Ladies monthly museum, 1800 : Afternoon dress for June 1800 1800

This Afternoon Dress for June 1800 comes to us from an anonymous printmaker. Intended for the Ladies Monthly Museum, it's made from ink on paper, with added hand-colouring. The paper support itself would have been relatively cheap and mass-produced. The image is a reminder that printed media was becoming increasingly accessible at this time. Yet the dresses it shows would have been anything but affordable. They are made of lightweight fabrics like muslin or linen, and are constructed by skilled dressmakers. The airy Neoclassical style suggested here, in a soft palette, implies a world of leisure and privilege. Notice, too, the way the dresses are presented in the print. Their shapes, and the way they drape on the body, are carefully delineated with an attention to line, tone, and texture. The overall impression is one of grace and refinement. Ultimately, this print and others like it offer a window into the fashion of the time, and the society that produced it. It’s a reminder that clothing, like any designed object, is always deeply enmeshed in the values and aspirations of its makers and wearers.