1812 Military Pelisse, Or Shoulder Cape, British. Charles Stewart in hussar uniform with a military pelisse slung over his shoulder. By Thomas Lawrence.
1819 White Percale Dress, French. Deep hem of bubbly muslin, matching Percale Spencer or jacket, pink parasol and flowered straw hat. Spencer has short puffed sleeves over long straight sleeves and military style trimmings. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Even though this a French fashion plate, this is typical of the outdoor outfit worn by Jane Austen and her contemporaries when going outside. An Empire style, or high-waisted white cotton dress worn under a Spencer, or jacket, for warmth and with a parasol to protect fair complexions from the sun.
Description Spencer: Short jackets worn for warmth over the high-waisted Empire style gowns that were popular after the French Revolution, where there was a shift away from opulence and decadence to simpler fashion. This jacket with very short bodice and long sleeves was known as a Spencer and was named after the male coat made famous by the Earl Spencer and said to have originated in accident to Lord Spencer in hunting when coat tails torn off and a cropped jacket was invented. The dresses in the early 1800s therefore became looser, lighter, and flowing and women became cold due to their very low cut and short bodices. Short fitted jackets that went easily over the dresses and provided extra modesty and some warmth. As Europe and many other parts of the world were deep in wars in the late 1700s and early 1800s, men in uniform were found everywhere. In support of these military men, fashions leaned towards military style shoulder paddings, shoulder embellishments, loops, buttons, and braids.
Definition Percale or Perkale: From the Persian word pargalah. Fine cotton fabric, or cambric muslin of good quality, originally from India, generally bleached, printed and finished without gloss. Contains more dressing than ordinary muslin, but without the glossy finish of cambric and is printed in fancy patterns on white and colored grounds. In May 1816, Percale was commented on in Rudolph Ackermann’ Repository Of Arts, “Perkale, as they call cambric muslin, is now almost the only thing worn in the morning costume: you must not, however, fancy that this proceeds from a wish to encourage English manufacture, but partly from a love for novelty, and partly because it is less expensive than cambric, and equally fashionable.”
1818 Military style Redingote, or Coat,or Walking dress, French. High-waisted pale blue outdoors coat with military style braiding and decoration on bodice and sleeves. Matching hat is fitted to her head but with a large high brim and white feathers, or plume, blue walking boots and gloves. The type of outfit young Regency Era ladies would have worn if they were out shopping on Bond Street, walking in a park, or taking a carriage ride through Hyde Park. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. .
Definition Redingote Or Pelisse Or Walking Dress Or Coat: French word developed from English words, riding coat. Long fitted outdoor coat worn over other garments for warmth. Often left open at the front to show off the dress underneath. Sometimes cut away in front. Originally made with several capes and trimmed with large buttons. French fashion plates call these coats Redingotes and they are designed for women, men and children. English fashion plates call them a Pelisse, a walking dress, Promenade dress, or Carriage dress.
Kelly’s Justice: International crime, ex-military feisty heroine, kidnapping and drug smuggling in Vanuatu, South Pacific. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice
I lived in Vanuatu, South Pacific, for 9 years and loved setting my book there. Kelly, codenamed Riddles, normally needs no help solving international security problems, but when someone from her past damages her reputation and threatens her life, she needs assistance. Joining forces with her old friend, an expert on South Pacific politics, they destroy an island drug cartel and rescue kidnapped teenagers. But can she and Grant finally have a future together after an old enemy tries to kill them both?
1800s Early Amputation Instruments used by Alexander Jack in Jane Austen’s times. Jack was a ship’s surgeon aboard H.M.S. Shannon and used by him in the battle between the Shannon & the American frigate the USS Chesapeake on June 1st, 1813, during the War of 1812. via Old Operating Theatre, London.
Jane Austen’s brother, Francis William Austen, was appointed Admiral of the Fleet in the British Royal Navy on 27 April, 1863. He had been a Royal Navy Captain from 1799 to 1830, age 25 to 56, Rear Admiral in 1838, age 64, Full Admiral in 1848, age 74. This is the type of medical instruments found on all of his ships.
In Jane Austen’s time, amputations were carried out frequently to prevent infections that could kill.
1810-1820 ca. Pantaloons, Probably Military, British. The type of pants worn by men in Jane Austen’s times when wars were being fought all over the world, especially in Europe. Machine-knitted white cotton decorated with cream silk braid on sides and fronts as seen on Hussar uniforms. Cut to fit the leg and button bottom at waist with three buttons. Front fall buttons over five buttoned fly, two horizontal pockets at front below waistband and fob pocket in waistband. Four metal buttons for braces, two front and two back. Cotton ‘puff’ centre back waist and two linen tapes for waist adjustment. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. collections.vam.ac.uk.
Pair of men’s pantaloon trousers made of machine-knitted white cotton and decorated with cream silk braid applied down the sides and on the fronts. This imitates the hussar uniforms of the period and appeared on fashionable men’s dress. The pantaloons are cut to fit the leg and button at the bottom with three buttons. The pantaloons fasten at the front with front falls buttoning over a five buttoned fly. There are two horizontal pockets at the front below the waistband and a fob pocket in the waistband. There are four metal buttons for braces, two at the front and two at the back. These probably are original. There is a cotton ‘puff’ at the centre back waist and two linen tapes for waist adjustment.
Pantaloons also brought the glamour of military uniform into men’s fashionable dress, especially when teamed with Hessian boots. Uniforms worn by the various armies during the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815) were often very colourful and lavishly adorned with braid and tassels. It is hardly surprising that some of these attractive trimmings should have infiltrated fashion, particularly when nationalistic feelings ran high. Civilian pantaloons were often ornamented with military-style braid that was applied in a vertical band of topside Russia braiding. They were not, however, generally decorated on the front, which suggests that this pair was for military use. The silk braid is applied in the form of an Austrian knot, which was a popular motif on pantaloons of the light cavalry such as the hussars and light dragoons.
1800s Early Red Coated Cavalry Officer On Horse Charging.
1817 Yellow Redingote, or Pelisse, or Walking Dress, French. Yellow military style pelisse with braiding across the front and capes across the shoulders and worn over a white dress with a high neckline and a scalloped hem. Large and high bonnet with plume, or feathers, and green flowers, gloves and a handkerchief. Although this is a French fashion plate, similar styles were worn everywhere and Jane Austen would have worn a Pelisse like this before her death on the 18th July, 1817. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
The ongoing years of wars followed by the victories of Wellington’s armies brought the military into fashion in England and there was a rush of fashion articles named after him e.g. Wellington hat, Wellington bonnet, Wellington jacket and Wellington Boot. In other European countries, military headwear was copied from military helmets and hats and frogging and epaulettes added a further patriotic touch to women’s clothing. And as always, fashions were copied and spread around the world, despite the battles being fought.
Definition Redingote Or Coat Or Pelisse: 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.
1820 ca. Silk Spencer, British. Made of silk and willow. Short length, long sleeves, extensive decoration on shoulders, sleeves and wrists. Military style braiding on the spencer in support of all the soldiers fighting wars across the world. The sort of jacket worn by fashionable Regency ladies over their light and flowing Empire dresses. Credit Line:Catharine Breyer Van Bomel Foundation Fund, 1987 via Metropolitan Museum New York City, U.S.A. metmuseum.org
Definition Spencer: Short jackets cut to match the high waistlines of Empire dresses. They often copied military styling, such as braiding, shoulder decoration, buttons and loop fasteners, and wrist adornments. They were generally of complex construction, often with a diamond shaped piece in the back. Said to have originated in an accident to Lord Spencer while hunting when his coat tails were torn off and he wore it as a short jacket.
1820 ca. Military Style Silk Spencer With Braiding In the Style of the Bridgertons and Jane Austen. #Bridgerton #JaneAusten #RegencyFashion #BritishHistory books2read.com/suziloveSpencers
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