What did Jane Austen and friends wear? Early 1800s fashions were elegant and pretty with high waists and fabrics that were almost transparent. These Empire style gowns, named after Napoleon’s first Empress, became popular throughout Europe, and were then copied around the world. Colorful outwear was added to make an ensemble more attractive and warmer. History Notes Book 26 Fashion Women 1805-1809. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809
Are you a reader or writer of Regency Romance? Love Jane Austen and the Bridgertons? Want to know more about the mourning, riding, underclothing and other Regency Era women’s fashions in Regency romances? What was fashionable for women in Jane Austen’s times? Mourning, riding, daytime, evening clothing, plus underclothing, corsets and accessories. This book looks at what was fashionable for women in Jane Austen’s times, or the early 1800s, or the Regency Era in Britain. Wars were being fought around the globe so women’s fashion adopted a military look in support of soldiers. Fashions, like the lifestyle, became progressively more extravagant and accessories went from colorful to over-the-top.
1800s Early Women’s Fashions By Suzi Love. Dresses, hats, muff, parasol, cape, reticule or bag and shoes. Typical of the outfits worn by Jane Austen and her contemporaries for daytime and evening activities. 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.
1818 December Morning and Evening Dresses, possibly for mourning as Princess Charlotte died in 1817. Published by Dean and Munday, Threadneedle Street, London, U.K.
Walking Dress is a plain high dress of black bombazine with long sleeves. Skirt trimmed on hem with a broad bias piece of black crape with narrow puffing of black crape. Sleeve hem has three narrow puffings of black crape. Fastens in front and ornamented on the bust with black crape, no collar but a very full mourning ruff of clear muslin. Over this dress is a Spanish coat of fine black Merino, cut tight to the body, short in the waist and trimmed with a row of black buttons on each side of the bust. Black velvet collar is finished round the edge with black crape, long sleeves of an easy fullness and trimmed at the wrist the same as the collar. Very tasteful epaulette is a mixture of black velvet and crape. Skirt is slightly full, trimmed up the fronts and round the hem with a broad band of black velvet, edged on each side by narrow rouleaux of black crape.
Dinner Dress is of black crape over a black sarsnet slip with a gored skirt, trimmed on the hem with black crape flounces, lower very narrow and higher considerably broader and surmounted by another narrow one. They are scalloped and finished at the edge by black satin, narrow rouleau of the same material heads top and bottom flounce. Corsage of black satin cut very low round the bust and waist and bust finished French style with points of black crape. Short full sleeve of black satin with three falls of black crape on the shoulder. Via Lady’s Monthly Museum ~ Dean & Mundy, Threadneedle Street, London, UK.
1818 December Morning and Evening Dresses, possibly for mourning as Princess Charlotte died in 1817. Published by Dean and Munday, Threadneedle Street, London, U.K.
1823 Couple In Evening Costumes, French. Short length dancing dress of white gauze, short sleeves, pink ribbon trim, flowers, parure, or jewelry set, dancing shoes and hair in a bandeau. Man in half dress of black tailcoat, yellow vest, short length white trousers, high white cravat, blue fob, and curled hair style. via Modes Francaises L’Indiscreet, France.
1823 Couple In Evening Costumes, French. Short length dancing dress of white gauze, short sleeves, pink ribbon trim, flowers, parure, or jewelry set, dancing shoes and hair in a bandeau. Man in half dress of black tailcoat, yellow vest, short length white trousers, high white
cravat, blue fob, and curled hair style. via Modes Francaises L’Indiscreet, France.
From the finish of the 18th century until 1820, men’s fashions in European and European-influenced countries moved away from the formal wear of brocades, lace, wigs and powder to more informal and relaxed styles. Focus was on undress rather than formal dress. Typical menswear in the early 1800s included a tailcoat, a vest or waistcoat, either breeches, pants, or the newer trousers, stockings, shoes or boots, all worn with an overcoat and hat. This basic ensemble was accessorized with some form of neckcloth or cravat, gloves, walking stick, cane or riding crop, handkerchief, fobs, watch and perhaps a quizzing glass or eye glass.
Skirted coats were replaced with short-fronted, or cutaway, tailcoats worn over fitted waistcoats and plain, white linen shirts. Knee breeches were gradually replaced by tight-fitting pantaloons and later trousers, decorative shoes with buckles were replaced with a variety of boot styles, and fussy and ruffled neckwear gave way to intricately tied, white linen neck cloths. A Regency Era, or early 1800s, gentleman was outfitted in more practical fabrics, such as wool, cotton and buckskin rather than the fussy brocades and silks of the late 1700s.
1818 January Fancy Mourning Dishabille. A lady reading a pink book while wearing Dishabille, or morning dress, though as this labeled ‘Fancy’, it was most likely more formal than any normal At-Home morning dress. Dress of crepe with a lavishly decorated hem, worn over a white cambric Spencer, ornamented with fine muslin, embroidered at the edge with black, finished at neck with a triple ruff of muslin, tied in front with black love. Black sarsnet French apron, edged round with a newly invented trimming of black love. Cornette, or hat, of fine muslin, crowned with a garland of black flowers. Black chamois slippers. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London. The magazine’s General Observations on Fashion and Dress tries to explain why the outfit is labeled ‘Fancy’, ‘However little versatility can possibly be attached to the sable garment of sorrow, yet the Print we have presented to our readers representing the home costume of a lady of high fashion, will prove to them how busy Fancy is in her endeavors to throw a changeful hue over the tinct of solid black.’
I can picture Jane Austen and her female friends and family wearing this sort of dress if they were in half-mourning yet wanted to look fashionable. .
1817 December Lady Reading A Pink Book. Blue dress with a lavishly decorated hem, worn under a black tunic, white sleeves and a high lace morning cap. Fashion Plate via John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London.
1818 May Morning and Evening Fashionable Dresses, English. Pale blue dress, heavily decorated with lace, matching hat and with hand held glasses. Lavender dress with low cut bodice, tiny sleeves, lace decoration on the hem, white paisley shawl, long white gloves and large bonnet. Fashion Plate via Lady’s Magazine.
Definition: Morning Walking Dress: Worn out shopping, walking in a city park or the country estate. Presentable and warm, more fashionable than relaxed Morning Dress but not heavily accessorized apart from a shawl that was usually added for warmth.
Definition Evening Dress: There were minute distinctions between ball, dinner, evening and opera gowns, which meant different quality of fabrics and designs. A Ball Gown differed from an evening dress as expensive silk fabrics were usually worn, light or heavy, decorated with lace, embroidery or beading, with low-cut bodice, short or no sleeves, and full skirts. In the early 1800s, white cotton dresses were considered suitable for many evening events, but not for balls. And definitely not for an evening event in a palace. White dresses with white embroidery for evening were considered fashionable and exclusive as only the wealthy could afford them.
1816 December. Promenade Dress, or Pelisse, English, also called a Redingote in France. High cambric muslin dress trimmed at the bottom with a single flounce of work, shaped without any fulness to fit the body, plain long sleeve finished by a triple fall of narrow lace. Over this is the Angouleme pelisse of crimson velvet, lined with white Sarsnet, and trimmed with a single Welt of crimson satin, a shade lighter than the pelisse. Shaped the to the body and without much fullness, confined at the short waist with narrow velvet band, edged to match. Small stand-up collar, supports a rich lace ruff, which is worn open in front of the throat. Sleeve has little fullness and is confined at the wrist by three narrow bands of puckered satin. Bonnet of white satin a la Royale with a large bunch of flowers and tied under the chin with satin ribbon and finished in front with a full quilling of tulle. Black silk ridicule, exquisitely worked in imitation of the ends of an India shawl and trimmed with black silk fringe. White kid gloves and black walking shoes. Fashion plate, hand-colored engraving on paper. Published in Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’, London.
Promenade Dress, Pelisse, Redingote, Or Walking Dress. 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.
1816 December. Promenade Dress, or Pelisse, English, called Redingote in France. High cambric muslin dress trimmed at the bottom, plain long sleeve finished by a triple fall of narrow lace. Over this is the Angouleme pelisse of crimson velvet, lined with white Sarsnet, and trimmed with a single Welt of crimson satin, a shade lighter than the pelisse. Bonnet of white satin a la Royale with a large bunch of flowers and tied under the chin with satin ribbon. White kid gloves and black walking shoes. Fashion Plate in Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’, London.1816 December Red Promenade Dress Or Pelisse With Black Reticule, English. #Bridgerton #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819 Share on X Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1808 Fashionable English Couple, Dressed As In Jane Austen’s times. Lady in a white dress with pointed hem decorations, fitted white hat tied under her chin with yellow ribbon, yellow shawl and pink slippers. Gentleman in formal dress of blue tailcoat, black knee breeches, white stockings, black shoes, black bicorn hat, curly hair style and sideburns and a sword. Interestingly, this is English style fashions from a French magazine. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
1808 Fashionable English Couple. Lady in a white dress with pointed hem decorations, fitted white hat tied under her chin with yellow ribbon, yellow shawl and pink slippers. Gentleman in formal dress of blue tailcoat, black knee breeches, white stockings, black shoes, black bicorn hat, curly hair style and side burns and a sword. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.1808 Fashionable English Couple Dressed As In Jane Austen's times. #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten #HistoricalFashion https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809 Share on X Fashion Women 1805-1809 History Notes Book 26 What did Jane Austen and friends wear? https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1805-1809
Early 1800s Typical Regency Couple in a Curricle. The sort of vehicle Jane Austen and her contemporaries would have driven in. Young men loved them and occasionally women drove them.