (always spelled Brandenbourgs in this magazine) which are traverse trimmings of cording and tassels, similar to frogs, in the military style. It’s a striking look, but imagine having to undo each of those fastenings just to take your coat off!
The print is described in the magazine as follows:
“Pelisse of celestial blue satin, fastened down the front with Brandenbourgs of polished steel. Toque hat of spotted blue velvet, the hat part crowned with a plume of white ostrich feathers; the cap part confined to the forehead by a bandeau of polished steel, with an elegant tassel of the same material on the left side. Triple ruff of fine lace; lemon-coloured slippers of kid leather, and Norman gloves.”
This print was “borrowed” from the Paris edition of Journal des Dames et des Modes, January 15, 1818, shown here.
By giving the print the title of “French Carriage Dress” the British magazine was perhaps admitting that it had been lifted from a French magazine. As the print above was from the February issue of La Belle Assemblée (the fashion section is always for the NEXT month, and I use that date, which is printed at the bottom of the print, as the date for the print), the LBA editors acted quickly to use the French print. It’s almost an exact copy.
