1805 Regency Group of Ladies and Gentlemen dressed as Jan Austen and her family and friends would have dressed. Ladies in dresses, bonnets, shawls, gloves, and carrying a reticule, or bag, and a parasol. Gentlemen in tailcoats, overcoats, trousers, vests, cravats, hats, boots and shoes and carrying walking sticks. via Men And Women In Costumes, 1804-1829. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division, The New York Public Library, U.S.A.

Description: Early 1800s Women’s Fashion: Typical outfits worn for daytime activities included an Empire style, or high-waisted, white cotton dress worn under a Spencer or short jacket, a Redingote, or coat, for warmth and with pretty hats, shawls and shoes. Reticules, or bags, were carried as these light dresses no longer had pockets.

Description: Cashmere Shawls: Beautiful and very expensive shawls originating from Kashmir in Europe, but spelled by Englishmen Cashmere. Fine, soft, and delicate wool provided by goats is woven in a long and complicated process.

Description: Early 1800s Men’s Fashion: By the early 19th century, men’s fashions had radically changed. Coats finished in long tails at the back and cut higher in front. Waist-length square-cut waistcoat showed beneath coats. Shoulders and upper chest of the coat was sometimes quilted to improve the fit and some dandies wore boned corsets to give them a small waist. Gradually, men adopted long trousers which were worn for day and informal dress but breeches were still worn at places like court and Almack’s Assembly Rooms.