The Lady's Magazine, or Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex, Appropriated Solely to Their Use and Amusement, 1797

WHITE crape petticoat, embroidered with white satin, in waves across, intersected with spotted blue shaded satin, and black velvet stars, ornamented with an elegant double border of painted [from page 6] satin in shaded spots, festooned and trimmed with black lace; under and upper drapery of white satin and spotted crape, trimmed with black lace, with a flounce of black lace round the bottom; the body and train of tea green striped shag, trimmed with fine black lace and blue shaded ribbon in spots.

The Princess of Wales. --White crape petticoat, richly embroidered with silver in stripes, with silver spangles between, ornamented with a rich border of silver embroided scarlet satin in zig- zag, and silver lace: over which were elegantly arranged three silver embroidered draperies, with scarlet borders, ornamented with silver laurel, fringe and tassels; on the left side of the petticoat was beautifully displayed the prince's plume, in white ostrich feathers; the body and train of rich white and silver, ornamented with a broad scarlet border; a cap resembling a helmet, with six white feathers, and a profusion of diamonds.

The Princess Royal. --Appeared at court in a dress of her own work; a green and gold embroidery, with artificial flowers worked in the front; and on one side an anchor, tastefully wrought in gold, had a very novel and beautiful effect; the body and train correspondent [sic] with the petticoat. Her royal highness wore a medallion of the prince of Wurtemburg supended to a diamond necklace: she looked much better, though the sallowness had not wholely left her countenance.

Princess Augusta. --A rich gold embroidered crape petticoat, in waves across, intersected with blue painted foil in shaded spots, having the appearance of stripes from top to bottom, ornamented with a beautiful embroidered border, in festoons of blue shaded satin and gold spangles; the pocket-holes ornamented with broad gold lace, and blue embroidered satin bows; the body and train white and gold.

The hair in light ringlet; plain chignon; white satin ribband tied under the chin; cabriolet bonnet covered with white, black, and blue striped velvet; blue and white striped satin ribband scolloped, placed in the front, and a large bow of the same behind. --Round gown of chintz; long sleeves. White satin cloak, trimmed with swan-down. Party-cloured bear muff. Blue and white striped shoes.

The front and hind hair in easy curls and ringlets, the side hair turned up in loops. Foundling cap of blue satin, trimmed with sable; --Opera pelisse of ladies' blue cloth, trimmed with the same. Half tippet of white fur round the neck. Gold pierced ear-rings. Olive-coloured gloves and shoes.

Large toupee dressed in curls, the hind hair turned up into a plain chignon. Two bandeaux of white and black velvet, in Vandyke scallops; the ends of the chignon drawn through the bandeaux, and formed into ringlets, falling on the neck and behind. Three large rosettes of white satin ribband, with gold elastic tassels, placed on the top of the toupee. Petticoat of light blue satin, in deep Vandyke scallops. Dress of fine muslin, trimmed with lace; short puckered sleeves, twisted with gold cord. Gold cord round the waist. Diamond festoon necklace with a medallion [;] diamond ear rings. White satin shoes embroidered in silver. Swan-down muff.

The front and side hair dressed in small curls: chignon turned up plain. Bonnet of white satin and plaid silk; four black-coloured feathers, and a bow of gold cord with tassels in the front. Round dress of muslin: short sleeves: the whole trimmed with plaid ribband. Scarf of plaid silk, fastened with a gold epaulétte upon the right shoulder. Gold cord with tassels round the waist. Plaiting of lace round the neck of the gown, fastened in the front by a diamond stud. Three gold chains round the neck. Diamond ear-rings. Sandal shoes. Swan-down muff.

I. THE front hair dressed low, and full upon the forehead: the hind hair turned up plain. Black and grey msulin cap trimmed with pearls. Black and grey ostrich feather placed in the front, the back part set with pearls. Petticoat of lawn, richly embroidered in black. Robe of black muslin, trimmed round the neck down to the girdle with pearls; short sleeves with full tops, and white cuffs, trimmed also with pearls. Silver girdle. Black velvet ribband, with a medallion round the neck. Black-bead ear-rings. Grey gloves, black shoes, black bear muff, with two white roses in the front.

2. The temple and sides dressed very full. Chiffonet of white muslin, crossed with black velvet ribband; band set with pearls; bell flower, and and a rosette of white satin in the front: the hind hair turned up plain, the ends, as well as part of the toupee, drawn through the chiffonet. Dress of plain white muslin, trimmed round the neck, the waist, and the bottom, with a white and black satin ribband; short full sleeves, ruff of black lace round the neck. Gold ear-rings. Gold chain over the shoulders. White gloves and shoes. Opera shawl, lined and trimmed with fur.

Among the customs which existing circumstances have suppressed, there is one which is very severely felt. The model of fashions which used to be dispatched every week from Paris, to reign without ccontroul in all the toilettes in Europe, is no longer sent abroad to give the law in dreeess. In the lamentable uncertainy in which the country ladies and foreigners now remain, they no longer know with precision what fashionable form they ought to five to their hair, to their light gauze, and their transparent lawn. To that well-conducted legislation, which formerly regulated with so much propriety the colour of a ribband, the size of the shoe, and the thickness of the waist, the most complete anarchy has succeeded. --Thanks to this chaos, the country ladies (who could believe it?) refused for a whole year to bury their forms in these ridiculous sacks, called short-waisted robes. --By degrees, however, they have submitted. They have fully recognized the legislative power of our female leaders of the fashion. They now require nothing but an organ, by [from page 118] means of which to conform themselves to the laws of mode; and with this it shall be our business at present to supply them.

Perukes have lost nothing of their glorious influence. It would be as ridiculous for a woman of fashion to show her hair, as it would formerly have been indecent to reveal any of her secret charms. The Parisian ladies adhere to this fashion with the greater constancy, as they claim the merit of the invention ....

[from page 119] To return to our French dames, and their attire, we will add, that they do not confine themselves to fashions borrowed from Roman medals; they have also some pretensions to savage graces. Never did a Huron tuck with more grace her petticoat above the knee than madame Tallien; never did a beautiful Illinois deck out her left toe with shells and bells to more advantage than madame Tallien, whose feet sparkle with diamonds. Seven or eight rivals of this belle sauvage are desirous to outstrip her in her illustrious career; but it is all in vain; they are only calculated to figure in the caricature of the marvellous; madame Tallien is proclaimed the first of the Hurons, as her husband is the first of the Charibs.

We would willingly go into a detail of the gold and silver embroideries, the fragments of the old court, of the shifts denounced by an anathema, of the gauze turbans worn by Soliman the Great, of the small vestsz of satin and velvet borrowed from the Amazons; but we have already pronounced these new fashions to be plagiarisms. We shall therefore adjourn the discussion till the period when our ladies shall give us somethingv of novelty which shall be neither savage, nor Roman, nor Greek, but which shall be French, and decent, and handsome.

[from page 265] A Blue satin petticoat, richly ornamented with silver net, spangled all over, and elegantly drawn up with festoons, with five diamond chains over wreaths of blue satin leaves, and perpendicular buttons in each chain; the pocket holes were ornamented with silver spangled net flowers, silver cord, and two very large diamond roses in blue satin leaves; body and train of white and silver tissue, ornamented with a rich border of silver spangled net over blue satin and silver fringe. Her majesty wore a superb diamond stomacher and belt, with a profusion of diamonds on her head-dress.

The Princess of Wales.--was decorated with a very beautiful embroidery of white and silver in foil, stripes, and spangles: over the right corner flowed a rich drapery of silver spangles and laurel tassels, flounced with a wreath of roses over blue satin between two rows of silver laurel; over the left corner flowed another drapery, ornamented with three wreaths of roses over blue satin, with wreaths of silver laurel between each, a blue satin flounce round the bottom of the petticoat, ornamented with silver laurel, ditto tassels and beautiful roses; body and train of blue and silver gauze trimmed with laurel and roses. (This, in our opinion, was the most elegant and superb dress at court.)

Princess Augusta. --A white and silver embroidery, richly ornamented with three blue crape draperies in festoon, two of which were twisted round with silver laurel, and the other differently festooned with three wreaths of silver laurel. The intermediate space was very tastefully decorated with bunches of blue and silver flowers, a rich silver tassel flounce over blue satin; body and train of blue and silver tissue, trimmed with silver fringe.

The above plate was the frontispiece of the December issue. It was designed to accompany "The Widow; a Fragment" on page 535. The mother and little boy are in mourning dress.

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