Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, January 1811.
“Walking Dress”
Though this ensemble is described as grey, every copy of the print I’ve seen is painted blue. The description mentiones that it could also be made of black velvet and could have had blue fox fur trim. Wouldn’t that have been gorgeous!
The purse is described as a “ridicule.” The twisting of the word to “reticule” did not happen for another 10-15 years,
The print is described in the magazine as follows:
“A round high morning robe of cambric, with deep full-trimmed collar. A Swedish coat of lead-coloured cloth, or black velvet, trimmed entirely round with swansdown or blue fox fur. A Spanish pelerine [a short cape] of the same, fastened in front of the throat with a mother-of-pearl broach; clasps to correspond for the bottom of the waist. A traveller’s hat of black or grey velvet, or cloth, turned up on the left side with a shell ornament. Half-boots of grey cloth, laced and bound with black velvet. Chinese ridicule of grey or lead-coloured satin, embellished with black medallions and tassels. Gold chain and eye-glass.”
