1812 Dress of Yellow Virginie, French. High waisted dress trimmed with lilacs, cashmere shawl, high white neck frill, high flowered bonnet. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien.
Typical of the Empire dresses worn by Jane Austen and her contemporaries. Low necklines and skirts that started directly under the bust and flowed into the classical relaxed wide styles of Greece and Rome. These high-waisted dresses were worn most days and cotton, silk or taffeta were the popular fabrics.
1814 April Morning Dress and Lace Cap. ‘”A petticoat and bodice of fine jaconet muslin, finished round the bottom in vandykes and small buttons. The Rochelle spencer composed of the same material, appliqued with footing lace down the sleeve, and trimmed at each edge with a narrow but full border of muslin. Double fan frill of muslin round the neck, very full, continuing round the bottom of the waist, where it is gathered on a beading of needle-work. Bourdeaux mob cap, composed of lace, with treble full borders, narrowed under the chin. A small flower placed backward, on the left side. Hair much divided in front, and in full waved curls on each side. Necklace of twisted gold and pearl, with pendant cross in the center. Spring Green kid slippers and gloves of the same.”
“This dress is from Mrs. Gill, of Cork-street, to whose taste and invention this work as well as the world of fashion, are under continued obligations.” Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Definition Van Dyke Points: V-shaped lace and trims named after a 17th Century Flemish painter, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, known for painting V-shaped lace collars and scalloped edges on sitters.
Definition Jaconet: Cotton fabric of medium thickness made in England, lighter than shirting and heavier than mull.
Definition Muslin: Thin fabric said to take its name from Mosul or Moosul, a large town in Turkish Asia where it was first made.
1814 April Promenade or walking dress of fine cambric with a high bodice and long sleeves, embroidered stomacher front and high collar, trimmed with muslin or lace, Tuscan border of needle-work the feet. A Cossack mantle of pink velvet lined with white sarsnet and trimmed with light sable, ermine, seal, or American squirrel. Short tippet of the same, mantle tied at throat with a silk cord and tassels. Pink velvet hat finished with narrow vandyke trimming and a small flower in the hair on the left side. Pink half boots and gloves of primrose kid or pale tan. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.1814 April White Spencer Over Morning Dress Of Jaconet Muslin Finished With Vandykes. #RegencyEra #JaneAusten #FashionPlate https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashion1810-1814 Share on XHN_27_D2D_fashwomen1810-1814
1812 Young Lady Playing Devil On Two Sticks, or, the “diabolo” game. The game was known as “The Devil on Two Sticks” in England at the time as the name “diabolo” was only invented later. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
1814 April Morning Dress and Lace Cap. ‘”A petticoat and bodice of fine jaconet muslin, finished round the bottom in vandykes and small buttons. The Rochelle spencer composed of the same material, appliqued with footing lace down the sleeve, and trimmed at each edge with a narrow but full border of muslin. Double fan frill of muslin round the neck, very full, continuing round the bottom of the waist, where it is gathered on a beading of needle-work. Bourdeaux mob cap, composed of lace, with treble full borders, narrowed under the chin. A small flower placed backward, on the left side. Hair much divided in front, and in full waved curls on each side. Necklace of twisted gold and pearl, with pendant cross in the center. Spring Green kid slippers and gloves of the same.” “This dress is from Mrs. Gill, of Cork-street, to whose taste and invention this work as well as the world of fashion, are under continued obligations.” Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Definition Van Dyke Points: V-shaped lace and trims named after a 17th Century Flemish painter, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, known for painting V-shaped lace collars and scalloped edges on sitters.
Definition Jaconet: Cotton fabric of medium thickness made in England, lighter than shirting and heavier than mull.
Definition Muslin: Thin fabric said to take its name from Mosul or Moosul, a large town in Turkish Asia where it was first made.
1812 April Morning Walking Dress, English. White dress with high ruffled collar under a green military style pelisse, or Redingote, with long sleeves and braiding across the bodice, boots and short yellow gloves.
Definition Redingote, Pelisse, Walking Dress: The term, Redingote, was used more in France and other parts of Europe and Pelisse or Walking Dress was used more in England. While the terms Redingote and Pelisse are often used interchangeably, the Redingote usually features a close fitted top and flares out at the hemline with a more tailored or military look than a Pelisse.
Redingotes or Pelisses were needed to cover the flimsy dresses made of lightweight fabrics of the Regency years to provide warmth and some protection from windy conditions when gowns might lift and cause modesty issues. Jane Austen and her contemporaries often walked to places and so would have needed the warmth of a Pelisse or coat in the cold British winters.
1812 August. Ball Dress, English. Dress with lower waistline than normal in the Empire period, pink laced bodice, with decorative sleeves, skirt with pink hem decoration, pink hat with pretty plume, and yellow gloves. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s ‘La Belle Assemblee’, London. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashion1810-1814
1812 White Court Dress, French. Very small bodice, short sleeves, long burgundy velvet train, tiara, long white gloves and a fan. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Definition Court Dress: Usually, the difference between a court dress and a ball dress was in the quality of fabrics used, how elaborate the design, and the number and quality of the accessories. Plus, in England in the early 1800s court dresses were required by Queen Charlotte to have hoops and in France and other European countries court dresses a long train, usually expensively decorated. During the Regency Era, white cotton dresses were considered suitable for many evening events, but definitely not for an evening event in a palace.
1811 White Dress, French. Dress with scalloped hem, pink Redingote, green paisley shawl and white hat. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Definition Redingote Or Pelisse Or Walking Dress Or Coat: Long fitted outdoor coat worn over other garments for warmth. Often left open at the front to show off the dress underneath. French word developed from English words, riding coat. 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.
1811 White Dress, French. Worn under a white spotted tunic with yellow over dress with long sleeves. White gloves, shoes and hat with plume, or feathers, or aigrette. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Even though this is a French fashion plate, Jane Austen and her contemporaries would have worn 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 so warmth and color was added by tunics and coats in a huge variety of styles.
Definition Aigret, aigrette, egret: Plume of feathers or jeweled ornament in shape of feathers worn on head or hats. During the early 19th century., or Jane Austen’s lifetime, the favorite feathers were osprey and heron.
1811 White Dress, French. Worn under a white spotted tunic with yellow over skirt. White gloves, shoes and hat with drooping white feathers. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Although this is a French fashion plate, Jane Austen and her contemporaries wore a variety of tunics, spencers, and long coats to keep warm when out and about, visiting, shopping etc. Their thin muslin dresses weren’t any protection against harsh European winters or wet English weather.
