A Primer on Regency Era Women’s Fashion

This week and next, we’re going to take a look at how people dressed in the Regency Era. This week we’re going to focus on Regency Era Women’s Fashion and all the different pieces of apparel they were changing in and out of multiple times per day. This list isn’t exhaustive by any means and is rather representative of the upper classes rather than the working classes. However, it should give a good foundation in recognizing what an author is talking about and why they’re so focused on their characters being fashion conscious.

A Matter of Formality

Before we get into the details of Regency Era Women’s Fashion, it’s important to realize some phrases didn’t mean quite the same thing 200 years ago. For example, unlike when we say “She was in a state of undress.” or “She was caught en dishabille.”, people of the Regency era wouldn’t have batted an eye. Ladies quite commonly entertained guests in their boudoirs while dressed in comfortable, but concealing gowns and robes. Therefore, the fashionable terms “undress”, “half-dress” and “full-dress” were degrees of formality, not coverage.

“Undress” simply meant casual, informal dress in the Regency period. This type of dress was worn from early morning to noon or perhaps as late as four or five, depending on one’s engagements for the day. Undress was more comfortable, more casual, much warmer, and cheaper than Half Dress or Full Dress.

“Half Dress” is one of the more difficult concepts of Regency Fashion. Basically, it is any dress halfway between Undress and Full Dress. In modern terms it might be thought of as dressy casual or casual business attire in terms of formality, if not style.

“Full Dress” was the most formal kind of Regency clothing. Full dress was worn for the most formal occasions — evening concerts and card parties, soirees, balls, and court occasions. Similarly, “Evening dress” indicated outfits suitable only at evening events, a specific subset of “full dress”.

Regency Era Women’s Fashion

There’s a great post over at Word Wenches where author Kalen Hughes goes through the steps of dressing your Regency heroine from the skin out. If you visit that post, you’ll get better idea of how long it took to dress and the order everything goes on or off in.

Underclothes

shifts/chemise

The forerunner of the slip, the basic white linen garment underneath everything, often short-sleeved or sleeveless. Easy to wash compared to stays.

stays/corset

Less uncomfortable than those of Georgian or Victorian Eras and typically stays were worn instead of full corsets though the term corset was being applied to both. The ones we think of when someone mentions “corset” today are the Victorian ones.

petticoat

Usually only one was required and not a lot of volume was required for the high-waisted fashions.

stockings/garters, pantaloons

No panty hose for these ladies, but rather cotton or silk stockings, held up by garters.

chemisette

Basically a white lawn dickey with a high collar.

drawers

Proper ladies didn’t wear drawers, since they were considered to be quite “fast” and racy.

Gowns & Dresses

Author Candice Hern also has a great page that details the various styles of dresses a woman would wear throughout the day named and appropriate for specific activities. These included:

morning gowns
visiting gowns
walking gowns
promenade dresses
carriage dresses
riding habits
dinner dresses/gowns
ball gowns

Outerwear

wraps & shawls

A wide variety of wraps and shawls were worn for warmth during this time period.

spencer

A close-fitting, tight sleeved, waist length jacket modeled on a gentleman’s riding coat, but without tails.

pelisse

An overdress or coat dress. The pelisse fit relatively close to the figure (though not tight) and had the same high-waisted lines as the dress of the day. Pelisses were also heavily and variously trimmed with fur, swansdown, contrasting fabric, frog fastenings, etc. practically from their beginning. In fashionable circles, pelisses more or less replaced the fur-lined cloaks of the earlier periods.

redingote

From the French corruption of “riding coat”, a long, fitted woman’s coat, belted and open to reveal the skirt of the dress beneath.

cloak or mantles (a short hip- or thigh-length cape) or Mantelets

Worn in the evening, often as part of an ensemble for the opera. Short cloaks with upstanding collars would also be worn to the theatre.

capes

These were fading out of fashion for women during the Regency, but some still present

Footwear

slippers/simple pumps

The basic shoe pattern resembled a ballet slipper (without points, of course) and might be made from kid leather, satin, or velvet.

mules

Backless slip-on shoes with a slight heel.

half-boots

An ankle boot made of sturdy leather for outdoors or velvet/satin for evening.

pattens

A metal contraption strapped onto the lady’s shoes in inclement weather, to lift her above the mud, snow, or rainwater in the street.

Accessories

fichu

A standard accessory for any modest miss who felt too much cleavage was showing. Also called a “tucker” as you tucked it into the bodice of your gown.

tippets (boa), pelerines (a broad collar-like cape which covers the shoulders.) & muffs

Warming aids, but also fashionable.

parasol

One mustn’t get spots! Freckles were quite unfashionable during the Regency.

reticule or ridicule

Some people argue that ‘ridicule’ is the only proper Regency term for a ladies purse, but you’ll see ‘reticule’ used almost exclusively.

gloves

For propriety’s sake and during the day, to limit sun exposure.

hats, bonnets

Again, propriety insisted that one’s hair be covered and the bonnets helped keep that porcelain complexion spot-free!

turbans, bandeaux

Favored more by older women, these were quite fashionable.

veils

Mostly in conjunction with widows and mourning.

In the Boudoir or Bedchamber

nightrail or night dress

Practical and high-necked, probably cotton.

dressing gown

A long, comfortable house garment that covered the night dress

wrapper

A thin gown or robe worn for modesty

Next week, we’ll take a look at Regency Era Men’s Fashions.