Moonstone Research & Publications                                                         

Summer Toilet from the July 1861 Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine

The bonnet, of white crepe is trimmed with a bunch of white feathers tipped with mauve, placed on the top of the bonnet, with mauve coloured flowers for the bandeau, and very broad white strings. The mantle of black silk, is trimmed with three broad lace flounces, and is worn very much off the shoulders. Each row of lace is headed by  silk ruches, five inches of dark mauve, alternating to match the colours on the bottom of the dress. The dress is of light mauve coloured silk, with a plain body, short waist, and sash of dark mauve silk. The bottom of the skirt, to the depth of half a yard, is trimmed with puffings of light and dark silk placed alternately and in a slanting direction, as shown in the plate, with a thick cording of the light silk between each row of puffs.

Summer toilet suitable for a Picnic or fete – The hat is made of fine plain white straw, is bound with rose-coloured silk, and has a bow in front with two long ends behind. A long white ostrich feather is fastened in the bow, covers the left side of the hat, and falls behind. The dress is of clear book muslin, worn over a pink silk petticoat. The body is made open in front, with a puffing of muslin round the neck, edged by a plainly hemmed muslin frill;  a piece of ribbon is run in the puffing, finished off by a bow at the ends. The sleeve is plain to the elbow, where it terminates with a puffing and deep muslin frill. This frill is sloped, and should be made longer the back of the arm than the front; it is also trimmed with a bow and short ends, whilst a sash with long ends completes the body at the waist. The skirt is trimmed at the bottom with five hemmed flounces, each one three inches deep, with a tiny puffing of muslin to finish off the top flounces.

Send mail to Susan Broadwater with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2004

Last modified: 01/17/05