Journal des Dames et des Modes, Paris, March 15, 1816.
“Habit de Drap. Culote de Soie. Bas à Mailles coulées.”
Just as female fashion began to focus on the shoulders at this time, so did gentlemen’s fashion. The shoulders of this dark blue wool coat are a bit puffed and roomy, and the sleeves are looser than in earlier years. The tailoring of the back and the coat tails is beautifully done. Pockets could now be outside the tail instead of inside.
The breeches are black silk, tied below the knee instead of buckled. The stockings are transparent black mesh with a striped stitching. The shoes are black slippers of a shiny fabric, tied with a bow at the vamp.
This print was designed, and signed, by Horace Vernet, and engraved by Pierre Baquoy, both famous Parisian artists.
If you are wondering why so many Costume Parisien prints have a horizontal fold across the middle, it is because the magazine was folded in half when mailed to subscribers. Each issue (which came out every 5 days) consisted of only 10 pages, so it would have been easy to fold.
