1818 November ‘Fashionables Of 1818’ By George Cruikshank.Couple walk arm-in-arm with the man wearing Dandy costume of bell-shaped top-hat, trousers strapped under high-heeled boots without spurs and jauntily carried cane. Much shorter lady wears enormously high bonnet, striped over-dress over frilled white muslin, skirt above ankles, and carries a large ermine muff. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
These are the sort of outfits a couple would wear in Jane Austen’s times although these are exaggerated in caricatures to poke fun at the extremes of Regency fashion when women’s hats were so large and high that a lady was dwarfed by her devotion to fashion and a gentleman’s collar and neckcloth were so high he couldn’t turn his head to speak to the lady.
1818 November ‘Fashionables Of 1818’ By George Cruikshank.Couple walk arm-in-arm with the man wearing Dandy costume of bell-shaped top-hat, trousers strapped under high-heeled boots without spurs and jauntily carried cane.Much shorter lady wear enormously high bonnet, striped over-dress over frilled white muslin, skirt above ankles, and carries a large ermine muff. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)23_d2d_fashionmen1800-1819https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionMen1800-1819
Who loves Bridgerton and Jane Austen Women’s Fashions? Everyone? Of course we do!
During the early 1800s, dress fabrics and dresses were thin, sometimes almost transparent. These lightweight white cotton dresses were fashionable in Jane Austen’s times, but they were certainly not warm when a lady was out walking or when riding in a carriage. Numerous outer layers could be added for warmth and to brighten and personalize an outfit. These might be an overdress, pelisse or redingote, hat, shawl, gloves, or large fur muff.
A typical outdoor outfit worn by the Bridgerton family, or Jane Austen and her contemporaries, when going outside consisted of an Empire style, or high-waisted, white cotton dress worn under a Pelisse, or Redingote, or coat, for warmth and with an added layer with the pretty shawl. Hats were made to match gowns and cloaks and fashionable women spent an extraordinary amount of time coordinating complete ensembles which included reticules or bags, shoes, shawls, gloves, hats, parasols, and fans. Typical Empire style dresses had low necklines and with skirts that started directly under the bust and flowed into the classical relaxed wide styles of Greece and Rome. These were worn most days and cotton, silk or taffeta were the popular fabrics.
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 July Opera Dress of White Lace, English. White dress with scalloped lace hem and shawl collar with lace edge, and worn under a gorgeous pink draping shawl. Skirt trimmed with lace festooned at regular distances, edged by plain band of byas satin and finished by pearl ornaments. Plain long sleeve, very full, caught at the wrists and elegantly finished with lace. Hair ornamented with a wreath of French roses, parted in front, and simply dressed in loose curls. Necklace, ear-rings, and bracelets of pearl. White satin slippers, and white kid gloves and a blush colored French silk scarf. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Extravagant accessories of every color and style were added to the plain white dresses to show individuality and for warmth in cold European temperatures.
Definition Redingote Or Pelisse Or Walking Dress Or Coat: French word developed from English words, riding coat. Long fitted outdoor coat worn over other garments for warmth. Originally made with several capes and trimmed with large buttons. For women, the coat was often cut away in the front or left open to show off the dress underneath. French fashion plates call these coats Redingotes and they were worn by men, women, and children. English fashion plates call the coats a Pelisse, a walking dress, Promenade dress, or Carriage dress.
1816 October. Pelisse, English. White walking dress with wide lace hem trim worn under an aqua blue pelisse lined with spotted fur, aqua slippers, yellow slippers, white bonnet with high white plumes and aqua blue bows. Fashion Plate via Lady’s Magazine. Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1818 Blue Spencer Of Levantine, French. White cotton print dress with ruffled hem, high plumed bonnet and a neck scarf.
Definition Levantine: Stout silk cloth in twill weave. First made in the Levant, a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia.
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.
Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1800s French Palais Royal Sewing Box and Twelve Mother of Pearl Enamel Tools. This is the style of sewing box Jane Austen and her family would have used in the early 1800s, or Regency years. via via suzilove.com and 1st Dibs Auctions 1stdibs.com
Definition: Palais Royal: Name of an area around the Royal Palace in Paris, France, that specialized in making small and exquisite works of art during the 18th and 19th centuries. Palais Royal sewing tools were elaborate and usually feature mother-of-pearl, often intricately carved or engraved. During the 19th century, workboxes were often works of art with engravings, carvings, mother-of-pearl, and elaborate gilt metal mounts. Most popular were scissors with steel blades and gilt mounts, thimbles and needle cases which were often shaped like animals or other natural forms. Workmanship was exceptional and the tools almost too fragile to use.
1800s French Palais Royal Sewing Box and Twelve Mother of Pearl Enamel Tools. via via suzilove.com and 1st Dibs Auctions 1stdibs.com
1816 December Carriage Dress, English. Fawn or lemon dress with blue silk hem trimming, blue bow tied at the back with long hanging ends, a half sleeve over a plain long sleeve, tight at the wrist and bound with blue trimming and finished with a narrow ruffle of three falls of tulle. A fichu of tulle with matching ruff. When worn as a carriage dress, the head-dress is a bonnet, the crown composed of white satin at the top and the middle and front of Leghorn. Lined with white satin and ornamented with a white satin band and strings. An indispensable India shawl, yellow slippers and carrying a black ridicule, or bag, and later called a reticule. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Definition Fichu: Piece of lace, muslin, or other cloth worn about the neck and cleavage to preserve a lady’s modesty. From French word meaning neckerchief.
Definition Ridicule, Reticule, Indispensable, or Handbag: From the late 1700s, pockets could no longer be sewn into gowns nor could separate pockets be tied around their waists and accessed by slits in the gown and petticoats, as skirts fell from just under the bust and were full and flowing. In Jane Austen’s times, women carried small bags, known at first as ridicules and later as reticules, to keep necessary items on their person e.g. handkerchiefs, coins, vinaigrettes, calling cards, glasses etc.. For more on reticules, try my History Notes book 3 http://books2read.com/suziloveReticules
Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1816 June Bridal Dress, English A frock of striped French gauze over a white satin slip: the bottom of the frock is superbly trimmed with a deep flounce of Brussels lace, which is surmounted by a single tuck of byas white satin and a wreath of roses; above the wreath are two tucks of byas white satin. We refer our readers to our print for the form of the body and sleeve: it is singularly novel and tasteful, but we are forbidden either to describe it, or to mention the materials of which it is composed. The hair is dressed low at the side, and parted so as to entirely display the forehead: it is ornamented with an elegant aigrette of pearls in front, and a spring of French roses placed nearly at the back of the head. Necklace, ear-rings, and bracelets of pearl. White kid gloves, and white satin slippers. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 What did Jane Austen wear? . D2D_HN_28_https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1815-1818 ca. Morning Dress, British. Typical Regency Era Day Dress. Very simple printed cotton dress with long sleeves and a very high waist. This is the typical Empire style, or high-waisted dress made of printed cotton that Jane Austen and her female friends and family would wear during a normal day. via Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1815-1818 ca. Morning Dress, British. Front View.1815-1818 ca. Morning Dress, British. Back View. 1815-1818 ca. Typical Regency Era Printed Cotton Day Dress. #Regency #Fashion #JaneAusten
Here is an example of when English magazines copied French fashion plates.
1815 December Left: French fashion plate Ensembles French and English via Journal des Dames et des Modes. White short length ball dress with tiny bodice.
Right: English fashion plate by Rudolph Ackermann in the Repository Of arts. Blue sarsnet Pelisse, or Walking dress, or Redingote. Decorated with white lace trim on neck, vertical front, and hem. Carrying red shawl and with high plumed bonnet.
1815 December Blue Walking Dress, English. Blue twilled sarsnet pelisse, or Redingote, with ribbon bows adorning the front. Decorated with white lace trim on neck, vertical front, and a border of leaves on the hem. Slashed sleeves at shoulders and wrists plus an elaborate collar would have been time consuming to make. Carrying a red shawl and with a high bonnet with a white plume, or feather. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
1815 December Blue Walking Dress, English. Decorated with white lace trim on neck, vertical front, and hem. Carrying red shawl and with high plumed bonnet. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Below is the French version of this pelisse but with a lady in a ball dress. Possibly another example of the English magazines ‘copying’ French designs.
1815 Ensembles French and English. White short length ball dress with tiny bodice and sleeves. Blue sarsnet Redingote, or pelisse, decorated with white lace trim and border of leaves, slashed sleeves at shoulders and wrists, elaborate collar, red shawl, high bonnet with white plume, or feather. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28
What did Jane Austen wear? This book looks at what was fashionable for women in the Georgian Era and at the end of the Regency Era in Britain and the reconstruction in Europe after the wars. Lifestyles were freer and fashions expressed this by becoming the focus of most women’s lives. A wardrobe full of opulent accessories was requisite. Includes mourning and riding fashion, dresses, hats, shoes, reticules or bags, underclothing, and fashion accessories.
D2D_HN_28_https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1818 May ‘Beau’s of 1818’ By George Cruikshank. Two Dandies shake hands while third watches. All wearing bell-shaped top-hats, extra high collars, short waists, long spurs and yellow gloves. One with moustache wears wide and short white trousers, one wears top-boots and riding-breeches and has monocle in his eye and third has very full trousers gathered above ankle. These are the sort of outfits that the Bridgerton men and Jane Austen’s male contemporaries would have worn. Hand colored etching. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
1818 May ‘Beau’s of 1818’ By George Cruikshank. Two Dandies shake hands while third watches. All wearing bell-shaped top-hats, extra high collars, short waists, long spurs and yellow gloves. One with moustache wears wide and short white trousers, one wears top-boots and riding-breeches and has monocle in his eye and third has very full trousers gathered above ankle. Hand colored etching. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
1817 October. White Promenade Dress, English. High dress of jaconet muslin richly embroidered around the hem, body composed entirely of work, Long sleeve, finished down the arm in front by bouillons of lace. Charlotte Spencer of blue satin, tight fitting and short waist, wide sleeve ornamented at wrist and shoulder, elegant trimming and disposed in so tasteful manner to give the appearance of perfect novelty. Bonnet, a la Ninon, of the same material, cut in small squares, edged with white satin, turned over at the ends, very large front displays the front hair which is braided across the forehead, edged with puffed gauze, disposed in points, and confined by a narrow fold of white satin, sprig of acacia on left side and finished by white satin strings. French ruff and ruffles of rich lace. Blue or white kid shoes and gloves.
We have again to acknowledge our obligations to Miss M’Donald of 29, Great Russel Street, Bedford Square, for our dresses this month. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 What did Jane Austen wear? . D2D_HN_28_https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
