1811 January Walking Dress, or Pelisse, English. Round high morning robe of cambric with deep full-trimmed collar. Swedish coat of velvet, trimmed with swansdown or blue fox fur. Spanish pelerine of the same, fastened in front of the throat with a mother-of-pearl brooch, clasps to correspond for the bottom of the waist. Traveller’s, or slouch, hat of velvet turned up with shell ornament, half-boots of grey cloth, laced and bound with black velvet. Chinese ridicule, or reticule, or bag, of grey satin, embellished with black medallions and tassels. Gold chain and eye-glass. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository’ of Arts. Jane Austen and her contemporaries wore long coats like these to keep warm when out and about, visiting, shopping etc. Their thin muslin dresses worn in the early 1800s were little protection against European winters.

Definition Redingote Or Coat Or Pelisse Or Walking Dress: Long fitted outdoor coat worn over other garments for warmth. French word developed from English words, riding coat. French fashion plates call these coats a Redingote and English plates call them a Pelisse, Or Walking Dress, or Carriage Costume. For more of these, try my book on Pelisses, History Notes Book 5 . books2read.com/suzilovePelisse

Definition Velvet or Velour: Silk with short, dense and smooth pile produced by pile warp raised in loops above ground weave through introduction of rods during the weaving. Definition Swansdown: Fine down of a swan, used for trimmings on clothing and for making powder puffs.

Definition Ridicule, Reticule, Indispensable, or Handbag: From the late 1700s, pockets could no longer be sewn into gowns nor could separate pockets be tied around their waists and accessed by slits in the gown and petticoats, 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. For more on reticules, try my History Notes book 3 http://books2read.com/suziloveReticules