1805-1810 ca. India Muslin Dress, English. Slight train, embroidered panel down centre between two lines of drawn-thread work, embroidery of cotton in chikan stitch and knots in scrolls and plume design. Elbow length sleeves with two insertions of embroidery in leaf pattern. via Manchester Art Gallery
Definition Empire Style: Named after the First Empire in France, by 1800 Empire dresses had a very low décolleté, or neckline and a short narrow backed bodice attached to a separate skirt. Skirts started directly under the bust and flowed into the classical relaxed wide styles of Greece and Rome. This style of dress is associated with Jane Austen and her contemporaries as a simple cotton high-waisted dress was worn most days and accessorized according to the importance of the occasion.
1863 Traveler’s Chest, French. Sewing Tools, Ruby Perfume, Aide de Memoire or Notebook, etc. Inside lid with theatre curtains. via Ruby Lane Antiques. rubylane.com
1795-1810 ca. Roller Printed Dress, English. Empire style, high-waisted, roller printed dress with skirt gathered at the back to create a full skirt and with simple V-necked bodice and long sleeves. Sleeves are closed with a narrow band of fabric which fastens with a hook and eye. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. 1810 ca. Sewing of Gown. 1795-1799 ca. Fabric Block Printing. Pattern of floral trails blends influences from Indian-painted and printed textiles, and woven silks, a style which remained popular until the end of18th century.
The pattern of floral trails seen on the printed fabric of this gown exhibits a blend of influences from Indian-painted and printed textiles, and woven silks, a style which remained popular until the end of the 18th century. The sleeves of this gown are closed with a narrow band of fabric, which fastens with a hook and eye.
The dress is styled with a high-waisted , fitted bodice, which fastens centrally. The neck, which is trimmed with a 1″ frill of matching material, is rounded a the back and V-shaped at the front. The bodice is lined with white cotton which extends 1/3 of the way down the full length tapered sleeves. A trimming decorations is attached to the wrist of the right sleeve (made from the same material and lined with white cotton), which fastens with a metal hook and eye at the hip. The skirt has an ‘apron’ style front with fastening tapes attached to either side, in addition to this there are vertical pocket slits situated at either side of the skirt measuring 11″. The front and rear sides of the skirt are constructed from one width of fabric – 39.5″ wide. The waistline at the back of the skirt is gathered a the centre and is constructed from two pieces of material measuring 46″ wide.
The cotton has blue threads in the selvedges denoting English origin, and is block printed in a polychrome palette with pencilled blue on a white ground. The design consists of an all-over pattern of delicate floral trails of carnations, pinks an other stylised flowers interspersed by vertical arborescent meanders bearing exotic fruits and stylised flowers. The pattern repeat measures 10.5″ by 10″.
18th Century Early. Silk, Leather, and Linen Mules, European. Embroidered in the Florentine Style, a type of flame stitch canvas work with varied stitch lengths often in subdued tones. via Metropolitan Museum, NYC, U.S.A.
1790-1820 ca. Fichus, Or Shoulder Shawls. Short and Long. Embroidered Cream Net Fichus as worn by ladies in the times of Jane Austen. via Whitaker Auction whitakerauction.smugmug.com
Definition Fichu: Triangular piece of lace, muslin, or other cloth worn about the neck and cleavage to fill in a low bodice or neckline and preserve a lady’s modesty. From the French ‘thrown over’. The Bridgerton family and Jane Austen and her female family and friends would have worn a Fichu over a light muslin dress for both warmth and modesty.
1815 Blue Dress Bodice, French. Layers of frills on dress back. Hairstyle and Various Bonnets as Jane Austen would have worn. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
1860 Corset, American. Cotton, metal, and bone. Manufacturer: Langdon Batcheller and Company, A1851-1860 ca. Blue Ribbed Silk Corset, English. Front and Back. Front hooks and back lacing. via Museum of London, UK. museumoflondon.org.uk
1813 October Morning Dress, English. Jane Austen and her family and friends would have worn this style of relaxed dress and cap. White At-Home dress with morning lace cap and a red shawl. Plain cambric underdress, three-quartered muslin or Chinese silk robe trimmed round the bottom and up the front with Indian border, or needle-work, and finished with a deep flounce of lace. Convent hood and pelerine of white net lace, confined under the chin with a silk cord and tassel. Hair in irregular curls with a fancy flower in the front. Short rosary and cross, plus bracelets, of coquilla beads. Buff or lemon kid slippers and pale tan gloves. Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
This is a typical outfit worn at home in the morning in the house, to be seen only by family or close friends. A lady might wear this while writing having breakfast, writing letters, or reading. Called by the various names of Undress, to At-Home dress, or Morning dress, it is the most relaxed ensemble a lady will wear all day. The sort of outfit Jane Austen would have worn when writing her books.
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 Blue Pelisse, Or Coat, English. Short puffed sleeves over long straight sleeves, military style braiding to decorate. matching shoes and high bonnet with feathers. Fashion Plate John Belle’s La Belle Assemblée or, Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine, London. 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.
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.
