Le Beau Monde, September 1808.
“Promenade and Full Dresses for Sept 1808.”
The descriptions of prints in this magazine are generally extremely detailed and often filled with overly effusive language. At this time, the publisher of this magazine was John Browne Bell, who held on to the magazine until 1809 when he sold it. His wife, Mary Ann Bell, later became what we might call the fashion editor of La Belle Assemblée, which was published by her father-in-law. Her effusive descriptions and fashion commentary in La Belle Assemblée begin in mid-1811. Although she is not mentioned in Le Beau Monde and was not yet a modiste in her own right, I believe we can assume that she had some role in the fashion pages of her husband’s magazine. The description of its fashion prints clearly show the same flowery language we see later under her leadership at La Belle Assemblée.
The fashion prints in Le Beau Monde were often quite gorgeous, as this one, and sometimes were of better quality than seen in the early years of La Belle Assemblée. Brown junior also added gentlemen’s fashion in his magazine, while his father strictly aimed at a female audience. The father-son rivalry was ultimately won by the father. One has to wonder if bringing his son’s wife on board to manage the fashion coverage was a bit of a deliberate slap in the face for Brown junior, or if Brown senior simply saw a good opportunity and took it.
This print is described in the magazine as follows (text courtesy of the RegencyFashion.org website):
“Fig. No. 1.–Promenade Costume.–An Indian muslin dress, with flat satin springs, made high in the back, and brought in a horizontal line round the bosom; it has a hanging collar sewed on to the back and fastened in the front with an antique broach. The sleeves are long and full á l’eveque, vandyked at the wrist, and the dress is also vandyked round the bottom, and in a double row round the waist. The hair is dressed in easy flowing curls, with a vandyked bandeau of fawn coloured satin, placed negligently over the left brow, and ornamented with a wreath of variegated flowers, interspersed with jessamine. Such is the costume at the breakfast table, but when preparing for the promenade, the library, or the race ground, the elegante calls for her Valencia cap and cloak; these two articles of dress are in one, and in a style novel and unique; the cap or hood, resembling in shape the cowl of the Order of St. Dominic, is of green lace net, worked with white stripes, with the collar coming on each side of the neck, to this is attached the cloak of green pelong satin, with a vandyke border, edged with narrow white point lace; the tout ensemble of this bizarre and romantic dress, gives a bewitching interest to the fair wearer, and pleases the fancies of the surrounding beaux in recollecting that although their fair companions wear the cowl, they have not yet taken the veil. Shoes high heeled, and of pea-green, the gloves are of straw coloured kid.
“Fig. No. 2.–Evening Full Dress.–This dress which for elegance and interest has never yet been exceeded, is the Pyrenean robe and tunic of sky-blue sarsnet, over a blue soft satin slip. The robe and tunic have each an Etruscan border, worked on broad white satin, or the border may be enriched with Moresque and Arabesque ornaments according to fancy; the border of the robe is surmounted with an easy flowing wreath of the grape vine worked in dark shades, which, to the eye of taste, gracefully unites the variegated extremity with the broad mass of blue in the robe itself. The tunic is open behind, but fastened with a range of shell clasps, forming a border á la pelerine, in allusion to the costume of the romantic ages, when the enthusiastic females of the northern districts of Spain traversed the gloomy chain of the Pyrenees in their holy pilgrimages. The back of the tunic is full and drawn to the form round the bosom, the sleeves are short and plain, bordered in the Etruscan or Moresque stile, and seamed in open work, the edge of the bosom is also bordered to correspond with the other parts of the dress. Over this is a most superb drapery of rich point lace, studded with stars, or interspersed with sprigs agreeable to fancy; with a rich fancy-worked border, and is thrown over the shoulder, hanging negligently behind, whist the ends are brought forward and gracefully twined round the arm, or drawn carelessly across the form with a piquante and irresistible simplicity. The hair is dressed á l’Espagnole, with a wreath of flowers interwoven; and the shoes are of blue satin.”
There is no specific description of the gentleman’s fashion, though there is this brief observation of tends in male fashion:
“Blue coats or dark green, with gilt buttons, are now universally worn, but black coat and waistcoat is sometimes adopted by those who wish not to be as every body. The waists of the coats are pretty long, and rather wide, and the waistcoats are a little longer than they have lately been.” It continues with information on morning dress.
Though he is looking at the lady on the right, the gentleman in our print is dressed in a style more appropriate to the lady on the left. Pantaloons and Hessian boots would have been worn for walking or riding, and not for evening wear.
