1798 Two ladies in Jane Austen style white walking dresses. Left: Dress has gold trim, white bonnet, green Parasol. Right: Stand up collar, short puffed sleeves, brown shawl and coiled head dresses, both with necklaces. via Rijks Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. rijksmuseum.nl
Spencers Or Regency Jackets By Suzi Love. History Notes Book 4. What was fashionable for outer wear in past centuries? Call them what you like: Spencers, short jackets, or Regency jackets were very popular. Take a look at the jackets being worn by women in the early 1800s or the times of Jane Austen. books2read.com/suziloveSpencers
18th Century Gorgeous Georgian frock coats and waistcoats for men. via The Argory, County Armagh, National Trust Collections, U.K.
Typical men’s fashion in the 1700s was a silk three piece suit. This consisted of a vest or waistcoat, a coat and breeches, Fabrics were luxurious an usually featured multi-colored embroidery and buttons, often of the same fabric. Vests were generally collarless and coats had turned over collars.
1763 Shagreen Etui Or Necessaire, English. via Gould Antiques ~ gouldantiques.com
Definition Etui Or Necessaire: Small toiletry, writing, or sewing containers carried by ladies and gentlemen in vast castles or large manor houses so their essentials were always on hand. Also used when traveling, where space was always limited. Easily carried in a pocket, or bag or reticule, to use for personal grooming, sewing repairs e.g. ripped hem or missing button, to do embroidery or to write a letter.
Definition Shagreen: Type of rawhide, originally made from the back of a horse or a wild donkey. In the 18th century, the skin of a shark was used as well.
1715-1775 ca. Flat Drawstring Bag, French. Strung glass beads, or sablé, held together by looping stitches. Polychrome Rococo design on white ground, shepherd, shepherdess, four sheep around orange tree center, border with cornucopias and flowers. Ecru silk cord drawstrings with floral bead-covered wood tassels. Blue silk lining. via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
1745-1750 ca. Necessaire, or small decorative box, with watch, probably German. Fitted with sewing and writing implements as well as a watch, this unmarked nécessaire shows delightful chinoiserie decoration in the Rococo style, echoing the work of the influential Munich designer François Cuvilliés (1695–1768). via Metropolitan Museum New York City, U.S.A. metmuseum.org
Small toiletry, writing, or sewing containers were called Necessaire or Etui: Tiny boxes or containers were carried in large castles or sprawling manor houses so a lady or gentleman had their essentials with them all day. They were also important when traveling by coach, trains, or ships where space was always limited. A necessaire or Etui was easily carried in a bag, reticule, or pocket so essentials were on hand for personal grooming, to repair a ripped hem, replace a button, to embroider, or to write a note or letter.
1750 ca. Spanish colonial ‘escritorio’, or writing desk, Columbia. Bone and mother of pearl inlay, hand etched sgraffito and original hand forged iron hinges. Interior has checkerboard drop front and ten compartments, each with original 18th century drawer pulls. Facade over-layed in mother of pearl with hand etched city-scapes, cathedrals, geometric patterns and foliate motifs. Interior has hand carved and gilt wood columns. Via Live Auctions ~ liveauctioneers.com
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.
1797 Elegant Couple Dancing At A Ball. Man: Bottle green tailcoat, yellow knee breeches, white stockings, red vest and black dancing slippers. Lady: White spotted dress with a pale pink overdress open at the front, high belted waist, red and green turban and a parure, or jewelry set. via Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
18th Century Wool, Leather And Linen Front Lacing Stays. via digitalmuseum.norway
In the early 18th century, stays were basically quilted waistcoats, laced in the front and un-boned and to be worn on informal occasions. Mid century, the role of stays changed. They were then supposed to create a V shaped form and support a woman’s back, so baleen from whales was inserted into the garments and backs became longer.
Eyelet holes were stitched and staggered in spacing, so stays could be spiral laced. Stays were strapless or had straps attached in the back and tied at the front sides. Eyelet holes were stitched and staggered in spacing, so stays could be spiral laced. Later, they began to support the bust, give a fashionable conical shape, and draw shoulders back.
It was around the 1790s that the term corset started to be used as a refined name for stays. The Times of 24 June 1795 stated that: ‘corsettes about six inches long…are now the only defensive paraphernalia of our fashionable belle’.
