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.
1820 Ball Gown of Embroidered Net, British. Silk satin and silk net embroidered with metal and trimmed with silk blonde bobbin lace, hand sewn. Short-sleeved ball gown comprising of an underdress of silk satin and an overdress of machine-made silk net embroidered with metal and trimmed with blonde bobbin lace. The dress has a low oval neckline, puffed short sleeves, a wedge shaped front bodice panel, and a medium high waist. The skirt has a central front panel, wedge shaped panels and the centre back panels are tightly gathered at the waist.
From the Museum Curator: ‘Women saved their most elaborate dresses for special occasions such as balls. Lavish gowns embellished with gold thread or sparkling beads glittered in the artificial light of the dancing room. Thin, gauzy materials created a soft dreamy look. These light materials also prevented the wearer from getting too hot while dancing in stuffy, overcrowded spaces’. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
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.
1730-1760 ca. Yellow Silk Embroidered Bag, Russian. From: Collection of Natalia de Shabelsky (1841-1905), Russian noblewoman preserving vanishing folk art traditions of her country. Traveling extensively throughout Great Russia, she collected textile art of wealthy peasant class. via Metropolitan Museum, NYC.
18th Century bags, or purses, were usually designed to hang from the waist or wrist to carry essential daily items on the person rather than making the long walk back through a castle or grand house to fetch things like coins, personal seals, toiletries or medicines.
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
1805 Pink Redingote, French. Also called a Pelisse, a Walking Dress, or a Carriage Costume, in England. High-waisted, short puffed sleeves over long straight sleeves with elaborate embroidery to decorate, and close-fitting gold hat tied under her chin. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Jane Austen and her contemporaries would have worn long coats like this one 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, so coats of some sort were added, plus colorful accessories like this shawl and the hat to add color and another layer of warmth.
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 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.
1808 Lady In A Dancing Dress, French. Dress of Tulle Broderie, short puffed sleeves, floral embroidery, dancing slippers and upswept hairstyle. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien. When attending assemblies or balls, ladies in Jane Austen’s times women wore Empire style dresses which were usually made of light fabric and floaty in style and often of a shorter length suitable for dancing.
1800 Block Printed Woven Muslin Robe. Open robe of block printed muslin with a fine trellis weave printed in blue, red, and brown, and with delicate floral trails. Empire style high-waisted dress with linen inner panels and lining. via Kerry Taylor Auctions kerrytaylorauctions.com
Definition Empire Style Dress: Named after the First Empire in France. Empire dresses had a low neckline and 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 high-waisted dress was worn most days. Cotton, silk or taffeta were the popular fabrics. Only the very wealthy could afford white dress in this style as the cottons were imported from India and had to be carefully cleaned, usually by a lady’s maid.
1817-1820 ca. Spencer, English. Green silk, brown satin puffs, silk cord on deep V collar and sleeves. With the rise of fashionable waistlines in women’s dresses after around 1800, women’s outerwear followed suit. 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. The jacket is said to have originated in an accident to Lord Spencer in hunting when his coat tails were torn off and a cropped jacket was invented. via Museum of London, UK. museumoflondon.org.uk. books2read.com/suziloveSpencers. Jane Austen and her contemporaries often walked to places and so would have needed the warmth of a Spencer over her dress in the cold British winters.
Definition Spencer: Short jacket, cropped at the waist, worn over a dress, or gown. These close-fitting, tight sleeved, waist length jackets were modeled on a gentleman’s riding coat, but without tails. Delicate and regency dresses provided so little protection from the cold, so over garments were essential for warmth, modesty and good health.
1820-1850 ca. Cotton and Beadwork Reticule Or Bag, Dutch. Couple on shore, man in boat, house and windmill behind, musicians, dancers, onlookers. Yellow metallic frame and green braided silk cord. Beadwork on cotton foundation. Polychrome design: couple on shore, man in boat, house and windmill behind (obv.); musicians, dancers, onlookers (rev.); acanthus motif at base. Yellow metallic frame with dotted design, stud closure, green braided silk cord. Ecru silk lining. via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A. mfa.org
Definition Reticule Or 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.
http://books2read.com/suziloveReticules
