BALLOON SLEEVES, 1811.
Albeit every year sees the attire growing less scanty—even the fashions for 1811 display more generous draperies; besides which the latter are flanked and reinforced by huge muffs now coming into vogue and recently made familiar to us in Mr. Barrie's play of "Quality Street." Accompanied, as they occasionally were, by huge beaver hats, these Gargantuan muffs—which must surely have required the pelts of more than one fox to produce, if not of an entire bear—demanded all the attention from their fair wearers, as well as from the gallants of the day. The next illustration shows a carriage dress, conveniently short, for 1811.
A SIMPLE CARRIAGE DRESS, 1811.
GIGANTIC MUFFS À LA MODE, 1811.
VARIEGATED STYLES OF COIFFURE, 1816.
Coal-scuttle bonnets are likewise growing in favour, as may be seen by the picture at the top of this page. Still more interesting is the style of coiffure of the period. Nothing more fantastic, we venture to say, ever came out of the brain of the most imaginative coiffeur. We especially call the attention of those readers who inveigh against the over-elaboration of twentieth-century head-dressing to the rear view of the bottom right-hand elegant cranium. It resembles nothing more closely than a bouquet of turnips, carrots, and other homely vegetables.