Walking Dresses, June 1799

Fashions of London and Paris, June 1799.

Walking Dresses June 1799As is typical for this publication, the bonnets  get more description than the dresses. But the dresses are fairly simple in design and likely needed no further description for the professional or home seamstress to understand the cut.

In this early period, the hemlines are quite long, especially in the back. Not quite a train, but long enough to make one wonder how ladies kept their hems clean!

The short robe (or overdress, or tunic), seen in the central and right figures, was very popular in this period

The print is described in the magazine as follows:

“SUMMER WALKING DRESSES, Worn in the Fashionable Promenades of Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park, &c. &c.

“Fig. 1.  Le Brun’s Hat; made of cane, and lined with blue; turned up before and behind; wild rose, or other flower, in front. Blue muslin round dress.

“Fig. 2. Bonnet of pink crape; ribband laid on round the front, beyond of outside of which is a piece of projecting crape to shade the face. Short robe, and petticoat of white muslin; plaited or tucked all round; frock sleeves.

“Fig. 3. Turban lilac bonnet; the end turned up, and tied with a bow of ribband; flower in front. Short robe of lilac muslin, sloped off to a point behind; handkerchief of the same tied behind.”

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