Fashions and Bonnets – Winter 1839

Antiques and Curiosities: Genuine 1839 British Promenade Costume Plate

This original hand-colored engraving, inscribed “Fashions for November 1839,” presents a rare visual record of late Romantic era promenade and carriage dresses. Sourced from a premier 19th-century British fashion periodical, this archival print documents the elite winter outerwear styling worn during the transition into the early Victorian decade. Antique illustrations of this specific month provide indispensable secondary data for fashion curators, antique paper collectors, and textile conservators studying historical pattern drafting and seasonal dress codes.

Early Victorian Winter Outerwear: Fringed Cashmere Shawls and Silk Carriage Capes

The detailed fashion engraving highlights the heavy layering essential for cold-weather mobility, featuring two central women in elegant strolling ensembles. The figure on the left wears a quilted green silk gown layered under a heavy tan cashmere shawl with deep fringe trim, paired with an enveloping cream satin bonnet. Her companion models a voluminous brown silk carriage cloak featuring a contrasting blue velvet lapel band, accented by an extravagant plumed hat with a trailing ostrich feather. Surrounding vignettes isolate a lace chemisette, a lavender day dress bodice, and various silk bonnet options decorated with winter floral motifs.