Garden Promenade Dresses – Autumn 1809

Regency Garden Promenade Dress in La Belle Assemblée Plate

This original hand-colored fashion engraving from September 1809, published by John Bell for the prestigious British magazine La Belle Assemblée, showcases elegant outdoor walking attire from the Georgian era. The historical print introduces “The Garden Promenade Dress,” a style worn by high-society ladies for afternoon strolls in public gardens. The central figure is dressed in a fine white muslin gown featuring long fitted sleeves, a delicate diamond-patterned central bodice trim, and an exquisite royal blue short mantle or capelet draped over her shoulders. The vibrant blue mantle is finished with heavy gold fringe trim and a decorative clasp, highlighting the tactical use of contrasting colors in outdoor winter and autumn transition wear.

Antique 1809 British Walking Costumes and Outerwear Accessories

An exceptional archival resource for early 19th-century textile history, this antique fashion plate details the essential outdoor accessories of the Regency period. The primary lady wears a wide-brimmed straw bonnet adorned with pink flowers and a matching ribbon tied under her chin, while carrying a closed blue parasol with gold fringe. Walking beside her, a second female figure is wrapped in a full-length cream-colored hooded cloak or capote with long trailing scarves finished in gold tassels, pointing toward the distance. This highly detailed illustration offers excellent contextual data for period costume designers, historic print collectors, and researchers of Napoleonic-era British outerwear.