Fashions from Godey's Lady's Book, July 1853

As we mentioned in the first post in this series, we recently stumbled across a bound volume of Godey's Lady's Book from 1853. Once a month, I'll post the collection of fashion-related plates and articles that appeared in each monthly issue. You can find the previous months here.

I apologize in advance for the quality of the images. Although I have a scanner, I've discovered that there's no way I can preserve the integrity of the already fragile binding of the book and lay it flat. That means photos are the only options, and even those are difficult to achieve because of the tightly bound pages. I've done my best to ensure that everything is as clear and visible and undistorted as possible, but if there's something you really can't read or see and would like to have clarified, just let me know and I'll see what more I can do. I've set the images up so that if you click on them, they'll link you to their flickr page, where you'll be able to enlarge them all considerably and thus more easily read each one. Enjoy!

Fig. 1st. - Dress of queen's brocade, the pattern being a rich grouping of natural flowers, wrought with a lifelike richness of imitation.  The shade is the favorite lemon color, which admits only of blue in trimming and decoration.  The richness of the silk requires little additional ornament, the stomacher of blue ribbon knots, which extends around the opening of the basque and is repeated on the sleeves, being all.  A headdress of the same, in close rosettes, and a suit of Honiton or Mechlin lace in frills, completes the costume.

Fig. 2nd. - Evening-dress, very simply and girlish, a lace robe over a delicate rose-colored silk slip; the skirt of the robe is edged with shallow scallops, and confined at the waist by a sash tied in front.  The slightly pointed berthe of the corsage is edged with two rows of narrow lace, the same running around the neck and sleeves.  Bracelets of coral, carved in imitation of roses; a band and knot of rich rose-colored ribbon confines a bouquet of blush roses to the left.  The hair is arranged very simply, waved over the forehead, and gathered into a mass of braids behind, where it is upheld by pins, no comb being visible.

Four muslin chemisettes.

An invalid's cap; a dress cap for dinner or

evening; muslin undersleeves.

Crochet vase to cover a flower pot.

Continuation of the vase pattern; two patterns for embroidery.

Patterns for an infant's cap; netting pattern.

Diagram for boy's dress.

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