Author Archives: Suzi Love

About Suzi Love

I'm an Australian author of contemporary and historical romances, plus history non-fiction. My books range from sexy to erotic, late 1700s to the mid 1800s, and with a dash of Australia thrown into the mix. My heroes and heroines challenge tradition and my stories often expose the seamier levels of life. I now live in a sunny part of Australia after spending many years in developing countries in the South Pacific. My greatest loves are traveling, anywhere and everywhere, meeting crazy characters, and visiting the Australian outback. I hope my books bring history alive and you have fun adventuring with my roguish heroes and feisty heroines.

1816 Pink Spencer Over Short Length White Walking Dress in Bridgerton and Jane Austen style. #bridgerton #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten #HistoricalFashion

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1816 White Walking Dress of short length and double row of frills at the hem. With pretty pink V-necked Spencer and carrying a reticule, walking shoes and floral wreath in her hair. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Jane Austen and her contemporaries often walked to places and so would have needed the warmth of a Spencer over her dress in the cold British winters. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819

Definition Spencer: Short jacket, cropped at the waist, worn over a dress, or gown. These close-fitting, tight sleeved, waist length jackets were modeled on a gentleman’s riding coat, but without tails. Delicate and regency dresses provided so little protection from the cold, so over garments were essential for warmth, modesty and good health.

Definition Reticule Or Ridicule Or Bag or Purse or Handbag: Often with a drawstring to pull closed and usually made of cloth or covered cardboard and often decorated with beading or embroidery. A reticule, or purse, or handbag, was usually carried by a woman during the Regency period to carry all their daily necessities. Earlier, women used pockets that tied at the waistline and were hidden in the folds of their skirts. Empire style, or early 1800s, high-waisted dresses made it impossible to either sewn in a pocket or to tie on a pocket. So women began carrying small, decorated bags called Reticules, or ridicules, which generally pulled close at the top with a drawstring.

Definition Empire Style Dress:  Named after the First Empire in France. Empire dresses had a low neckline and skirts started directly under the bust and flowed into the classical relaxed wide styles of Greece and Rome. This style of dress is associated with Jane Austen and her contemporaries as a high-waisted dress was worn most days. Cotton, silk or taffeta were the popular fabrics. Only the very wealthy could afford white dress in this style as the cottons were imported from India and had to be carefully cleaned, usually by a lady’s maid.

1816 White Walking Dress of short length and double row of frills at the hem. With pretty pink V-necked Spencer and carrying a reticule, walking shoes and floral wreath in her hair. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Jane Austen and her contemporaries often walked to places and so would have needed the warmth of a Spencer over her dress in the cold British winters. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
HN_28_D2D_Fashion Women 1815-1819 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819

1809 Messrs. Harding Howell and Co., Draper on Pall Mall, London, in Jane Austen’s times. #JaneAusten #RegencyEra #London #shopping

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1809 Messrs. Harding Howell and Co., London, UK. View of interior of Harding Howell and Co., draper’s shop on Pall Mall. Ladies examine latest fashions and fabrics which they could then request of their dressmakers. This house extended 150 feet from front to back and was divided by glass petitions into four departments, furs and fans, haberdashery, jewellery, ornaments and perfumes, and millinery. bl.uk

1809 Interior of Messrs. Harding Howell and Co. Draper's Shop, Pall Mall, London, U.K.
1809 Interior of Messrs. Harding Howell and Co. Draper’s Shop, Pall Mall, London, U.K.

RL_1_D2D_Regency Overview RetailerLinks https://books2read.com/suziloveROver
RL_1_D2D_Regency Overview RetailerLinks https://books2read.com/suziloveROver

1809 July Opera Dress: Round convent robe of Egyptian brown tissue in Jane Austen Style. #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten #HistoricalFashion

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1809 July Opera Dress. I can picture aristocratic women wearing this sort of gorgeous outfit to the opera or an evening event.

Round convent robe of Egyptian brown tissue worn over white satin underdress, ornamented at feet, bosom and sleeves with broad Antique lace, out on full, and narrowing in front, white satin appliqued stomacher embellished with gold lattice work and continued in a straight line down to the hem. Headdress is a gold net caul, enclosing the hair at the back and finished in front with a Mechlin veil displaying the hair on the forehead and falling over the left shoulder. Necklace and armlets are a single row of Bohemian pearl with topaz or diamond snaps. Grecian scarf of rich Andalusian silk, contrasted with the robe and wrought at the ends in a deep Tuscan border of gold or colored silks. White satin slippers, trimmed with brown foil or gold, French kid gloves, opera fan of white crepe with a border of jessamine. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.

1809 July Opera Dress Round convent robe of Egyptian brown tissue worn over white satin underdress, ornamented at feet, bosom and sleeves with broad Antique lace, out on full, and narrowing in front, white satin appliqued stomacher embellished with gold lattice work and continued in a straight line down to the hem. Headdress is a gold net caul, enclosing the hair at the back and finished in front with a Mechlin veil displaying the hair on the forehead and falling over the left shoulder. Necklace and armlets are a single row of Bohemian pearl with topaz or diamond snaps. Grecian scarf of rich Andalusian silk, contrasted with the robe and wrought at the ends in a deep Tuscan border of gold or colored silks. White satin slippers, trimmed with brown foil or gold, French kid gloves, opera fan of white crepe with a border of jessamine. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann's 'The Repository of Arts'. I can picture aristocratic women wearing this sort of gorgeous outfit to the opera or an evening event.
HN_26_D2D Fashion Women 1805-1809 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809
Fashion Women 1805-1809 History Notes Book 26 What did Jane Austen and friends wear? https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809

1800 ca. Chemisette, Or Sleeveless Under Bodice, as worn by women in Jane Austen’s era. #BritishHisory #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten

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1800 ca. Chemisette, English. In Jane Austen’s times, there were several ways for women to keep their modesty when the fashion trend was for low cut bodices and loose flowing dresses e.g. Chemisette, Fichu, Pelerine etc.
Definition Chemisette: Sleeveless under-bodice covering neck, shoulders and breast, usually of muslin or lace and worn to fill in the neckline of a dress. French term for vestee, gilet, etc. via Killerton House, U.K. & National Trust.

1800 ca. Chemisette, English. Chemisette: Sleeveless under-bodice covering neck, shoulders and breast, usually of muslin or lace and worn to fill in the neckline of a dress. French term for vestee, gilet, etc. via Killerton House, U.K. & National Trust.
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1808 Jane Austen Style Blue Redingote Over A White Dress. Green turban and lace veils. #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten #Hats #HistoricalFashion

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1808 Jane Austen Style Blue Redingote Over A White Dress. Green turban and lace veils. Bodice. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.

French fashions like this were copied by English magazines so these styles of hats would have been worn by Jane Austen and her contemporaries.

HN_26_D2D_FsshionWomen1805-1809 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809
HN_26_D2D_FashionWomen1805-1809 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809

1800-1820 ca. Pair of Gloves, Probably Spanish. Type worn in Bridgerton and Jane Austen times. #Bridgerton #JaneAusten #RegencyFashion #Spain #gloves

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1800-1820 ca. Pair of Gloves, Probably Spanish.

1800-1820 ca.  Woman’s Gloves, Spanish. Repeating pattern of concentric ovals across fingers shows their high quality and workmanship. Scalloped, pierced, pinked edges of cuff have geometric elements with floral garlands. Scene of gentleman presenting a gift to a young seated woman. European etiquette allowed a woman to receive gloves as a gift from men other than her husband so gloves were carefully chosen for their novelty. Spain produced high quality printed leather gloves using intaglio process. via Cooper Hewitt, New York City, USA. collection.cooperhewitt.org

Now surviving in museum collections throughout Europe and North America, this style of glove must have been a brief, but very popular fad of the last years of the 18th century. As gloves were one of the few gifts a man could give to a single woman he was not engaged to marry, new designs and colours were eagerly sought after to provide variety in this staple form of present.

Printed kidskin gloves of this type were fashionable from the last decade of the 18th century until the 1820s. They were suitable for wearing with the long sleeved day dresses which women adopted in the last decade of the century. Long gloves continued to be required for court dress which retained its short sleeves. By this date many European countries were manufacturing gloves, both in leather and in woven or knitted textiles made of silk, cotton, linen or wool.
Printed kidskin was used for gloves and for the backing for fans. English fan makers were printing on leather before 1720. The intaglio method of printing used a copper plate. The design was engraved with a buril or dry point into the plate, then the plate was immersed in ink and the leather placed on it in a screw press. Several different pairs of gloves could be printed at a time and if the pattern wore off with use, they could be reprinted.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. 

access_Gloves 1800-1820_ Womans GlovesSpanish_Repeatingpatternofconcentriccircles_via suzilove.com and Cooper Hewitt, New York City, USA. collection.cooperhewitt.org
HN_25_D2D_fashwomen1801-1804 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1801-1804
HN_25_D2D_fashwomen1801-1804 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1801-1804

Love the charming chatelaines and chains women wore in Jane Austen’s and Bridgerton’s times? Check out this fascinating read! #bridgerton #janeausten #chatelaine #suzilovebooks

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Love the charming chatelaines and chains women wore in Jane Austen’s and Bridgerton’s times? Check out this fascinating read! #bridgerton #janeausten #chatelaine #suzilovebooks books2read.com:SuziLoveChatelaines

The Bridgerton women and Jane Austen and contemporaries carried keys, writing tools, sewing items and other personal necessities on their person by long chains, or a chatelaine, that hung from their waist. Early chatelaines were simple essentials but later chatelaines were decorative and expensive. http://books2read.com/SuziLoveChatelaines

HN_9 Chatelaines and Chains History Notes Book 9 books2read.com:SuziLoveChatelaines

Definition Chatelaine: The word Chatelaine is French and means the keeper of the keys. Chatelaine” derives from the Latin word for castle. In Medieval times, the chatelaine was in charge of the day-to-day running of the castle. Women in charge of households dangled long chains from their waists to keep essentials within easy reach e.g. keys, notebook and pen, watch, sewing items, vinaigrette or perfume, or magnifying glass. Early chatelaine were simple essentials. Later chatelaine were decorative and expensive. books2read.com/SuziLoveChatelaines

What did a chatelaine do? Most important task was keeper of the keys. Also ordered supplies, did bookkeeping, supervised servants, taught castle children, and organized guests.

What were chatelaines used for?

  • Castle keepers needed keys safe, yet easily accessible.
  • By 1700’s, a metal jeweled ornament hung from pockets, attached to belts, or by hooks into skirt waistbands
  • During 1800’s, women wore large collections of tools hung from chains
  • Young girls sewed and did needlework and needed to carry sewing notions eg scissors, thimbles
  • Worn by women of all classes, from workers to nobility
  • Varied depending on class and finances.
  • Made of silver, brass, steel, leather, or fabric
  • During 19th century, fashionable dresses often had no waist and nowhere to hang chatelaines
  • Chatelaines became decorative brooches
  • Often given as a wedding present from a husband to bride
  • Later became fashion accessories
HN_9_D2D_Chatelaines and Chains
D2D_RetailerBuyLink_HN_9. Chatelaines and Chains History Notes Book 9 books2read.com/SuziLoveChatelaines

1800s Early Women’s Fashions Collage By Suzi Love. #Regency #JaneAusten #Fashion

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1800s Early Women’s Fashions Collage . Typical of the outfits worn by Jane Austen and her contemporaries for daytime and evening activities. An Empire style, or high-waisted white cotton dress worn under a Spencer or short jacket, a Redingote, or coat, for warmth and with pretty hats, shawls and shoes.Women’s Fashions By Suzi Love. High-waisted dresses, hats, muff, parasol, cape, reticule or bag and shoes.

Regency Era women’s fashions are elegant, pretty, and sometimes afford a gentleman a tiny glimpse of a well-turned ankle. Though to me, that sounds more like the lady has sprained her ankle rather than her ankle looking fashionably slim. High-waisted, or Empire style, white gowns defined women’s fashion during the Regency Era. ‘Empire’ is the name given to the period when Napoleon Bonaparte built his French Empire. High-waisted, loose gowns were adopted by the aristocracy as a symbol of turning away from the fussy, elaborate and expensive clothing worn in the 1700s.

Dress fabrics were thinner, sometimes almost transparent, which meant outerwear needed to be thicker and more practical. A coat, called a Redingote in France, a Pelisse in England, and a Walking Dress or Carriage Dress in Rudolph Ackermann’s fashion plates, became a necessity to keep out the chilling cold. Half cloaks, cloche or close-fitting hats, and accessories such as oversized fur muffs were very popular.

1800s Early Women’s Fashions By Suzi Love.
HN_25_D2D_fashwomen1801-1804 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1801-1804
HN_25_D2D_fashwomen1801-1804 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1801-1804

1810 Jane Austen Style Couple In Walking Dress Of Lady’s Redingote And Man’s Tailcoat, French. #RegencyFashion #HistoricalFashion #JaneAusten

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1810 Couple In Walking Dress, French. Lady in a jade green Redingote, or coat, with paisley skirt, worn over a white dress with sleeves caught up, and hat tied under her chin. Man in a brown tailcoat, tight white pants that button down the sides, black hat and shoes and carrying a walking stick. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.

The sort of outfits a lady and gentleman in Jane Austen’s times would have worn while out walking, shopping, or going to visit friends.

Pelisse, or Walking Dress, or Redingote.  The Fashion Dictionary description of a Redingote is (réd’ing-göt; red ing gote). Pronounced:   red ing gote  Woman’s long, fitted coat often cut Princess style and worn open in front to show off the dress underneath. Sometimes cut away in front. Originally made for men with several capes and trimmed with large buttons. French word developed from English words, riding coat.  reefer. Single- or double-breasted, fitted, tailored, over-all coat usually made from sturdy fabric but in the British Regency Era a Pelisse was often made from a lighter fabric, such as cotton. 

1810 Couple In Walking Dress, French. Lady in a jade green Redingote, or coat, with paisley skirt, worn over a white dress with sleeves caught up, and hat tied under her chin. Man in a brown tailcoat, tight white pants that button down the sides, black hat and walking stick. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
HN_23_D2D_Fashion Men 1800-1819 History Notes Book 23 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionMen1800-1819
HN_23_D2D_Fashion Men 1800-1819 History Notes Book 23 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionMen1800-1819

1804-1814 Cream Silk Breeches With Front Flap As Worn By The Men In Jane Austen’s Life. #RegencyFashion #HistoricalFashion #JaneAusten

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1804-1814 ca. Breeches, French. Cream silk and linen. Buttoned waist, drop down front flap, or fall, extra fullness in the back for ease of movement, ties at the knees to keep in place. via Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org

Definition Pants – Breeches: Men’s close-fitting pants that fastened just below the knees or above the ankles with buttons, drawstrings, or buckles. They had a horizontal front flap called a ‘fall’ which unbuttoned to drop down. Some falls were narrow and some wide. Breeches were worn with stockings. In Jane Austen’s times, or the Regency Era, breeches were worn tighter to show off a gentleman’s manly physique, often leaving nothing to the imagination.   

pants_1804-1814 ca. Front View. Breeches, French. Cream silk and linen. Buttoned waist, drop down front flap, or fall, extra fullness in the back for ease of movement, ties at the knees to keep in place. via Suzi Love ~ suzilove.com & Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1804-1814 ca. Front View. Breeches, French.
pants_1804-1814 ca. Back View. Breeches, French. Cream silk and linen. Buttoned waist, drop down front flap, or fall, extra fullness in the back for ease of movement, ties at the knees to keep in place. via Suzi Love ~ suzilove.com & Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1804-1814 ca. Back View. Breeches, French.
pants_1804-1814 ca. Buttoned Waist View. Breeches, French. Cream silk and linen. Buttoned waist, drop down front flap, or fall, extra fullness in the back for ease of movement, ties at the knees to keep in place. via Suzi Love ~ suzilove.com & Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1804-1814 ca. Buttoned Waist View.
HN_23_D2D_Fashion Men 1800-1819 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionMen1800-1819
23_d2d_fashionmen1800-1819. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionMen1800-1819