Evening Dresses – 1802

Regency Period High-Waisted Evening Gowns and Neoclassical Silhouettes

This authentic early 19th-century hand-colored engraving captures the minimalist elegance of British Regency era evening attire. The antique illustration showcases two women dressed in traditional high-society formal gowns featuring the definitive neoclassical Empire waistline, which rests just below the bust. The standing figure on the left models a soft pastel blue silk dress with delicate short sleeves slashed with white fabric insertions, showcasing a columnar drape that drops elegantly into a subtle floor-length train, reflecting the popular aesthetic trends of the early 1800s.

Antique Georgian Evening Costumes and Historical Bridal Headwear

The companion figure on the right demonstrates alternative styling for formal Georgian soirées or neoclassical bridal wear, clad in an unadorned ivory or cream muslin dress with gathered bands across the short sleeves. Both ladies feature elaborate period hairstyles adorned with structured fabric bandeaux, veils, and a white ostrich plume feather on the left figure, highlighting the Greek revival influence in early nineteenth-century millinery. Titled simply “Evening Dresses” in original cursive script at the bottom margin, this rare historical plate provides pristine visual data for antique print dealers, costume historians, and Regency romance illustrators.