Modes de Paris

The 'Petit courrier des dames ou nouveau journal des modes' [Little newsletter for ladies or new fashion journal', succeeded in 1822 another publication the 'Nouveau journal des dames ou petit courrier des modes' which had been published from July to December 1821. The magazine was successful enough to survive until 1868, publishing altogether more than 3,700 hand-coloured fashion plates. In April 1830, the Petit Courrier had 4000 subscribers.*

This plate from five years earlier shows a 'Robe de grénadine garnie de rubans, Chapeau béarnais des Magasins de Mme Mure', that is a dress made of grenadine, a type of textured silk fabric, and a hat supposedly in the style of Bearnés, a region in south-west France, which was available from the shops of Madame Mure.

Fashion plates often showed the front and back of the same garment., here somewhat confusingly coloured in differently. The illustrator managed to convey the gauziness of the long sleeves held out by the puff sleeves beneath. The fashion for wearing bracelets over blouse cuffs is also shown. Most striking is the contrasting decoration formed by wide ribbons of the lower part of the dress.