Loretta reports:
Since these two dresses came in black & white, I thought it was a good opportunity for my readers to get out their paintboxes, crayons, or colored pencils. The color prints for October 1808 can be seen at
Two Nerdy History Girls.
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No. 3.—A Ball Dress.
A petticoat of fine clear white muslin, figured or plain. A peasant's jacket of white satin, with short full sleeve, in the Spanish form. The jacket and sleeves trimmed with silver beading, or cord. A Persian cap of Brussels’ lace, with a bunch of autumnal flowers in front. A composition brooch, representing the flower called the pheasant’s eye. Necklace and earrings of blossom coloured patent pearl. Gloves and shoes of pale blossom-colored kid.
No. 4.—Out-Door, or Carriage Costume
A round robe of white, or pale morone muslin over white cambric; made with long sleeves, and a high collar, edged with lace or beading, confined down the front with a row of small buttons in mother-of-pearl, and fastened round the waist with a correspondent cord and tassel pending from the right side. A Spanish mantle, and hat of morone sarsnet, shot with white (or what is commonly called a silver morone), the mantle edged, and the hat ornamented with white cord, or cut velvet. A full frill of reverse plaiting round the throat, confined towards the left shoulder with a suitable cord and tassel. Gloves of pale York-tan, and slippers of tan-coloured kid.
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La Belle assemblée, Volume 5, 1808.
