In Jane Austen’s years of the early nineteenth century, women often wore light-weight dresses under which was worn a range of underclothing to stop gowns appearing transparent and sticking to a lady’s body. To preserve modesty, underclothing included a chemise next to the skin, then a corset, and then petticoats to give shape to a dress and to keep it away from her body.
1780 Stays and Panier, or Hoop Petticoat, England. via suzilove.com and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California, USA. Stays: Brown linen twill and baleen. Panier: Woman’s hoop petticoat, or pannier, of linen plain weave and cane 1750-1780. via Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California, USA. collections.lacma.org
1820-1835 ca. Woman’s Underwear Combination, English. Petticoat: 1820-1829 ca. Cotton with double row of piping round hem. Frontless with looped shoulder pieces. Corset: 1835: Cotton reinforced with whalebone and cording, hand-sewn. Shift Or Chemise:1830s Worn under corset. Drawers: Sheer clinging fabrics needed drawers underneath for modesty. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. collections.vam.ac.uk.
1810 ca. Muslin, or Cotton, Bodiced Petticoat With Sleeves, British.The sort of petticoat Jane Austen wore beneath her dresses, for both modesty and warmth. via Killerton House. National Trust, U.K. nationaltrustcollections.org.uk
In Jane Austen’s years of the early nineteenth century, women often wore light-weight dresses under which was worn a range of underclothing to stop gowns appearing transparent and sticking to a lady’s body. To preserve modesty, underclothing included a chemise next to the skin, then a corset, and then petticoats to give shape to a dress and to keep it away from her body.
1740–1760 ca. Silk and Cotton Petticoat. via Suzi Love ~ suzilove.com & Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1740–1760 ca. Silk and Cotton Petticoat. via Suzi Love ~ suzilove.com
& Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org1740–1760 ca. Silk and Cotton Petticoat. #Georgian #Underclothing #Fashion books2read.com/suziloveFashWomen1700s Share on XHN_1 Fashion Women Late 1700s History Notes Book 1 by Suzi Love.
What was fashionable for women in the late 1700s? Extravagant colors and fabrics and outrageous styles were all seen in these flamboyant fashions.
books2read.com/suziloveFashWomen1700s
1784-1826 ca. Woman’s Under Dress. White high-waisted underdress with drawstrings at neck and waist, narrow shoulder straps, back tie closure, embroidered with large scale scrolling floral motifs with meandering vine and bands of dots along the bottom edge. The type of underdress worn by Jane Austen’s female friends and family. via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A. mfa.org
1800 ca. Fawn Cotton Bodiced Petticoat With Front Lacing, English. via National Trust Collections, UK. nationaltrustcollections.org.uk
Because dresses were so light and airy as to be almost see-through, petticoats were needed to protect a woman’s modesty. If a glimpse of an ankle was supposed to turn a man’s head, imagine what would happen if he saw an entire lady’s exposed leg.
Did Jane Austen wear this type of petticoat under her dress? Probably. This wide necked, small shoulder straps and Empire, or high-waisted, undergarment would have provided some warmth plus protect the modesty of Regency Era women. This would be worn under the high-waisted, wide necked, small bodiced type of thin, or even almost transparent, dresses of the early 1800s.
1820-1850 ca. Chemise, Corset, Quilted Petticoat and Pocket. Gift of Mary S. Belden. Corset About 1820-1830 ca. CHS Collection. Pocket About 1820-1840 ca. Chemise About 1839-1850 ca. via Chicago History Museum, U.S.A.
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 shift was replaced by ‘Chemise’.
Corset: French term for stays. Structured bust supporting or body shaping foundation garment. Tightened by laces and often with reinforcing e.g. boning, cording and flossing.
From the Curator Victoria and Albert Museum, London: Quilting was a popular form of decoration for a variety of garments including pockets. However, hand-quilting was a time-consuming method of decoration. The increased demand for quilted petticoats, waistcoats and pockets led to the invention of woven quilting.
1820-1850 ca. Chemise, Corset, Quilted Petticoat and Pocket. Gift of Mary S. Belden. Corset About 1820-1830 ca. CHS Collection. Pocket About 1820-1840 ca. Chemise About 1839-1850 ca. via Chicago History Museum, U.S.A.
1820-1850 ca. Chemise, Corset, Quilted Petticoat and Pocket, American. #Regency #Underclothing #RomanticEra