Fashion Summer 1812

Fashion in Riding habits, this one for August 1812 from La Belle Assemblee.

This is without doubt a complicated outfit.  Herewith the detailed description:

Made of ladies habit cloth or Moria Louisa Blue, trimmed down each side of the front with Spanish buttons, the waist rather long with three small buttons on the hips; a short jacket full behind, the front habit fashion with small buttons up the neck and a row of small buttons on each side of the breast; a lapel thrown back from the shoulders and trimmed with Spanish buttons, has a most elegant effect and gives a graceful finish to the dress. 

The collar is made about a quarter inch in depth and fashioned negligently at the throat with a large cord and tassel; it opens sufficiently to display the shirt which is of lace in general but this article admits of considerable variations; some of our elegants wear a collar of lace to fall over, others have a shirt edged round the neck with a rich lace frill and not a few, in despite of the heat of the weather, envelope their necks in a large cravat of India muslin.

    A small woodland hat, whose colour corresponds with the dress with two white ostrich feathers fastened behind and falling carelessly over the left side. A cord and tassel is brought round the hat and fastened near the top of the crown on the right side.



The description provides some other fashion notes with regard to fabric and the various styles of shirt worn beneath the habit. This plate also provides a sketch of what the jacket looks like at the back, where those three buttons at the hips appear to reside. I think this is a very elegant costume for our second year of the regency. I found the designation of the hat as "woodland" very interesting.

Until next time, Happy Rambles.