October 1809’s fashion plates from Ackermann’s feature a blue ball dress with a very slim (and clingy) silhouette and a hem that shows off more than a bit of ankle! I wonder if any readers found it a bit scandalous? The second plate is less risqué: a white walking dress with quite a fancy (and colorful!) shawl and umbrella pairing.
Arbiter Elegantiarum‘s comments speak about suspending his/her “strictures” of late, both out of a desire to see what impact, if any, Arbiter‘s advice had had on readers, and out of hope that some readers would argue with or corroborate Arbiter‘s views. Apparently one lady has even attacked AE‘s strictures in verse! I’ll have to see if I can track this down…
Also included are fabric samples, with their relevant write-ups.
Vol. II, no. x, pages 258-59; 277.
The one dress looks like the spine of the woman is printed down the front. I have seen other prints with similar designs down the front and they all are ugly to me. The blue dress is also an example of the naked style so many waxed wrathful about. While the style looks comfortable enough, the design makes it unattractive to me. The walking dress appears to be a more attractive design but it is still clingy. It doesn’t look as though the women are wearing all of their underclothes. Where is the petticoat?