Wednesday, August 18, 2010

What Olivia wore


Alert readers will have noticed the comments running through Last Night’s Scandal regarding fashions.   I thought I would post some illustrations, to give you a better sense of what my characters were talking about.

You'll find the description for the Carriage Dress and Bonnet(at left) over at Two Nerdy History Girls.  Here's more from FASHIONS FOR NOVEMBER, 1831 from La Belle Assemblée

DINNER DRESS. A DRESS of rose-coloured gaze Polonais, over a gros de Naples slip of a similar colour. The corsage is cut low ; it sits close to the shape behind; the front is arranged in folds which cross so high in the centre of the bosom, that very little of the blond lace chemisette is seen. The sleeves are between the gigot and Amadis form, but incline more to the latter shape. The chemisette is made with a round collar, which falls low over the back and shoulders, and is trimmed with a double fall of blond lace. The hair is parted on the forehead, and arranged in a platted braid en couronne on the summit of the head. The ends of the braid, disposed in corkscrew ringlets, fall over the comb placed behind the couronne. A ferronière composed of gold chain, with a ruby agraffe, is brought rather low upon the forehead. The jewellery worn with this dress should be of gold and rubies. Swansdown boa tippet.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Those clothes look even dafter in the picture than they do in the text! I don't know how Olivia managed to move about.