Paris Fashions for April [1872]. Source: Illustrated London News. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
Commentary from the Illustrated London News
The promise of an early spring, which gave a premature development to the Easter fashions, has not been fulfilled, and ail the lighter and gayer materials have been laid aside until a favourable change declares itself. The Longchamps promenade was an utter failure; there was the usual number of vehicles of the customary heterogeneous description, but scarcely half a dozen elegant toilettes were visible between the Avenue de l’Impératrice and the lakes. This was to be accounted for by the inclemency of the weather, which up to the present moment has only slightly moderated, much to the disgust of Parisian modistes and élégantes, both of whom are avowedly anxious for a return to something akin to that luxurious display in the matter of female attire vi hich was one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Second Empire. The most notable change to be chronicled is the introduction of foulards as toilettes de promenade. Foulards, blue and bouquetiere, are worn by young persons as tunics Louis Quinze, Dubarry, and Manon Lescaut, over plain fouiard jupons plaited half way up. Little patterns are more in favour than larger ones; nevertheless, certain éiégantes evince a preference for black foulards covered with large designs of flowers which are better adapted for furniture than for robes, and which exact from the wearer that she shall not only be an authority in the world of fashion, but have the distingué air indispensable to such a style of costume.
The Illustrations
Fig. l. Toilette do Diner.—-The robe à traine of Louise blue poult de soie, trimmed with a deep flounce, scalloped at each end, and falling about six inches from the bottom of the skirt, is covered with a white lace tunic, caught up at each side. The corsage of blue poult de soie, trimmed in front with a narrow plaiting edged with biais, and having blue velvet shoulder-straps bordered with white lace, is cut low, so as to show a plaited chemisette trimmed with lace beneath. The sleeves, of poult de soie, arranged en bouillonnce, reach no further than the elbows, where they are fastened with a bow of blue velvet, and are supplemented by very full white lace sleeves, worked into a succession of bouillonnéers, each trimmed with a blue velvet bow. The corsage is completed by two pointed basques of blue poult de soie edged with blue velvet, fastened at the waist by a velvet ceinture.
Fig. 2. Toilette de Visite. Robe à demi-traine of pearl-grey faille, trimmed with adeep flonnce, surmounted by two smaller ones with plaited headings. The cashmere tunic, of a darker shade of grey, scolloped round the edges, and trimmed with embroidered designs; and a long fringe, combining both shades of grey, forms a tablier in front and a train behind falling over the faille skirt. The corsage of the tunic is relieved with rovers, and the sleeves have cuffs, both being scolloped and trimmed with embroidered designs. The chapeau, of maize-coloured faille, is trimmed with white faille ribbon, a white aigrette, and a tuft of maroon-coloured feathers.
Fig. 3. Toilette de Promenade Pompadour, the under skirt of which, trimmed with a deep flounce having a plaitod heading, is in skyblue taffeta. The tunic, which is of white foulard or mousseline laine, spotted with little bouquets of flowers, forms a manteau abbé galant behind. In front it is fastened with blue velvet bows, and falls in rounded points at each side, the edges being trimmed with a plaiting of blue taffeta. The sleeves, of medium size down to the elbows, are trimmed at the bottom with a deep flounce, gathered up and secured at the elbows by a plaiting of taffeta. The chapeau rond, of rice straw, is trimmed with a garland of roses falling down over the shoulder, andabow of sky-blue taifeta similar to the robe.
Fig.4. Toilette de visite à demi-traine of mignonette green poult dc soie, the under skirt of which is trimmed with three vaudyked ruches of a darker shade of green, placed at equal distances from each other, so as to give the skirt the appearance of a succession of bouillonnees. The upper skirt, forming a tablier in front, falls in rounded points at each side. It is caught up behind en pouffe by one of the before-mentioned ruches, which also trim it at the side and in front. The little jacket, cut to the shape, has a succession of basques all round. Other ruches simulate braces over the shoulders, and trim the large ends of the sleeves. The chapeau, of rice straw, has the front. encircled with a garland of white periwinkle. A large veil of embroidered white tulle covers both the flowers and the chapeau, and is fastened under the chin. Two bouquets of roses and leaves are posed on the veil at the left side.
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Bibliography
“Paris Fashions for April.” Illustrated London News 60 (13 April 1872): 369-70. Hathi Trust Digital Library version of a copy in the University of Michigan Library. Web. 20 January 2016.]
Last modified 20 January 2016