Opera Dress – Spring 1813

Early Regency Opera Dress in Ackermann’s Repository 1810 Plate

This original hand-colored fashion engraving from March 1810, published in London for the esteemed Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, displays a refined “Opera Dress” worn by British aristocratic women during the early Regency period. The standing female figure captures the high-waisted Empire silhouette with a white muslin inner gown featuring a heavily gathered bodice and a scoop neckline. Over the dress, she models an elegant tan or light camel-colored pelisse-cloak with a soft fur or plush velvet trimming along the lapels and hemline. The corner of the outerwear garment is embellished with a stylized golden palmette or paisley embroidery pattern, highlighting the neoclassical and oriental design influences prevalent in Napoleonic-era European tailoring.

Antique Georgian Evening Wear with Fur-Trimmed Pelisse Cloaks

An exceptional archival document for 19th-century textile history and historic costume design, this late Georgian print illustrates formal indoor styling for cultural outings. The lady is accessorized with a prominent white draped turban-style head covering or morning cap adorned with a dense cluster of soft curls or feathers at the top. She wears yellow dress gloves, a delicate gold chain necklace with a cross pendant, and pale ballerina slippers, while holding a small booklet or theater playbill in her left hand. Standing against a minimal interior background featuring a draped curtain and a curved stone balustrade, this targeted illustration provides valuable visual data for historic pattern makers and vintage print collectors.