Dinner Dress and Full Dress – Winter 1831

Romantic Era Dinner Dress and Full Dress from La Belle Assemblée 1831

This authentic 1831 hand-colored fashion engraving, published in London by Whittaker and Co. for the prominent women’s periodical La Belle Assemblée, beautifully captures the dramatic proportions of early Romantic era eveningwear. The illustration presents two societal women showcasing distinct formal attire options for high-class gatherings. On the left, the standing figure models a vibrant emerald green satin dinner gown featuring an ultra-wide off-the-shoulder neckline overlaid with an expansive pleated blonde lace bertha collar and characteristic short, balloon-shaped gigot sleeves.

Antique British Fashion Plate with Elaborate Georgian Hairstyles

The seated companion on the right displays a sophisticated full dress gown crafted from luxurious slate blue moiré silk, accented with an oversized gold belt buckle and structured chevron-pleated trimmings trailing down the skirt. Both figures demonstrate the extravagant period coiffure known as the Apollo knot, characterized by towering, braided loops of hair intricately pinned with blooming fresh roses, botanical sprigs, and dangling gemstone earrings. Preserving the original lower plate annotations, this antique print offers invaluable research material for historians tracking the rapid structural shifts in 19th-century textile arts.