Vol VIII, no. xlv, page 175, Plate 18
September echoes the summery mood of August's plates featuring both Evening Dress and Walking Dress in white (crape and muslin, here). I wonder if anyone actually made a pelerine that looked like the one in the Walking Dress plate; its black lace trim puts me in mind of bat wings.
Vol. VIII, no. xlv, page 175, plate 19
Metropolitan Museum. E Pattison, manufacturer. Accession no. 2001.576a, b
Both outfits are paired with what are described as “Roman Slippers,” although I can't spy any straps around the feet peeking out from under these floor-length gowns, can you? I can imagine something similar to these shoes from the Metropolitan Museum's collection, dated 1806-1815. But perhaps Roman slippers are not the same as Roman sandals?
This month's fabric samples include a piece which is not a fabric at all but rather a “beautiful fancy silver paper for ladies' work-tables, boxes, card-racks, &c.” The actual sample, unfortunately, has deteriorated over time, and now appears mostly black. But its original form sounds quite intriguing: “When made up, it exhibits the appearance of the red sea-weed, strained on a white satin or silver ground.” I guess we will just have to picture it in our minds. Look to the sea-weed pattern of sample #2, a “sea-wood ground printed cambric,” to give you a jumping-off point for your imaginations…
