Fashion plate, from Le Petit Courrier des Dames

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This hand-coloured fashion plate is from a scrap album containing a selection of 19th century fashion plates. The plate is from Le Petit Courrier des Dames, a weekly fashion magazine published in Paris. Dated 15 March, 1840, it illustrates an evening dress.

By having the figures both standing and seated, the outfit can be appreciated from the front and back. The waistline of the dress is tight fitting and extends to a point. Stiffened petticoats of crinoline (horsehair) would have helped to swell the dome-shaped skirt.

Le Petit Courrier des Dames was one of the most important of the 19th century French fashion magazines. In 1821, for its first year of publication, it was known as Le Nouveau Journal des Dames. It continued in publication until around 1865.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-104-870-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  H.RHI 154.24
• Date: 1840
  
• Material: Paper. Inscription: Sous jupes bouffantes elastiques
  Document / plate, fashion
  
• Dimensions: 14.80" x 10.00"
  
• What: Document / plate, fashion
  
• Subject: Fashion plates
  
• Who: Petit Courrier des Dames
  
• Where:
• Event:
• Description: Fashion plate showing a woman wearing 'sous jupes bouffantes elastiques' beneath an evening dress, from Petit Courrier des Dames, 15 March 1840
  
• References:
  • Holland, Vyvyan. Hand Coloured Fashion Plates 1770 to 1899. London: B.T. Batsford, 1955, p 64. 
• Translations:
• Related Records: