1800-1810 ca. Flat Silk Slippers With Ankle Ties Worn By Empress Josephine Bonaparte and As Worn By Jane Austen And friends. #Regency #Shoes #JaneAusten #France
Shoes in the early 1800s were flat or low heeled and occasionally decorated with a bow or floral embellishments and it wasn’t until the 1820s that square, rather than rounded or pointed toes became fashionable. Made of soft kid or cloth, these delicate shoes were flimsy and wore out quickly. There was often no difference between a left or right shoe, so when one slipper had a hole it was easily replaced. Slippers were often bought in multiples at a time so there were spares.
1817 White Percale Dress, French. Dress has layers of decoration above hem, black velvet Spencer, or jacket, wide brimmed straw hat trimmed in blue, neck scarf and walking shoes. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Definition Spencers: Short jackets worn for warmth over the high-waisted Empire style gowns said to have originated when Earl Spencer tore the tails off his coat in a hunting accident. In support of military men fighting wars everywhere, fashions for Spencers leaned towards military style embellishments, such as loops, buttons, and braids. Puffed sleeves over long straight sleeves were also very popular. Jane Austen and her friends and family wore Spencers over their high-waisted dresses.
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.
1815 July Seaside Walking Dress. A high dress, of short walking length, made of French cambric or jaconot muslin, trimmed at the feet with treble flounces of French work, gathered into a rich bead heading, and laid upon the dress, at a suitable distance, one above the other, the body made with open fronts, worn with a full ruff of the French work, corresponding to the trimming at the feet; a long sleeve, drawn alternately across the arm, terminates with a broad wristband, worn plain over the hand. French bonnet of white satin, edged and tied under the chin with satin ribbon of celestial blue; ornamented with a rich plume of white feathers, edged to correspond. French mantle of the twilled silk en suite, richly embroidered at the ends in shaded silks, composing roses or lilies of the valley. Patent silk stockings. Slippers, or half-boots, or blue kid, or primrose colour. Gloves to correspond.
The bodies of the morning and promenade costume continue to be worn with cross or handkerchief fronts, and are generally trimmed, agreeably to the texture of the dress, with quilled tull or ribbon. The quilled ribbon is also predominant in single rows at the feet of all dresses composed of silk, bombazeen, or fancy prints. The prevailing colours are primrose, celestial blue, and evening primrose; the waist short, and the fullness of the petticoat carried to the back. Ruffs of French work are universally worn, except in full dress. The length of the petticoat continues not to exceed meeting the top of the boot and the color of the latter corresponds with the glove, mantle, and trimming of the bonnet.
19th Century Early Green Silk Stockings With Gold Embroidery, French. via Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
In Jane Austen’s times, women, men, and children wore silk stockings, often embroidered in silk. In the Eighteenth Century, clocks had fallen out of fashion, but they were still being worn by wealthy aristocrats during the early 1800s.
In 1815, Rudolph Ackermann’s Repository Of Arts had an advertisement for silk stockings. ‘The cheapest and by far the largest stock ever produced by any one house now on Sale at the Manufacturer’s Warehouse, 51, Cheapside. The patterns are of the richest and most elegant description, beginning at the extraordinary low price of 8 shillings, usually sold for 10 shillings and 6 pence, to the very best and finest quality at 12 shillings 6 pence, usually sold for 16 shillings.’
“No, she was a very sober- minded young lady, sufficiently well-read in novels to supply her imagination with amusement, but not at all unreasonably influenced by them.” Jane Austen ~ Sanditon (1817)
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.
1809 September. Garden Promenade Dresses. Empire style gowns, shawls, hats, and parasols for walking in the park, to see and be seen, in London or at fashionable resorts. More elegant than walking dresses, which are usually morning dresses with outerwear and more elaborate headdresses. These are the sort of ensembles that Jane Austen and her family and friends would have gone walking in. Foreground lady has a silk shawl mantelet trimmed with an amber silk fringe and fastened on the bosom with a pebble brooch, amber hoop earrings, white Morocco leather shoes, York tan gloves and a blue parasol with a fringe. Straw hat with flowers. Background lady wears a Nun’s hood that falls over her shoulders and holds a purple parasol. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London.
1800-1815 ca. Unusual Skirt and Over Gown As Worn In Europe In Jane Austen’s Lifetime. From Holland. Gathered underdress and overdress with short puffed sleeves. via Dutch Museum – Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
The dresses worn in Holland and other parts of Europe were the same style as dresses worn by Jane Austen and her contemporaries. Empire waist gown defined women’s fashion during the Regency Era. ‘Empire’ is the name given to the loose gowns adopted by the aristocracy as a symbol of turning away from the fussy, elaborate and expensive clothing worn in the 1700s in France to the period when Napoleon built his French Empire.
1808 Gentleman’s Ball Outfit, French. Long tailcoat, black knee breeches, white stockings, high white cravat, white stockings, black shoes and gloves. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Typical Gentleman’s outfit as worn by men to balls and evening events in Jane Austen’s Times.
From the finish of the 18th century until 1820, men’s fashions in European and European-influenced countries moved away from the formal wear of brocades, lace, wigs and powder to more informal and relaxed styles. Focus was on undress rather than formal dress. Typical menswear in the early 1800s included a tailcoat, a vest or waistcoat, either breeches, pants, or the newer trousers, stockings, shoes or boots, all worn with an overcoat and hat. This basic ensemble was accessorized with some form of neckcloth or cravat, gloves, walking stick, cane or riding crop, handkerchief, fobs, watch and perhaps a quizzing glass or eye glass.
Skirted coats were replaced with short-fronted, or cutaway, tailcoats worn over fitted waistcoats and plain, white linen shirts. Knee breeches were gradually replaced by tight-fitting pantaloons and later trousers, decorative shoes with buckles were replaced with a variety of boot styles, and fussy and ruffled neckwear gave way to intricately tied, white linen neck cloths. A Regency Era, or early 1800s, gentleman was outfitted in more practical fabrics, such as wool, cotton and buckskin rather than the fussy brocades and silks of the late 1700s.
