During the height of the Regency period (1811-1820) women's fashions took their inspiration from the classical world. The waistline moved up and skirts became more streamlined and columnar in shape. White was the color of choice and thin, diaphanous muslin the preferred fabric. Although fashions had changed dramatically from a generation before, etiquette demanded that certain dresses and accessories be worn at defined times of the day. The aristocracy and upper crust, steeped in tradition and manners, had no trouble following the rules, but arrivistes and the rising middle class often found the code of conduct bewildering. The following distinctions of dress will help the modern reader understand regency terminology in terms of women's fashion.
Undress
Undress, or dishabille, simply meant wearing a casual, simpler gown for home. These loose, comfortable gowns were made with warmer, more practical materials and had higher necklines. The outfit was often topped off with a cap. In the morning, the lady of the house would consult with her cook and housekeeper, thus she probably wore a chatelaine watch, which denoted her status and would also carry keys, a vinaigrette, scissors or thimble, and other accoutrements as needed for running a smooth household. Mornings were a time for solitude and tending to the house. Jane Austen liked to practice at the pianoforte first thing in the morning. Other ladies used the time to write letters, sew, read, make preserves, oversee the gardens, etc. Undress gowns were worn until early morning to noon, depending on when outings or visitors were scheduled. If it was a quiet day, a lady could wear her home, or undress gown as late as four or five in the afternoon. In the 1996 film version of Sense and Sensibility, the actresses playing the Dashwood women were often shown wearing an apron or pinafore over their dresses when picking herbs or working in the kitchen. Sometimes undress gowns were quite decorative. Alison Steadman as Mrs. Bennet wore a morning gown in the film that closely resembled an 1815 Ackermann fashion plate. (See illustration in this article.)
Half Dress
A half dress was more formal than the morning gown and was worn in the afternoon to early evening (five to seven o'clock). Half dresses were made with lower necklines and often had trains. They were worn for walking outdoors, shopping, going to an exhibit, riding in a boat or carriage, promenading in Bath or at the seashore, visiting friends and making calls. Half dresses afforded ladies an opportunity to show off their finery at public parks or during visits. Depending on the time of year, accessories included shawls, spencer jackets, bonnets, fan, reticule, gloves, or muffs.
Half Full Dress
A half dress could be accessorized to a half full dress for dinner or the opera after seven o'clock. The accessories would be fancier than those for an outing or shopping, and would include finer jewelry, shawls, gloves, and fans.
Full Dress
Full dress represented the most formal, expensive, and ornate gowns. These gowns, worn late in the evening, were characterized by the lowest decolletage, short sleeves (although Jane Austen noted in 1814 that long sleeves were allowable for the evening), long gloves, reticules, fans, elaborate headdresses, satin slippers, scarves, and trains. They were worn to pleasure gardens, such as Vauxhall, Almack's Assembly room, private parties, evening concerts, fancy dinners, soirees, balls, card parties, and appearances at the royal court. The silhouette of the court gown had changed during the regency period, for the wide hooped skirt looked odd with a high waistline, and ladies were allowed to wear their best evening gowns provided they met court standards.
Riding Habit
While ladies' gowns were made by dressmakers and modistes, their riding habits were made by tailors. Thus the riding habit, based on military motifs, was placed in a category all its own. Accessorizing the look were boots, hats, gloves, and riding crops. Riding habits were made of sturdy cloth and were worn during a ride in the park or the country.
As the day progressed, the regency lady was less covered. Although her shoulders were never quite naked, her decolletage made her look decidedly bare in her evening gown. While the lady of fashion in the regency era was required to change her dress at least two or three times a day, these changes were minor compared to the rituals that Victorian and Edwardian ladies were required to follow, but that topic will be discussed at another time.
Sources
Decker, Cathy, The Regency Undress Page. Web. 4 April. 2010.
Burkard, Linore Rose. Elizabeth Bennet's Wardrobe: Undress, Half Dress, Full Dress, Headdress! Making Sense of it All. Web. 4 April. 2010.
Downing, Sarah Jane. Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen. Shire Publications, Oxford. 2010. ISBN-13-978 0 74780 767 4
Vic Sanborn - I oversee two blogs: Jane Austen's World and Jane Austen Today, and write about Jane Austen and the Regency World and its manners and ...
