August 1816's first fashion plate depicts its “evening gown” not from the front, but from the back, a rare sight in a fashion plate of the period. You can see how tiny the bodice was in the back, only a few scant inches of satin plaits (pleats) covering the mid-back; the bodice itself is cut quite low, down the shoulders. I wonder if the lady could have worn any sort of corset with a dress cut so low? The trimming around the bodice's edge is made of white net fashioned into roses, with a “little tuft of pearl in the heart of each.” I hope those roses weren't too scratchy…
We see very little of the “Walking Dress” shown in plate 11, covered as it is with a pelisse of blue and white shot sarsnet. The text describes it as “made half-high”; it looks more to me as if it has three layers, echoing the cloaks worn by the more fashionable male whips, which featured multiple capes. The look is repeated in the triple layers of “rich lace” that finish the bodice. I particularly admire the jaunty white satin hat; its turned-up brim gives it an “air of peculiar smartness.” A good model for Georgette Heyer's The Grand Sophy as she takes the reins and drives her carriage down St. James' Street…
General trends in August's fashions:
• Feathers are far less common on hats than are flowers worn á la Françoise (as in plate 11), or simple ribbon adornments
• Carriage costumes still feature scarves, but “the Princess Mary's bonnet and spencer are higher in estimation.” The princess, eldest daughter of George III, was finally allowed to wed, marrying her cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, in July, only two months after the marriage of Princess Charlotte, daughter of the prince regent. This column includes a description of Mary's wedding gown.
• Backs of immense breadth, with sleeves falling off the shoulder, are out; backs are now of “moderate” breadth, with sleeves just touching the shoulder
• Long sleeves remain fashionable in full dress, a trend that Ackermann's columnist does not favor: “it is true they are always composed of crape, lace, or gauze, but however light the material, they are certainly not appropriate to full dress.”
• Fashionable colors for August include green, celestial blue, straw-color, pale pink, and violet
Long lines of embroidery—to adorn the hem of a gown?—are featured in August's needlework patterns:
