Lady’s Monthly Museum, March 1801.
“Morning Dresses for March 1801.”
In these first few years of the magazine, the fashion prints were originals and not copied from other publications. They are small (the magazine is the smallest of the ladies’ magazines at this time that I have seen, at a crown octavo size, only 6 ¾” x 4″), and relatively simple in style. But they do have a certain charm.
These are named Morning Dresses, but are clearly meant for outdoors, so morning walking dresses. The purple garment on the lady on the left is called a cloak, but it has sleeves, which a cloak generally does not. The description does say that it is meant to resemble a spencer, and it certainly looks like one, even with the long front pieces hanging almost to the ground, a style we see now and then in these early years, eg 1798-1803. It is interesting, though, and a bit unusual, that the dress has long sleeves, while the cloak/spencer has short sleeves.
The print is described in the magazine as follows:
“1. Short round coloured gown, with long loose sleeves. Cloak of purple velvet, trimmed with lace, and confined behind, at the bottom of the waist, to resemble a Spencer; the sleeves of the cloak terminating a little above the elbow, and trimmed with lace. A bonnet of black velvet, with short lace veil. White lace ruff round the neck, separated with a ruff of white fur. Muff of white bear.
“2. A short white muslin gown spotted with blue, made with full long sleeves, and drawing up to the throat with a lace ruff. A white muslin cap trimmed with lace; mob ends; a bow of pink riband at the top.”
