1799-1810 ca. Cotton Muslin Gown, Probably American. White cotton embroidered muslin, probably Bengal, all over sprigged broderie anglaise decoration,short sleeve with three pairs of inside ties to adjust the double-puff, ruffled edge, back tie at neckline and waist, ruched band above the slightly trained hem with scalloped sawtooth border and with cotton bodice lining. via whitakerauction.smugmug.com
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.
The Empire dress which evolved in the late 1790s began as a chemise shift gathered under the breasts and at the neck. 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.
Christmas pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called ‘frumenty’ , made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. Often more like soup, it was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for Christmas festivities. By 1595, frumenty changed into a plum pudding thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and flavoured with beer and spirits. It became the customary Christmas dessert around 1650, but in 1664 the Puritans banned it as a bad custom. In 1714, King George I re-established it as part of the Christmas meal, having tasted and enjoyed Plum Pudding.
“In December, the principal household duty lies in preparing for the creature comforts of those near and dear to us, so as to meet old Christmas with a happy face, a contented mind, and a full larder; and in stoning the plums, washing the currants, cutting the citron, beating the eggs, and mixing the pudding, a housewife is not unworthily greeting the genial season of all good things.” Via 1861 Beeton’s Book of Household Management.
The Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Day was Stirring-up Sunday, and the day to prepare the family’s Christmas pudding. The eldest member of the household or a visitor would give the first stir and charms were stirred into the pudding. A ring meant a coming marriage, a button was bachelorhood, a thimble meant spinsterhood, and a sixpence was good luck. Puddings were steamed in a pudding bag and stored in a cool place until Christmas Day.
1800-1820 ca. Man’s Everyday Oatmeal Colored Wool Suit With Breeches. Can you picture Jane Austen’s male relatives and friends wearing this? Oatmeal colored double breasted cutaway style coat with velvet collar, steel buttons, rear flap pockets, back vent flanked by stitched down pleats having top and bottom button detail, glazed linen lining. Fall front tan breeches having three button front, small side buttons, back lacing waistband with pocket, four buttons above buttoned cuff, front lined in green linen. via Whitaker Auction whitakerauction.smugmug.com
1836-1840 ca. Floral Print Cotton Dress With Silk Satin Piping, English. Cotton printed in soft pink, red, white, and green floral motif on light brown, edged with green silk satin piping and lined with linen and cotton. Sleeves tightly gathered, loose at elbow, skirt gathered from tight fitting bodice edged with green satin piping. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. collections.vam.ac.uk.From the Museum: Soft colours and floral patterns are a distinctive feature of many 1830s day dresses. Here, pink, red and white flowers harmonise with the brown ground and green piping. The construction of the sleeves is also interesting as they are tightly gathered at the top and loose around the elbow. This accentuates the slope of the shoulder and the tightness of the wrist.
1803 Dark Blue Wool Greatcoat, English. Slim fitting, double breasted coat with notched collar, silk velvet collar. Gilt buttons by Charles Jennens, London button maker. Tailored by John Weston of 38 Old Bond Street, London, U.K. The Prince of Wales was passionately interested in clothes and patronized London’s most skillful craftsmen e.g. Weston. via Museum of London, UK. museumoflondon.org.uk
1800-1815 ca. Fan of Bone and Silk, French. Jane Austen and her family and friends would have carried this style of fan when attending assemblies, musical evenings and balls. Metropolitan Museum New York City, U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1800 ca. Sleeveless Chemise or Nightgown of white cotton and lace. Length just below knee. Gathered back and front onto yoke of lace and gathered fabric inserts. Gathers around neck by tape in casing. ‘Blanche’ embroidered centre front. Waist up to 50 in or more. via National Trust Collections, UK. nationaltrustcollections.org.uk
Definition Chemise Or Shift: Sleeveless, mid-calf length garment of white cotton or muslin was worn next to the skin under stays or corset. Called ‘Shift’ from early Georgian (1700-1750) until Late Georgian (1750-1790) to replace ‘Smock’. By 1800, name replaced by ‘Chemise’. Sometimes doubled as a nightshift, or nightrail. From around 1700, women wore a long garment, like a man’s shirt, next to their skin, day and night. ‘Costume In England’ describes this as originally a shirt or smock and adopted by women as an undergarment.
This undergarment fell from their shoulders to calves, and was called a chemise, shift, or vest. During the day, it was worn under stays, or a corset, and at night it could be worn as a nightshirt. Wealthier women could afford specific bedroom attire, but lower and working class women wouldn’t have had this luxury and so wore a chemise as both an undergarment and as sleepwear. The rich and the upper classes wore embroidered and otherwise decorated versions of this simple linen or cotton shift. Other classes of women wore a very simple version with little or no decoration as they had no time for decorative embroidery and no money to buy silk threads.
1808 January Trio In Half Dress Walking Ensembles, English. Lady on left wearing a pink dress and green coat and carrying a reticule. Lady on right in a white trained dress, long draping shawl and fitted hat. Gentleman in a blue tailcoat, white vest, extra high white cravat, knee breeches, shoes, and black top hat. Fashion Plate via Le Beau Monde. The sort of outfits ladies and gentlemen in Jane Austen’s times would have worn while out walking, shopping, or going to visit friends.
1813 The Theatre. From Poetical Sketches of Scarborough By Thomas Rowlandson. Aquatint was added by John Bluck and Joseph Stadler. The sketches by Green were made as souvenirs and not intended for publication. Via Suzi Love suzilove.com & Wikimedia Commons commons.wikimedia.org (PD-ART)
“As the Duke of Sherwyn, you’ve entree into the best houses and social events.”
After a scowl towards the ceiling, he muttered, “Thanks to my stepmother, I’m forced into it. But what does my recent social popularity have to do with your current predicament?”
“In daylight, with other ladies, I can stroll about the streets. Visit shops, sometimes slip unnoticed into the twice-weekly stock auctions at the Hall of Commerce in Threadneedle Street. And I’ve already searched the desks of many of the mere misters and lesser peers of the lower orders of the consortium, as their houses aren’t guarded like fortresses.”
“Do you mean to say you entered these men’s homes and rifled their papers?”
“Well yes, but–”
“Are you mad?”
“I risked little, because those sort of houses cannot afford a footman guarding every passageway. Especially not on occasions such as those I attended, where every footman is needed to fetch drinks for belligerent guests. Slipping into those libraries was child’s play.” She sighed. “What I cannot do is visit the homes of the highest ranking peers to scour their correspondence for any that bears the special seal of the consortium. Nor secure enough privacy to copy any incriminating letters I may find. Someone always hovers, and watches, at those type of houses.”
He paced before her like a restless panther, an angry scowl pulling his face taut. His fine looks had always turned heads, but this brooding beast carried a lethal combination of strength and menacing masculinity. She shivered. His newly acquired arrogance of bearing enhanced, rather than detracted from, his magnetism, although this time, she knew to avoid his magnetic pull.
“You intend searching the houses of every peer in the city who is making money from stock shares?”
“No, no, not all of them. We’ve done a lot of research–”
“We?”
“My family have become quite adept at research. We’ve narrowed our search to gentlemen known to invest in railway expansions in a large way. Our final list is of those we consider to be involved in the inner, and most secret, tier of the syndicate. It contains eighteen names, the majority of whom are high-ranking peers.
“Bloody hell, Becca.” He ground the expletive out through clenched teeth. “You’re out of your depth. I’ve been involved in similar commercial groups. They’ll stop at nothing for the sake of money.”
“Nevertheless, we need certain details you may overhear at clubs about certain gentlemen having sudden windfalls. Or things gleaned at certain balls and soirees.
“Unbelievable.” Both hands went up in the air. “That’s certainly as clear as muddy water.”
“Clear or not, I’m asking you to trust me. To help me.”
She held out both hands, palms up, and hoped he wouldn’t notice their tremors. “With your assistance, I can verify more names. Collect proof of each one’s involvement and hand it over to Scotland Yard. Time is of the essence, as we’ve now less than two weeks.”
She watched him absorb, assess, decide. In under a minute, he guided her to his desk and seated her before it.
“Make a start. List the names of every man you suspect to be a member.” He placed writing materials before her. “Then list those you consider inner tier, and include their ranking.”
