Page:Repository of Arts, Series 1, Volume 01, 1809, January-June.djvu/159

Rh Henry VIII. hats, trimmed or embroidered with beads, gold, silver, or chenille, are becoming and fashionable; feathers of various colours to correspond are likewise much worn. For morning dresses, bombazeens are coming into fashion: prevailing colour, dark, purple, or Bishop’s blue.

In gentlemen’s dress there is little variation since our last number.

Madame Lanchester (St. James’s-street) has furnished the designs of the fashions with her usual taste.

plate is a representation of a landau built by Messrs. Birch and Son, Great Queen-street, Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields. Mr. C. L. Birch has obtained a patent for improvements in the construction of the roofs and upper quarters, not only of landaus, but of all other carriages which are made to fall down. By these improvements the objections against landaus upon the old plan, either as town, pleasure, or travelling carriages, are entirely removed.

The head or roof, and upper parts, by the new invention, have an even smooth surface, like a well built town coach, shew no outward joints on the top of the windows, or locks on the roof; yet are so completely secured as to prevent any possibility of being opened from the outside: it removes the inconveniences arising from the leather contracting, or drawing the fore-lights out of their perpendicular position, it causing the shutters and glasses to act properly, and renders it impossible for water to penetrate the leather or to lie on the roof. A carriage constructed upon these principles will admit two imperials upon the top, without at all interfering with opening it, and the spring curtains remain, which in landaus constructed upon the old plan it was necessary to remove, before there was a possibility of their being opened.

the very elegant dresses worn at court on her majesty’s birthday, rich figured satins were the most prevalent. The pattern No. 1 was worn by the Duchess of Chandos upon that occasion: it has a very beautiful appearance in full dress. This was supplied by Messrs. Robarts, Plowman, and Snuggs, No. I, Chandos-street; who are also preparing (for the next month) an extensive assortment of the most elegant patterns in figured gauzes and gossamers, which are so much admired tor evening dresses.

No. 2 is the pattern of a gold- coloured figured satin, which was worn at court on her majesty’s birth-day by the Countess Rothsay, by the Viscountess Sudley, and many other ladies of distinction: this colour was among the most prevalent. It was furnished by Messrs. D. and P. Cooper, Pall-Mall.

No. 3 is a pattern of Bishop’s-blue bombazeen: this article, in a