Evening Dress – Spring 1816

Parisian Evening Dress and Early 19th-Century French Influence

This striking antique fashion plate captures the bold cross-cultural aesthetic of the Napoleonic era, originally published as a “Parisian Evening Dress” for the March 1, 1816 edition of the British magazine La Belle Assemblée. The hand-colored engraving illustrates a classic white muslin Empire silhouette gown accented by a uniquely contrasting set of four vibrant crimson or ruby-red bands wrapping around the lower hem. Featuring short puff sleeves finished with crisp white ruffles, the high-waisted dress represents the elegant, neoclassical column style that defined elite European drawing rooms during the post-Waterloo Regency period.

Antique High-Fashion Engraving with Dramatic Feathered Headdress

The historical fashion illustration showcases dramatic period accessories, most notably a towering white turban-style headpiece bound by matching crimson ribbons and topped with plush, red-tipped ostrich feathers. The high-society model holds a delicate folded lace handkerchief in her elbow-length ivory kidskin gloves, enhancing her refined posture. Complete with a lavish multi-drop pearl necklace, matching teardrop earrings, and traditional flat white ballet slippers crisscrossed at the ankle, this authentic 1816 archival print stands as an invaluable reference for theatrical costume designers, curators, and vintage textile historians.