1809 Hand Embroidered Cotton Muslin Dress, England. Hand-embroidered cotton muslin, cotton (bobbin lace), shell (button), linen tape Measurements 143.0 cm (centre back) 68.8 cm (sleeve length) Credit Line National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/50825/
1818 January Fancy Mourning Dishabille. A lady reading a pink book while wearing Dishabille, or morning dress, though as this labeled ‘Fancy’, it was most likely more formal than any normal At-Home morning dress. Dress of crepe with a lavishly decorated hem, worn over a white cambric Spencer, ornamented with fine muslin, embroidered at the edge with black, finished at neck with a triple ruff of muslin, tied in front with black love. Black sarsnet French apron, edged round with a newly invented trimming of black love. Cornette, or hat, of fine muslin, crowned with a garland of black flowers. Black chamois slippers. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London. The magazine’s General Observations on Fashion and Dress tries to explain why the outfit is labeled ‘Fancy’, ‘However little versatility can possibly be attached to the sable garment of sorrow, yet the Print we have presented to our readers representing the home costume of a lady of high fashion, will prove to them how busy Fancy is in her endeavors to throw a changeful hue over the tinct of solid black.’
I can picture Jane Austen and her female friends and family wearing this sort of dress if they were in half-mourning yet wanted to look fashionable. .
1818 January Lady Reading Book In Fancy Mourning Dishabille Of Blue Dress. #RegencyEra #HistoricalFashion #Mourning. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819 Share on X
1818 May Morning and Evening Fashionable Dresses, English. Pale blue dress, heavily decorated with lace, matching hat and with hand held glasses. Lavender dress with low cut bodice, tiny sleeves, lace decoration on the hem, white paisley shawl, long white gloves and large bonnet. Fashion Plate via Lady’s Magazine.
Definition: Morning Walking Dress: Worn out shopping, walking in a city park or the country estate. Presentable and warm, more fashionable than relaxed Morning Dress but not heavily accessorized apart from a shawl that was usually added for warmth.
Definition Evening Dress: There were minute distinctions between ball, dinner, evening and opera gowns, which meant different quality of fabrics and designs. A Ball Gown differed from an evening dress as expensive silk fabrics were usually worn, light or heavy, decorated with lace, embroidery or beading, with low-cut bodice, short or no sleeves, and full skirts. In the early 1800s, white cotton dresses were considered suitable for many evening events, but not for balls. And definitely not for an evening event in a palace. White dresses with white embroidery for evening were considered fashionable and exclusive as only the wealthy could afford them.
1808 French Lady With Head Coverings. Bonnets and jockey caps that tie under the chin and different hairstyles. 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.
1816 December. Promenade Dress, or Pelisse, English, also called a Redingote in France. High cambric muslin dress trimmed at the bottom with a single flounce of work, shaped without any fulness to fit the body, plain long sleeve finished by a triple fall of narrow lace. Over this is the Angouleme pelisse of crimson velvet, lined with white Sarsnet, and trimmed with a single Welt of crimson satin, a shade lighter than the pelisse. Shaped the to the body and without much fullness, confined at the short waist with narrow velvet band, edged to match. Small stand-up collar, supports a rich lace ruff, which is worn open in front of the throat. Sleeve has little fullness and is confined at the wrist by three narrow bands of puckered satin. Bonnet of white satin a la Royale with a large bunch of flowers and tied under the chin with satin ribbon and finished in front with a full quilling of tulle. Black silk ridicule, exquisitely worked in imitation of the ends of an India shawl and trimmed with black silk fringe. White kid gloves and black walking shoes. Fashion plate, hand-colored engraving on paper. Published in Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’, London.
Promenade Dress, Pelisse, Redingote, Or Walking Dress. Jane Austen and her contemporaries wore long coats like these to keep warm when out and about, visiting, shopping etc. The thin muslin dresses worn in the early 1800s were little protection against European winters.
1808 Fashionable English Couple, Dressed As In Jane Austen’s times. Lady in a white dress with pointed hem decorations, fitted white hat tied under her chin with yellow ribbon, yellow shawl and pink slippers. Gentleman in formal dress of blue tailcoat, black knee breeches, white stockings, black shoes, black bicorn hat, curly hair style and sideburns and a sword. Interestingly, this is English style fashions from a French magazine. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
1808 ca. Jane Austen style high-waisted muslin dress with bib front, British. High stomacher front, i.e. a bib front fastened with pins, and embroidered with clusters of flowers and leaves. Embroidery satin stitch, chain stitch and French knots. Dress of muslin, embroidered in wool with a design of flowers and leaves down the sleeves and across the front of the dress. The bodice back and side fronts are lined with linen and there are linen undersleeves. The front of the bodice is made up of a panel of bias-cut muslin, which is sewn onto the skirt rather like the bib of an apron so that it can be placed in position at the neck with pins. When the pins are removed the bib front falls away to reveal linen underflaps which fasten across the bust to give support. This type of bodice construction was common during this period in this style of dress and is known as the high stomacher front.
Embroidered with clusters of flowers and leaves and embroidery is worked in satin stitch, chain stitch and French knots, the design trails down across the front of the dress and around the scalloped hemline to simulate a draped tunic-style garment slit up the side seam. Front bodice has panel of bias-cut muslin sewn onto skirt like the bib of an apron so that it can be placed in position at the neck with pins. When the pins are removed the bib front falls away to reveal linen underflaps which fasten across the bust to give support. Bib front bodice construction was common in the Regency Era, or Jane Austen’s years, in this style of dress and is known as the high stomacher front. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, U.K.
1798 White Dress, French. Gold and black back insert to match gold stripes on the hem, white shawl with gold stripes, gold hat with black decoration. Via Journal des Dames et des Modes or Costume Parisien.
1816 Blue Riding Habit, French. High-waisted blue riding dress with a train, the long full skirt being necessary to cover a lady’s legs and preserve her modesty when riding side saddle. These riding habits were usually designed by men and were in two pieces, a jacket and a skirt, worn over a shirt. A military style bodice decoration, high pointed collar and a knotted pink dotted cravat worn underneath that imitate male styles, or even Dandy fashion. Sleeves are very long as was the trend in French riding habits. Yellow gloves and a masculine style beaver hat. This print was designed by Horace Vernet and engraved by Pierre Baquoy. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Although, there are very similar riding habit fashion plates in other magazines.
The type of outfit Jane Austen and her friends would have worn if they went horse riding. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1817 Pink Morning Walking Dress, French. High-waisted,high frilled neckline, long straight sleeves, triple layer of frills above the hem, bonnet with plumes, or feathers to decorate, and tied under the chin with pink ribbon, pink shoes and gloves. Most likely has white muslin dress with the white neck frill underneath the dress. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Definition Morning Walking Dress: Worn out shopping, walking in a city park or the country estate. Presentable and warm, more fashionable than Morning Dress but not overly accessorized.
1817 Bridgerton and Jane Austen Style High-Waisted Pink Morning Walking Dress, French. #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten #Bridgerton https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819