Fashions for February
1844 Illustrated London News
No. 1. A hair coiffure, ornamented with a wreath of green leaves with rose-buds. A white crape dress, with pink satin corsage, the skirt trimmed with fluted pink satin ribbon, and ornamented with bouquets of flowers.
No. 2. A black velvet capote, ornamented with flowers. A Grot de Naples pelisse, trimmed with ruches of the same material. The sleeves descend a little below the elbows; the under sleeves, which descend over he wrists, arc composed of muslin, terminating with lace ruffles.
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Left: A coiffure composed of a lace scarf brocaded with silver. Left A lace cap ornamented with figured satin ribbon.
La Mode de Paris
Fashion has for the present deserted the promenades, and has taken refuge in the theatres and soirées; consequently, there we must now seek her.
On quitting the Italian Theatre, some elegant sorties de ball are to be seen. Some are mere hoods, made of wadded and quilted satin, in brilliant colours; these tie under the chin. Others are small cloaks with hoods, and either with or without sleeves, but almost all of white satin or cachcmire. They are embroidered with silk mixed with gold, or with open passementerie (silk gimp trimming), which is mostly of two colours.
Promenade Dresses are frequently composed of cloth of quite a plain nake, but are ornamented either with passementerie (silk crimp trimming), or with ermine, which still continues to be the most fashionable fur.
Dresses for Full Toilette are frequently made to train, in which case they are made full, and of rich materials.
Ball Dresses usually have two, and sometimes three, skirts, which arc ooj»ed up one over the other with bougucts of flowers. 1
Hats have undergone no change in form since our last notice; velvet still continues to be the prevailing material; they are mostly ornamented with feathers; black, violet, and blue, are the prevailing colours.
Lace Caps with lappets are very fashionable (see the accompanying engravings; they are always ornamented with flowers.
Hair coiffures are frequently ornamented with a light wreath of green leaves, which surrounds the top of the head, and descends upon the bands down the ears, where they terminate with a group of flowers.
References
“Fashions for February.” Illustrated London News (27 January 1844): 60. Hathi Trust version of a copy in the University of Michigan Library. Web. 3 December 2015. The text above was created from the web version with ABBYY FineReader.
Last modified 3 December 2015