Victorian Fashion History Illustration: How Do I Look? (1860)

Original, first-generation digital scan of an engraved fashion plate from the February 1860 issue of Godey's Lady's Book in my personal collection. The description for the costumes (from left to right):

Fig. 1. -- Evening-dress of white silk, with two skirts; the lower one has a flounce of lace, headed by a puffing of silk, caught at intervals with sprays of crimson salvia; the upper skirt is in longitudinal puffs, finished in the same manner; puffed and pointed corsage trimmed with salvia; round wreath of the same for the hair.

Fig. 2. -- Evening-dress of rose-colored silk; the lower skirt trimmed with four straight flounces, or single folds of the silk, edged by a shell ruche of the same; the upper skirt has corresponding volantes arranged as a tunic to the right; low, pointed corsage, with Grecian folds, trimmed by a flounce and heading of lace, the fall is crossed at the bouquet de corsage, and is continued in graceful lapels. Round wreath of blush roses without foliage, as in bouquet de corsage.

Fig. 3. -- Dress for the opera. Material, gray moire, with ribbons of deep bright crimson sewn on flat. Opera cloak of white cashmere, trimmed by several rows of swan's-down; Olga sleeve, and graceful hood with tassel.

Fig. 4. -- Evening-dress of white silk, with triple flounces, very deep; under each flounce of white appears an alternating flounce of blue; the drapery of the corsage and the sleeves has the same feature. Wreath of blue convolvulus, with foliage and tendrils.

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