French Fashions – 1861

Victorian Visiting Costumes and Parisian Reception Dresses

This beautifully engraved fashion plate from “Petit Courrier des Dames” illustrates the refined outdoor visiting attire of high-society European women in the late 1850s. The prominent figure on the left displays the back view of a voluminous black taffeta reception gown, showcasing a tightly pleated waist and structured pagoda sleeves accented by a contrasting plum silk neck ribbon. Accompanying her, a second lady wears a heavy wool visiting cape adorned with military-style passementerie frog closures over a vibrant teal crinoline skirt, presenting a perfect snapshot of formal mid-century etiquette and street fashion.

Military Embellishments and Passementerie Trims in Historical Garments

For theater costume directors and textile conservators, this illustration highlights the integration of structured outerwear trims and military styling into women’s everyday historical dress. The detailed frog closures, braided cords, and covered buttons on the brown mantle reflect the popular European trend of adopting masculine regiment details into feminine silhouettes. These decorative passementerie elements, combined with small indoor lace day caps and wide silk bonnet strings, offer invaluable technical data for accurately recreating authentic high-status garments from the crinoline era.