#demorest

Colour fashion plate from Demorest's Monthly Magazine for April 1869.

Description from page 151:

Description of Colored Steel Plate

Fig. 1 - Young lady's evening dress. White mull or tarlatan; the first style of puffing encircles the skirt, which trains gracefully; after which the skirt is puffed in gores lengthwise with a chain of satin loops, terminating with a large bow over each seam; baby waist and short puffed sleeves finished with a frill of lace. Black lace berthe describing a point in the back, green satin sash tied behind in large loops; the front width of the skirt above the horizontal puffing is not frilled up as much as the remaining gores; if preferred, it may be left entirely plain without marring the elegance of the dress

Fig. 2. - Walking-suit. Dove colored silk with chene stripes; the trimming consists of Bismarck silk ruching; a wide band is set upon the edge of the underskirt; the overdress has a plain round apron and four puffed gores; this brings a seam in the middle of the back, which is drawn up considerably shorter than the others, say about one half the length of the side seams; the ruching which forms the border is about half as wide as that upon the underskirt, and the trimming upon the seams narrows off gradually as it approaches the waist; it is carried over the shoulders in the form of bretelles; the cape is round across the back, and caught up in the center to the row of trimming which yokes the shoulders in the shape of a cape, slightly pointed behind with a large rosette; the front of the cape has long round scarfs; the ruching requires to be a little narrower than that upon the overskirt. Bonnet of Bismarck straw, ornamented with white frosted primroses and black lace. Scarfs of Bismarck silk edged with lace. 

Mme Demorest's Quarterly Mirror of Fashions Volume 3, Number 1, For the Fall of 1862.

"Respectfully, Mme Demorest"

Fashion plate from Demorest's Mirror of Fashions for June 1869, engraved and printed by Kimmel & Forster.

Description from page 231:

DESCRIPTION OF COLORED STEEL PLATE.

Fig. 1. — A Miss of twelve years. Underskirt and Gabrielle overdress of Japan poplin, striped in “Carombier” and white; underskirt gored in the usual style in front and at the sides, and full in the back; the Gabrielle opens in front and closes with hooks as far as the waist; the skirt describes a tunic, the corners cut off round. Puffed sleeve with a deep cap; the trimming consists of a bias band of white silk pinked out in large scollops and set on with only sufficient fullness through the centre to make it set easy; the stitches are concealed by “Carombier” satin or silk piping, or, in lieu of this, narrow gimp. Another way of trimming would be two rows of Valenciennes edge, one turned up and the other below the poplin, with a piping or gimp to conceal the joining. The skirt is slightly festooned at each side.

Fig. 2. — Dinner dress of blue silk, train skirt, with side gore puffed in over the hip, the fullness extending from the belt to the rosettes; the back is also puffed into the same distance, but its width and length prevent it from having a bunchy appearance; it is gathered into the belt; the front gore is flat or plain, and the seams trimmed a little more than half way of the length, with a ruffle edged with a narrow lace laid in small box plaits and set on with piping of blue satin; the side is ornamented with two ruffles made and put on in the same way; this trimming terminated under a large rosette made of four loops with a cross puff and tabs bordered with lace; the bottom of the skirt is finished with a box-plaited flounce, piped on the lower edge and set on with piping; upper edge bordered with lace; body faced with broad satin revers turning round the back like a collar; sleeve shaped to the arm; a puff is set at the top upon the upper surface divided through the center with box plaiting, and above this a rosette; plain belt finished in front with a pointed end and cross strap. Hair arranged in puffs lengthwise, and decorated with a vine of scarlet berries.

Fashion plate from Demorest's Mirror of Fashion for October of 1872, unsigned.

Description from page 307-308 of the magazine:

DESCRIPTION OF COLORED STEEL PLATE. FIG. 1. — A stylish toilet, which can be appropriately used either for house or street wear. The material is ashes-of-roses French poplin, trimmed with ruffles and puffs of the material, bound with brown poult de soie. The skirt, cut walking length, after pattern No. 55, is trimmed all the way up the back with narrow, overlapping flounces, which are finished at the back seam of the front gore on each side by a perpendicular cluster of ruffles, two turned each way and separated by a brown-silk piping. The front is ornamented with sections of trimming, each composed of a puff and ruffles, disposed as illustrated. The overdress is known as the "Elise," pattern No. 1339, and consists of a waist, plain and round in the back, but having pointed basques in front falling over a draped apron which is carried across the tournure, and fastened at the waist line under a brown silk sash. The trimming on the front of the waist is disposed so as to simulate a vest, Lingerie of Valenciennes lace. Skirt pattern in various sizes, thirty cents each; overdress patterns, in various sizes, the same price.

FIG. 2. — A recherché dinner or reception toilet, made in rich black faille. It is arranged with a demi-train skirt, and a distingué overdress which also forms a train. The skirt, cut after pattern No. 553, is entirely without garniture. The stylish train known as the "Lucca," pattern No. 1116, is in the polonaise style in front, the sizes being cut very wide and carried up in the back between the shoulders, where they are confined under a handsome bow at the top of a broad Watteau plait. The sides of the train are cut in scallops graduated in size; but the edge of the back part is perfectly plain. The fronts are trimmed with heavy twist fringe, headed by rich passementerie. This train will be found especially becoming to tall, slender figures. The opposite view is illustrated on Fig. 3 of the double-page engraving. Collars and undersleeves of point lace. Skirt pattern, in various sizes, thirty cents each. Train pattern, various sizes, same price.

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Detail and alternate view of the "Elise" overdress as mentioned in the description of figure 1: (page 312)

"ELISE" OVERDRESS. THE overdress illustrated above is especially designed to be worn with a skirt ruffled. or otherwise trimmed nearly or quite to the waist-line, in the back. It is adapted to thin goods, silk, poplin, and other materials of medium thickness which admit of being fully trimmed. The waist part can be worn with any other style of overskirt, or with a plain skirt, if a full sash be added in the back. On Fig. 1, of the steel plate, the " Elise" is shown over a handsomely trimmed skirt. Pattern No. 1339, in various sizes, thirty cents each.

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Detail and alternate view of the "Lucca" train as mentioned in the description of figure 2: (page 311)

THE "LUCCA" TRAIN. It is seldom that novelty and grace are so admirably blended as in the "Lucca" train, which is, in fact, a trained overdress. to be worn over a demi-train skirt—pattern 553—and is especially designed for tall, slender figures. It is most appropriately made in rich silk, or poplin, and needs no trimming, excepting folds of the goods. and lace or fringe, with a suitable heading, to trim the apron. The back view of this exceedingly distingué train is illustrated on Fig. 2, of the steel plate. Pattern No. 1116, in various sizes, thirty cents each.

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Many thanks to Moira Allen of VictorianVoices.net for providing a scan of the October 1872 section of Demorest's! You can find the whole scan here, under "Fashion" > "Mirror of Fashions"

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Colour plate from Demorest's Mirror of Fashion from June of 1869.

Description of Colored Steel Plate. [page 274]

First Toilet.—Pale fawn-colored silk trimmed with puffs of the same and white lace, either point appliqué or rich Valenciennes underskirt bordered with a very deep box-plaited volante headed by a puff. Watteau overdress, of which the skirt is long and festooned at each side with a large rosette; body cut out at the top into a round, half-low neck; a puff encircles the top and runs down the center in front to the belt; a basque, inclining to a point behind, falls over the hips and terminates under the plait; the basque rounds away from the belt in front; the shoulders are encircled with a fluted organdy frill tipped with lace in Elizabethan style. Sleeve extending to the elbow and finished with lace frills; the lace is everywhere headed with silk puffing which requires to be two inches wide and set on with flat plaits all turned in one direction; the belt closes in front with a puff two and a half inches long, having a frill of lace around the lower edge. White gloves. Coiffure of wheat and a crimson rose.

Second Toilet.—Boy's suit of gray cassimere, trimmed with silk galoon and silver buttons; knee pants ornamented on the sides, and loose jacket over a white under-body; the pocket falls are elaborately ornamented, also the cuffs of the sleeves; the galoon, being very narrow, is set on in short straps, meeting the buttons. Straw hat with stiff plume at the side and broad ribbon band.

Third Toilet.—Young lady's dinner costume. Short dress of violet silk, skirt encircled by two gathered puffs set a little distance apart and bordered with satin piping; sleeve ornamented on the back with three folds, two of satin and one of silk, with large rosettes set on at intervals; the folds terminate under the lowest rosette; two rows of piping at the bottom. Overdress of white organdy, made with a broad, round, gored apron gathered up into long sashes; this is attached to the belt in gathers around the sides and back; skeleton body, cut with a point upon each shoulder; it is bordered with a fluted ruffle and farther trimmed with rosettes of organdy down the front of the apron and at the top of the sashes. This garment is pretty and simple, and possesses the advantage that it can be laundered when soiled; the ornamental dress-belt is to be put on outside, and finished in front with a pointed end and cross-strap. If preferred, the rosettes may be of silk, matching the color of the dress; likewise, the latter will look as well made of grenadine or organdy.

Colour plate from Demorests' Mirror of Fashion from June of 1969, unsigned.

DESCRIPTION OF COLORED STEEL PLATE. [page 231]

Fig. 1. - A Miss of twelve years. Underskirt and Gabrielle overdress of Japan poplin, striped in “Carombier” and white; underskirt gored in the usual style in front and at the sides, and full in the back; the Gabrielle opens in front and closes with hooks as far as the waist; the skirt describes a tunic, the corners cut off round. Puffed sleeve with a deep cap; the trimming consists of a bias band of white silk pinked out in large scollops and set on with only sufficient fullness through the centre to make it set easy; the stitches are concealed by “Carombier” satin or silk piping, or, in lieu of this, narrow gimp. Another way of trimming would be two rows of Valenciennes edge, one turned up and the other below the poplin, with a piping or gimp to conceal the joining. The skirt is slightly festooned at each side.

Fig. 2. - Dinner dress of blue silk, train skirt, with side gore puffed in over the hip, the fullness extending from the belt to the rosettes; the back is also puffed into the same distance, but its width and length prevent it from having a bunchy appearance; it is gathered into the belt; the front gore is flat or plain, and the seams trimmed a little more than half way of the length, with a ruffle edged with a narrow lace laid in small box plaits and set on with piping of blue satin; the side is ornamented with two ruffles made and put on in the same way; this trimming terminated under a large rosette made of four loops with a cross puff and tabs bordered with lace; the bottom of the skirt is finished with a box-plaited flounce, piped on the lower edge and set on with piping; upper edge bordered with lace; body faced with broad satin revers turning round the back like a collar; sleeve shaped to the arm; a puff is set at the top upon the upper surface divided through the center with box plaiting, and above this a rosette; plain belt finished in front with a pointed end and cross strap. Hair arranged in puffs lengthwise, and decorated with a vine of scarlet berries. 

Fig. 3. - Young lady’s house dress of dove-colored grenadine; the skirt is cut walking length and ornamented with two flounces laid in flat plaits and headed with puffs of rose-colored silk; the puffs are shirred on so that a frill occurs on both sides; these are bound with dove-color and dove-colored piping put on over the shirrs; the skirt trimming curves around the front and sides so that it is brought considerably higher in the back than the front; the lower flounce is increased in width toward the back, to correspond with the direction of the puff. Pompadour body made up over gray taffetas; plain sleeve shaped to the arm, puff of rose silk at the top, and a box plaiting at the hand carried half way up to the elbow over the seam. Frill of white blonde on the cuff, and around the neck with an inserting between, through which is run a narrow velvet; rose silk bows upon the front of the body, dove-colored belt, and a dove-colored and rose silk cluster of loops on the back. A slip of gray taffetas is required as an underskirt.

Colour fashion plate for Demorest's Mirror of Fashions for November of 1872.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a scan of the November 1871 issue for the description.

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Mme Demorest's Quarterly Mirror of Fashions Volume 3, Number 1, For the Fall of 1862.

New and Elegant Braidwork and Embroidery