1785–1800 ca. Cotton Breeches, American or European. Man’s cotton breeches, drop down, or fall, front opening, button fastening at the waist, extra material in the back allows more movement for riding etc., and buttons secure the leg openings so they can be fitted to wear with boots for riding. via Metropolitan Museum, NYC, U.S.A. These are the sort of pants that the men Jane Austen knew would have worn for riding or in the country.
19th cent. Early. Reticule, or Bag, of silk, metal and glass, French, as carried in Jane Austen’s times. Silk ribbon work, with rosy glass beads, and silver purl flowers and backgrounding to the wreath motif. via Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
Definition Reticule: Bag or purse, often with a drawstring to pull closed and usually made of cloth or covered cardboard and often decorated with beading or embroidery. A reticule, or purse, or handbag, was usually carried by a woman during the Regency period to carry all their daily necessities. Earlier, women used pockets that tied at the waistline and were hidden in the folds of their skirts. Empire style, or early 1800s, high-waisted dresses made it impossible to either sewn in a pocket or to tie on a pocket. So women began carrying small, decorated bags called Reticules, or ridicules, which generally pulled close at the top with a drawstring.
1800 ca. Tan Corduroy Breeches. Drop down front flap, or ‘fall’, with two buttons, three silver metal buttons at the waistband, watch pocket, corner pockets with buttons, pieced back with waist tie, saggy back with extra fabric to allow for easier movement when riding or sitting, four buttons and silk ties at knee. via Whitaker Auction whitakerauction.smugmug.com. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionMen1800-1819.
Typical of a gentleman’s breeches worn during the early 1800s, or the Regency Era, or Jane Austen’s times. They have a front flap, or fall, which unbuttons and drops down and a back waist tie to adjust the waist size and there are buttons and ties to secure the breeches below the knee.
1815 French Couple. Lady in evening dress with scooped neckline on low-cut pink bodice, floral headpiece and long white gloves. Gentleman in brown tailcoat and stirrup trousers, vest, and casual necktie. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
The sort of fashionable outfits and items worn or carried by Jane Austen and her contemporaries when out in public. Ladies outfits for evening were accessorized with gloves, headdresses and jewelry and often dresses were of this shorter length for dancing. Gentlemen were always heavily accessorized as well with the essential of gloves, coats, waistcoats and neatly tied cravats. For more about the fashions of 1815, take a look at History Notes Books 23 and 28 men’s and women’s regency Era fashions.
Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 What did Jane Austen wear? What was fashionable for women at the end of the Regency Era in Britain and the reconstruction in Europe after the wars. Book 28 for 1815-1819 in History Notes Includes fashions for mourning, riding, dresses, hats, shoes, reticules or bags, underclothing, accessories.
Fashion Men 1800-1819 History Notes Book 23 What was fashionable for men in early 1800s, or Jane Austen’s time, or Regency Era? Suits, hats, shoes, underclothing, fashion accessories, military and bedroom fashions. French fashions and Georgian and Regency Era fashions from Great Britain were copied around the world.
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.
1816 August Walking Costume, or Pelisse, or Coat, English. Round dress, composed of cambric and trimmed with lace. The body is let in with a profusion of lace. Plain long sleeves, very full, except at the wrist where the fulness is confined by small plaits, sleeve finished by double frill of lace. Over the dress is a Pelisse of blue and white shot sarcenet, lined with white sarcenet and trimmed with white satin. Pelisse sleeve is very full and finished at the wrist by a cuff and bows of ribbon. Pelisse is made half high and finished at neck with a triple fall of rich lace but the neck is bare. White satin hat is turned up in front and ornamented with flowers. Kid gloves, blue kid shoes and a parasol. We are indebted for this tasteful dress to Mrs. Gill of Cork Street, Burlington Garden, London. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Definition: Pelisse Or Redingote: Woman’s long, fitted coat often worn open in front to show off the dress underneath. Sometimes cut away in front. Originally made with several capes and trimmed with large buttons. French word developed from English words, riding coat. reefer. Single- or double-breasted, fitted, tailored, over-all coat usually made from sturdy fabric. 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. #Regency #Fashion #History
1807 Healthful Dipping. Lady in her white linen chemise, or shift, preparing to take a dip in the spa waters. Scenes of Spa life. By F. Eginton, New Bath Guide. ‘How the ladies did giggle and set up their clacks, All the while an old lady was rubbing their backs.’ From Anstey’s ‘The New Bath Guide’. In Jane Austen’s novels, the resorts of Brighton, Scarborough, Cromer, Lyme and the fictional Sandy ton or Sanditon all get mentions. Women bathed in the sea, via bathing machines pulled down to the water’s edge, or promenaded along beautiful walkways, such as in Cheltenham, near Bat in Britain. Visiting seaside resorts became very popular during the Regency years. Le Beau Monde, or fashionable society, went to spa and beach towns to ‘take the waters’ or to holiday in a fashionable town. To see and be seen. Ladies dressed in light muslin gowns but added colorful accessories to make outfits more interesting.
Chemise Or Shift: Sleeveless, mid-calf length garment of white cotton or muslin was worn next to the skin under stays or corset. Called ‘Shift’ from early Georgian (1700-1750) until Late Georgian (1750-1790) to replace ‘Smock’. By 1800, name replaced by ‘Chemise’.
1800 Elegant Young French Gentleman. Pulling on his top coat over a long tan coat. Tan gloves, brown hat, brown boots, cane. Fashion Plate via suzilove.com and Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Overcoats: Called many names: Greatcoat, or Carrick, or Garrick, or Coachman’s, or Driving. Or Box Coat. Overcoats were voluminous and covered the other clothing. Usually with many capes, or collars, or pelerines covering the shoulders and with buttons down the front. Popular in the 19th century for riding, driving and travel as they kept the wearer warm and snow and rain off the body. Greatcoat: Overcoat with capes around the shoulders for men. Carrick or Garrick Coat: Other names for a gentleman’s inclement weather coat and worn for driving or travel.
1803 Jane Austen Style Dress Bodice and Five Trimmed Hats. Low cut bodice, puffed sleeves, scarf, four variations of trimmed hats. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1801-1804
1826 Almack’s Revisited by Charles White. The ball of this evening passed off as all other balls at the same place, creating envy, jealousy, and hatred in the minds of many of those who have been unsuccessful in procuring tickets; affording real amusement to few, and disappointing a greater portion of those who, by dint of manoeuvring, petitioning, parliamentary interest, or presents, have been enabled to obtain the desired vouchers; and as this was one of the last balls of the season, and a general election already talked of, the mixture of company and the number was much greater than usual; and, consequently, it was what the most correct persons called, “horrid bad Almack’s!”
Almack’s or Willis’s Rooms, King Street, St James, London, UK. Almack’s Assembly Rooms, founded by William Almack at No. 26-28, were on the site of the present Almack House. The club was originally a gaming establishment but moved from Pall Mall. The Assembly rooms were on the South side of King Street in St James’s and were opened on February 12, 1765. At the time the subscription was ten guineas for which there was a ball and supper each week for the twelve weeks of the season.
