1816 August. Morning Dress in Bridgerton or Jane Austen style, English. White high-waisted dress worn with a blue striped spencer, blue boots, and a white hat white blue trim. Fashion Plate via Lady’s Magazine.
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.
1818 Blue Spencer Of Levantine, French. White cotton print dress with ruffled hem, high plumed bonnet and a neck scarf.
Definition Levantine: Stout silk cloth in twill weave. First made in the Levant, a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia.
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 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. Spencer, British. Silk and willow. Front View.1820 ca. Spencer, British. Silk and willow. Back View. 1820 ca. Spencer, British. Silk and willow. Sleeve View. 1820 ca. Spencer, British. Silk and willow. Sleeve Decoration View. 1820 ca. Spencer, British. Silk and willow. Braiding View. 1820 ca. Spencer, British. Silk and willow. Wrist View.
1820 ca. Military Style Silk Spencer With Braiding In the Style of the Bridgertons and Jane Austen. #Bridgerton #JaneAusten #RegencyFashion #BritishHistory books2read.com/suziloveSpencers
HN_4_Spencers, Or Jackets. #Regency #Georgian #Victorian #Fashion History Notes Book 4 By Suzi Love.
An overview of women’s fashions in the first twenty years of the 19th century. What was fashionable for women in Jane Austen’s times, or the early 1800s. Wars were being fought around the globe, so women’s fashion adopted a military look in support of soldiers. In Britain, the Prince Regent ruled instead of his father, King George III, so fashions, like the lifestyle, became more extravagant and accessories went from pretty to opulent. This set includes books 12, 25, 26, 27 and 28. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomenBoxSet
Ladies clothing in the early 1800’s featured a high waist line called an Empire Line, or Empire style dress, with a waist line just under the natural bust line and much higher than the natural waist. The high-waisted, or short-bodied, Regency styles shifted focus away from the natural waist and so left the natural waist unconstricted, in direct contrast to previous and future styles. Britain took these simple European styles and progressively made them more elaborate by adding more and more complicated embroidery onto white fabrics to create the white on white look popular for many years.
The empire look of fine muslin dresses left women more exposed than in the Georgian Era when fabrics had been thicker and styles bulkier. Women, especially in England, preserved their modesty by adding lace, frills, flounces, ruches, and fabric plaits to dresses to adequately cover any parts that might inadvertently be exposed. Outer layers, such as Spencers, Redingotes or Pelisses or coats, and shawls, were also added for warmth and to brighten outfits.
This Empire fashion was totally dependent on a supply of fine, translucent cotton muslin – at first imported from India, then later, less exclusive imitations often woven and printed or embroidered in Britain. Fabrics were soft and lightweight and muslins and other cotton fabrics from India and other Asian countries were in high demand.
1817-1820 ca. Spencer, or Jacket, English. The sort of jacket worn by Jane Austen and friends over their loose Empire style dresses. Green silk Spencer, 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. via Museum of London, UK. museumoflondon.org.uk
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.
1817-1820 ca. Spencer, English. 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. via Museum Of London. 1817-1820 ca. Spencer, English. Back View. 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.
via Museum of London, UK. museumoflondon.org.uk suzilove.com1817-1820 ca. Jane Austen and Bridgerton Style Green Silk Spencer, Or Jacket, English. #Bridgerton #RegencyFashion #BritishFashion #JaneAusten https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819 Share on XHN_28_D2D_FashionWomen 1815-1819
1805 Women’s Dresses and Fashion Accessories. Fashion plates from Fashions of London and Paris. Gorgeous Regency Era clothing came in a wide range of styles to suit every season and occasion. Ladies in Jane Austen’s times wore Empire style dresses which were usually of light fabric and floaty in style so accessories were essential to keep women warm. Accessory: item which contributes to the overall effect but is of secondary importance is the dictionary definition of an accessory, but the term has only been applied in relation to personal appearance since the 19th century. As defined by dress historians, accessories usually complete an outfit and are chosen to complement it. Accessories fall into two groups: Those worn, such as bonnets, caps and hats, boots and shoes, cravats and ties, gloves, mittens and muffs, jewellery, scarves and shawls, socks and stockings. Those that are carried, such as bags, canes, fans, parasols and umbrellas, and swords.
