December Fashions for 1798

Lady's Monthly Museum, 1798. 

Paying morning visits was an important part of fashionable life - and it was important that a lady was properly dressed. Popular magazine The Lady's Monthly Museum included up-to-date fashions for its fair readers. The lady on the left is wearing a 'Plain White Gown' (like the ones favoured by Eleanor Tilney in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey), with a 'Cloak of Purple Velvet, hanging in a point behind, trimmed with broad Black Lace'. She is sporting a 'Black Velvet Cap' with a 'Bandeau of Pink Ribbon', with a pink handkerchief and pink shoes. For warmth, she is carrying a 'Bear [skin] Muff'. Her companion is also attired in a 'Plain Gown' with a 'Cloak of Scarlet Kerseymere, trimmed with Sables, having either a hood or cape trimmed with the same'. This lady's 'head-dress' is made from 'Purple Velvet, with Bandeau, Puffing, and Rose of Scarlet Ribbon', with matching shoes.  

Plain gowns were also popular for evening wear, with suitable embellishments. Full dress (image right) for the first figure comprised a 'Round Gown, with the Agatha Robe of Pink Muslin'. The robe had satin half-sleeves, and was fashioned on each shoulder with a cornelian clasp. The lady is wearing a coral necklace and earrings, and a turban of purple velvet trimmed with white satin and pink muslin; purple shoes to match. The lady on the right is wearing a lilac muslin half-robe over her round gown with lace tucker. Her head-dress is a lilac 'fillet' fastened under her chin, decorated with pearls.

On 18 December 1798, Jane Austen was looking forward to a ball. She wrote to her sister Cassandra, 'I took the liberty a few days ago of asking your black velvet bonnet to lend me its cawl, which it very readily did, and by which I have been enabled to give a considerable improvement of dignity to cap, which was before too nidgetty to please me. I shall wear it on Thursday, but I hope you will not be offended with me for following your advice as to its ornaments only in part. I still venture to retain the narrow silver round it, put twice round without any bow, and instead of the black military feather shall put in the coquelicot one as being smarter, and besides coquelicot is to be all the fashion this winter. After the ball I shall probably make it entirely black'.   

A very Happy Christmas to all my readers!