1807 Cotton Linen Shirt, British. Non-regulation shirt worn under uniform. High collar to allow room for a stock, fullness and pleated sleeves enable wearer to fit into tight arms popular in coats. The men in Jane Austen’s life would have worn a shirt like this, especially if they were in the military as many men were during the Napoleonic Wars. via Royal Museums Greenwich collections.rmg.co.uk
1804–1805 ca. Evening Dress, French. Narrow white dress of sheer cotton mull, probably from India, and with sheer short sleeves, extra wide neckline, vertical white embroidery which was very fashionable at the time. The cotton fabric was probably imported from India already embroidered with heavy white cotton thread in transparent mull. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, this sort of dress was considered shocking and immodest after the wider hooped dresses of the eighteenth century. This style of dress was worn by most women in Jane Austen’s time, but only the wealthy could afford the best quality mull. Vertical white embroidery was very fashionable in the early 1800s, with the sheer cotton mull probably imported from India already embroidered with this heavy white cotton thread. These daring items of clothing copied the Grecian idea of loosely draped clothing and were the first of many changes to women’s outfits. Heavy fabrics were abandoned, especially in summer, in favor of lighter materials that allowed women to move about easier.
From the museum curator: “On December 24, 1803, Jerome Bonaparte (1784—1860), brother of Napoleon, wed Elizabeth Patterson (1785—1879) of Baltimore. The beautiful and fashionable young American was married in a dress of muslin and lace that, according to a contemporary, “would fit easily into a gentleman’s pocket.” Although originally thought to have been Patterson’s wedding dress, the formal gown illustrated here probably dates from 1804, when this type of vertical white embroidery became fashionable. Napoleon had the marriage annulled in 1805. Jerome was made king of Westphalia in 1807 and he married the princess of Wurttemberg. Elizabeth, banned from France by the emperor, remained in Baltimore with her son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte (1805—1870). Metropolitan Museum, New York City, USA.
1795-1805 ca. Evening Dress, Spain. Batiste, embroidered with sequins and floral theme. Via Museum Collections in Spain. ceres.mcu.es
The Empire styles at the beginning of the 19th century were made of a soft, lightweight fabric gathered just under the breasts. It featured a low square neckline, and small, short, puffed sleeves with a low shoulder line. Although lawn and batiste were used, muslin was the fabric of choice as it was easy to clean. The thin muslin clung close to the body and emulated styles worn in ancient Greece. Shades of white predominated, with the addition of pale pastel shades worn for day wear.
Definition Batiste: Soft, sheer, cotton or linen fabric in white and delicate colors, used for handkerchiefs, nightwear and neckwear. Probably named for its inventor, Jean Baptiste, of Cambrai.
1820-1830 ca. Mother Of Pearl sewing casket with a painted view of Weilburg near Baden in Austria. Painting by Balthasar Wigand.
From The Curator: The mother-of-pearl industry in Vienna reached its apogee during the 1820s and 1830s, when numerous luxury items such as candle screens and desk sets were embellished with the iridescent material. Balthasar Wigand, responsible for the miniature on the lid of this box, specialized in views of the city and its surroundings, painted especially for use on small pieces of furniture and caskets. via Metropolitan Museum New York City, U.S.A. metmuseum.org
Want a glimpse into the life of a young lady in Jane Austen and the Bridgerton years? #bridgerton #RegencyEra #JaneAusten
Young Lady’s Day is Book 4 in the Regency Life Series.
This book depicts the often-frivolous life and fashions of a young lady in the early 1800’s, but also gives a glimpse into the more serious occupations a young lady may undertake. Through historic images, historical information, and funny anecdotes, it shows how a young lady fills her day, where she is permitted to go, and who she is allowed spend time with. These light-hearted looks at the longer Regency years are an easy to read overview of what people did and wore, and where they worked and played. There is plenty of information to interest history buffs, and lots of pictures to help readers and writers of historical fiction visualize the people and places from the last years of the 18th Century until Queen Victoria took the throne. https://books2read.com/suziloveYLD
Love the life of Jane Austen and her stories? Fan of the Bridgerton series? Reader or writer of the early 1800s, or Regency Era? For information and pictures, try Regency Life Series by Suzi Love. Light-hearted series about Regency Era, or early 1800s. For writers, readers and history lovers.
Thes books use historic images, historical information, and funny anecdotes to give an overview of life through the late Georgian and the Regency years. A light-hearted look at the people, places, and fashions of the times, plus an easy to read overview of the politics and economics. There is plenty of information to interest history buffs, and lots of pictures to help readers and writers of historical fiction visualize the people and places from the last years of the 18th Century until Queen Victoria took the throne.
Try Books 1-5 Regency Life Series by Suzi Love. Regency Overview – Young Gentleman’s Day – Older Gentleman’s Day – Young Lady’s Day – Older Lady’s Day
1800 Block Printed Woven Muslin Robe. Open robe of block printed muslin with a fine trellis weave printed in blue, red, and brown, and with delicate floral trails. Empire style high-waisted dress with linen inner panels and lining. via Kerry Taylor Auctions kerrytaylorauctions.com
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.
1805-1810 ca. India Muslin Dress, English. Slight train, embroidered panel down centre between two lines of drawn-thread work, embroidery of cotton in chikan stitch and knots in scrolls and plume design. Elbow length sleeves with two insertions of embroidery in leaf pattern. via Manchester Art Gallery
Definition Empire Style: Named after the First Empire in France, by 1800 Empire dresses had a very low décolleté, or neckline and a short narrow backed bodice attached to a separate skirt. 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 simple cotton high-waisted dress was worn most days and accessorized according to the importance of the occasion.
1816-1817 ca. Man’s Linen Shirt, American. High collar, ruffles down front opening, fullness from gathered shoulders and sleeves for unrestricted movement. Beautifully created and monogrammed by Elizabeth Wild Hitchings for her husband, Benjamin Hitchings, a sea captain. Wives or servants regularly hand stitched shirts from 1800s-1840s, before sewing machines, but handiwork rarely recorded.
From The Creator: This shirt was created, from the linen fiber to the finished garment, by the donor’s great-grandmother, Elizabeth Wild Hitchings, for her husband Benjamin Hitchings, a sea captain, in 1816. It was common practice for a wife or servant to hand stitch family members’ shirts prior to the mid-19th century, but rarely was such handiwork recorded, making this case rare and intriguing. In addition, its elegant stitching makes it a perfect example of the familial care taken in sewing prior to the common possession and use of the sewing machine. via Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1811 January Walking Dress in the English style worn by Jane Austen and her female relations and friends. Pelisse of scarlet Merino cloth, buttoned down front and up arm with small gold buttons, collar and cuffs of purple velvet, empire tippet pointed in back, Scarlet bonnet turned up with velvet, veil through front, scarlet cloth boots trimmed with velvet. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London.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.
Definition Merino Wool: Finest quality wool, originating in Spain. During Napoleonic wars, Merino sheep exported to Britain and other parts of Europe. Napoleon supported Merino growth in France. In 1808, after French invaded Spain, King George purchased additional 2000 Merinos for royal flock but Britain too wet for thriving industry. Other countries i.e. Australia, began producing fine quality Merino.
Definition Velvet: Historically made with silk pile on silk backing, or cheaper backing e.g. linen. Velvets were also made from cotton or wool. Today, silk velvet is usually rayon pile on silk backing so you only see the rayon and not the silk.
