Project Description
Ball Dress is a print initially published in John Bell’s British women’s fashion magazine, La Belle Assemblée. This fashion plate pictures a wealthy, white, assumed-to-be married woman wearing a luxurious dress inspired by French fashion. It was created by “Mrs. Bell,” or Mary Ann Walker Bell, editor of the fashion section between 1810 and 1820 (and John Bell’s wife), who would often advertise her own work in the magazine.
As women became more literate during in the eighteenth century, periodicals grew in popularity amongst middle-class women. However, because fashion plates like this one often illustrated women of high status – and fashion patterns to copy at home were not included – the intended audience for this publication was most likely wealthy, white, married women who could pay dressmakers to make a dress inspired by the plate. This magazine also inherently encouraged women to purchase luxurious clothing that would increase their status as married women. The increased usage of these fashion plates for inspiration followed the increase in the printing of periodicals and, ultimately, influenced women to over-purchase goods in a market economy created by men.
– Lindsay Mayes, Class of 2026