~Regency Wednesday~ Opera Dress for February 1823

A little late but that’s better than never, right? ☺

I recently saw an article* about a woman who hand-stitched a Regency ball dress for a ball she was planning to attend in Bath. Her gown is exquisite and took her a mere EIGHT MONTHS to complete. There’s so much to admire in that. ♥  

Naturally, that led me to the fashion magazines for today’s post. This opera dress is clipped from La Belle Assemblée, February 1823. I’m so in love with this dress that if I chose to replicate one, it would be THIS GOWN. ♥ 

No. I.—OPERA DRESS.

  This elegant dress is formed of Cerulean blue satin, or gros de Naples, with a rich border, composed of satin puffs folded in bias, beautifully finished by broad satin rouleaux, The body is made low, but chastely correct, affording only a partial display of the bust, while the shoulders are covered; a tucker of the very finest specimen of URLING’S PATENT LACE, serves also as a modest shield, and the short sleeves are trimmed next to the elbow, with the same material; these sleeves are formed of bias-folded puffings, to answer the trimming at the border of the dress. The hair is arranged in a peculiar, but very beautiful and becoming manner; it is partly à la madonna, but finishes from the temples in the Sevigné style, and is crowned with an Inca diadem comb of fine pearls, placed in the Peruvian style, very backward. The other jewellery ornaments consist of a double gold chain, with opera class depending, set round with pearls, and pearl ear-rings. The figure represents a lady seated on a Persian lounge, in the opera tea-room, where every part of the dress is displayed to advantage; the shoes are of white satin, and the dress is made rather full, and of a moderate length.**

*Read the article on hand-sewing a Regency gown HERE. 

**Clipped from La Belle Assemblée, February 1823, p. 81. Get the Google e-book HERE. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

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♫♪ Staind ~ Home 

~Regency Wednesday~ Fashions for July 1823

I must apologize for how lax I've become in my Regency Wednesday posts. I can give you all kinds of excuses—I mean, who couldn't?—but I'll spare you most of them. I recently had a new release, which you already know, and I always get a little weird in my head after that. I'm bouncing back now and will endeavor to get back on some kind of regular posting schedule. ☺ 

All that said, here is a Regency tidbit for your viewing enjoyment.... 

I just love this pretty little gown I found in the July 1823 issue of La Belle Assemblée: 

 GRAND MUSICAL MEETING DRESS
 LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE, JULY 1823 

And the description, taken verbatim from the magazine....

No. 1.—GRAND MUSICAL MEETING DRESS.

  DRESS of white crepe lisse or fine net, trimmed at the border with puffings of crape, confined by rich fancy trimming; the hem is finished by a row of blond lace of a Vandyck pattern. Over the crape puffings is a serpentine wave of plaited net, in the centre of which is a rouleau of white satin; between each wave is a full blown rose of Provence, with green foliage. The corsage is Iberian, and is of white satin, enriched in front in the stomacher style, with large pearls. The short sleeves are of net, and are simply ornamented with one small rose on the outside of the arm, and the sleeve finished round the arm with Vandyck lace. The hair is arranged partly in the style of the portraits painted by Vandyck, but more elevated on the summit of the head; beneath the braid which forms this elevation, and in front of it, is placed a superb Mexican diadem of topazes, turquoise stones, and pearls; and on the back of the head, on the right side, a splendid comb of gold, with regal points; on the left side of the hair is a full blown rose. The ear-rings are composed of turquoise stones and pearls; the necklace is formed of one row of very large Oriental pearls, with a convent cross lying just above the tucker, which is very narrow, and of Vandyck lace. The shoes are white satin, and the gloves white kid.

*La Belle Assemblée, July 1823. Get the Google e-book HERE. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

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