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Today’s dress from 1836 is a morning dress. Morning dresses were very casual and usually worn in the morning. As I’ve mentioned before, clothing got progressively more formal as you moved through the day. So, morning clothing was the most casual. Ballgowns for evening events were the most formal. There were also court gowns worn at court, but that’s a whole subsection of 19th century clothing that I am not going to dive into in this 1830s paper doll collection.
So, back to morning dresses. Morning dresses still had come in all sorts of levels of formality of course- the actual bathrobe to the sort of “lounging clothes” that you might wear to run to the store. I can’t say I’ve never gotten groceries in pajama pants (though I confess I tend to avoid it unless I am really desperate.)
The fashion plate comes from Ladies’ Pocket Magazine from May 1836. Ladies’ Pocket Magazine was a English publication printed out of London and it came out monthly. I find the plates in it are very mixed. Some are lovely and some much less so. I think they are pretty poor in the early 1800s and get better in the 1830s.
A key accessory paired with morning dresses was a cap, typically used to cover the hair. These caps were elaborately styled despite the casual nature of the ensemble. The one depicted alongside this dress is ruffled, adorned with charming bows, adding a touch of whimsy and individuality. One detail I particularly loved in the accompanying fashion plate is how the ribbon on the cap intentionally does not match the dress, creating an interesting contrast.
When I rendered this dress, I think I did an okay job, but I don’t think I really effectively captured the shape of the sleeves. Still, given that this isn’t an era I’m super familiar with, I’m pretty happy with the outcome over all.