1845 Woman’s Dress, Probably Made In England. Silk Taffeta and glazed linen plain weave. via Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California, USA. collections.lacma.org
1830-1839 ca. Black Evening Slippers, British. Black silk, rosette on front, straps. Made By East, Boot & Shoe Maker, Britain. via Metropolitan Museum, NYC, U.S.A.
1830s Shoes: Producing different shoes for right and left feet started around 1830 in France. In these first attempts, little paper labels on the insoles of the shoes indicated left and right. However, the shoes were still made on straight lasts with no differentiation between the left and right foot. By the end of the 19th century, producing left and right shoes had become common as shoemakers then worked with combinations of sole and vamp cuts tailored to fit either the right or the left foot. The first steps towards the mechanisation of shoemaking were taken during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1810, engineer Marc Brunel developed a machinery that could mass-produce nailed boots for the soldiers of the British Army. But after the end of the war in 1815, manual labour became cheap, and the demand for military shoes declined. The industrialization of shoemaking began around 1830.
1800s Silver and Carved Mother of Pearl Writing and Desk Set, French. Wax Seal, Dip Pen and Letter Opener in the style that Jane Austen would have used to write her novels and her letters. via Ruby Lane Antiques. rubylane.com. books2read.com/SuziLoveWritingTools
1830 ca. Rosewood and Inlaid Brass Inkstand, England. Each side has cut-glass inkwells with brass inlaid tops and pen trays, so ideal for a partners desk. via 1st Dibs Auctions 1stdibs.com
Pinterest Boards By Suzi Love.
I love Pinterest for keeping thousands of historical images in some sort of order. And I love using Pinterest Boards as inspiration for my romance books. What about you? Do you use Pinterest for planning something, or just for fun? Need more hints for what to do with your boards and pins? Take a look at these fascinating articles on Pinterest. if you want even more Pinterest information and tips for becoming a power user, check out my Suzi Love Pinterest Boards
1831-1850 ca. Reticule, Or Handbag, English. Round bag of crimson silk with embroidery and a drawstring. via Museum Of London.
Definition Ridicule, Reticule, or Handbag: From the late 1700s, pockets could no longer be sewn into gowns, as skirts fell from just under the bust and were full and flowing. Instead, women began carrying 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.
The term ‘ridicule’ derived from the Latin ‘ridiculum’ and first used in France during the 17th century and meant subjecting something or someone to mockery. As women’s tiny bags were mocked, or ridiculed, for being a useless fashion accessory when they were first used in the late 1700s, it’s likely this is how the name ‘ridicule’ started. The later term ‘reticule’ derived from the Latin reticulum, meaning ‘netted bag’ and was applied when bags became larger and often made from netting.
In the early nineteenth century, reticules started to look like future handbags as they were often made from rigid card or molded Maché or card into a variety of shapes. Early bags were circular and with a drawstring but as women wanted their reticules to look individual they could be made with two halves and a hinged metal closure or with concertina sides. Materials varied from silk, cotton and string and shapes were round, hexagonal or lozenge shapes with shell shaped bags becoming very popular during the Regency and Romantic Eras.
1800s magazines were written for well-bred women who could read, so they gave plenty of ideas for how ladies could make and embellish reticules for their own use and as pretty gifts. Needlework was highly encouraged as a pastime for a lady so bags were frequently embroidered or decorated with beading. By the 1820s, reticules became more like our modern handbags using soft leather gathered at the top or hard leather with a rigid fastener and metal chain for carrying.
What was fashionable for purses in past centuries? Call them what you like: purses, bags, handbags, reticules, ridicules, clutches, or pocket replacements. They all did the same job and they changed greatly with the prevailing fashions of time. books2read.com/suziloveReticules History Notes Book 3 By Suzi Love.
1833 ca. Typical Gentleman’s Ensemble, British. #RomanticEra #Fashion #men #Metmuseum
https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionMen1800-1819
Lover of Bridgerton and Jane Austen fashions? What was fashionable for their outer wear? Different names in different countries: Pelisse, Redingote, Or Walking Dress. #Regency #Fashion #History http://books2read.com/suzilovePelisse
The Pelisse or Redingote was essentially a coat or robe like garment worn both indoors and out. Worn indoors open to reveal a dress, the outdoor version was made of heavier materials and of darker colors than the type worn indoors. The name comes from the term ‘riding coat.’ In the Georgian Era, Redingotes were worn by men, women and children when outdoors and especially as part of a riding costume by both sexes.
In England, the Pelisse was the main sort of fashionable outerwear, or coat, for women in the Regency Era, or Jane Austen’s times. Though this sort of coat was popular from the late 1700s until around 1850. In the early 1800s, this sort of Empire style coat reached the hip or knee but around 1810 the Pelisse lengthened to become a full length coat. Around 1812, the Pelisse often had a broad, cape-like collar with fur trim and thanks to the Napoleonic Wars and an avid interest in all things military, a Pelisse took on a military look with epaulettes and braiding very popular.
While the terms Redingote and Pelisse are often used interchangeably, Pelisse and Walking Dress and Carriage Costume were the names used in English Fashion Plates, whereas French Fashion Plates refer to the longer style of coats as a Redingote and the shorter shoulder capes worn by military men as a Pelisse.
16th-19th Centuries Gentlemen’s Banyans. Banyan’s were worn before the Georgian Era and continued to be popular through the Regency and Victorian Eras for Men’s At-Home Fashion. After this, banyans were replaced buy shorter smoking jackets, yet all through these many hundred years banyans served the same purpose of being a comfortable yet respectable item of clothing that could be worn at home by men when they spent time in the evenings with family or friends.
Fabrics imitating animal patterns and colors appeared in European fashionable dress as early as the 18th century, when elaborate trompe l’oeil silk designs emulated exotic furs intertwined with expensive laces. Such fabrics communicated a sense of luxury, wealth and power. Cultural crossdressing was a long-established tradition among merchants working in the East. While it helped them to assimilate into the local community, adopting exotic forms of dress at home also played an important part in fashioning their identity as a worldly traveller. International experience heightened social standing so wearing a banyan showed a high social status. Surviving garments from the 18th and 19th centuries show that it changed little over time, other than to loosely reflect the fashionable line of menswear of the period in the cut of the skirts, choice of collar and fit of the body.
