London Dresses – Winter 1799

A hand-colored fashion plate from March 1799 titled ‘London Full & Half Dress’. The illustration showcases two women standing in profile, facing each other to display late Georgian or early Regency era attire. The woman on the left, representing ‘Full Dress’, wears a high-waisted white muslin gown with a small train, layered under a distinctive scarlet waistcoat or bodice trimmed with silver detailing. She features an elaborate striped turban adorned with tall red plumes and a sheer veil. The woman on the right, representing ‘Half Dress’, wears a long brown sarsnet coat or robe over a white gown, fastened with a high empire-waist blue belt and matching collar. She holds an exceptionally large, dark brown bear fur muff and completes her look with a blue and black polka-dotted velvet bonnet decorated with feathers.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges