Reading the Regency

Fashion - An Introduction and Glossary - part 1

"If you don't buy a muslin gown now on the strength of this money and Frank's promotion, I shall never forgive you."
[Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, 28th December 1798]

Gown was the most common word for what we would call a dress today. In 1802, the dictionary definition of a gown was "a long upper garment" that frequently fastened on the front. Gown was used to describe both a woman's dress, nightwear for both sexes, and a man's dressing gown.

"A simple frock of French cambric, buttoned up the back, with round bosom, and plain sleeve, with frock cuff."
[La Belle Assemblee, pub. May 1808]

Frock could describe either a child's or woman's gown, particularly one that fastened at the back. It was also a word used to refer to a man's coat.

Robe, the French word for gown or dress, robe was defined in a dictionary of the time as a "gown of state". However, in the fashion descriptions published in women's magazines it refers to something we would recognise as a dress, or at least the gown layer of an outfit. Robe was also sometimes used to describe a decorative top layer, open at the front to show the dress beneath.

Habit was occasionally used to describe forms of dress, particularly in fashion magazines. It was the French word for dress or costume, and could refer to any outfit but was most commonly used when referring to Riding Habits.

Styles of Gown and other design elements

"My gown is made very much like my blue one, which you always told me sat very well, with only these variations: the sleeves are short, the wrap fuller, the apron comes over it, and a band of the same completes the whole."
[Letter from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, 8th January 1799]

There were a relatively small number of basic design elements at this time. Each gown was customised by the materials used depending on when and where it would be worn. These design elements were often mentioned in fashion descriptions and would have been discussed with friends or with their dressmaker:

Round dress - this was a gown where the skirt went all around the body in one piece, and at the same length. Also called round robe and round gown. These dresses could be fastened at the back with two ties at waist and neck, In the second half of the Regency era, they also used a varying number of buttons.

Train dress - this type of dress had a skirt that was longer at the back than the front, forming a train. The length of the train varied. Sometimes they were described as a round train dress. That just meant the skirt went all around the body, but was longer at the back than the front. A shorter train was sometimes called a demi-train. These dresses could be fastened at the back with ties, or buttons in the later Regency.

Open dress - here, the skirt, and sometimes the bodice of the dress was open at the front, revealing another layer beneath. This older style had been common in the 18th century. During the Regency period this term was rarely seen in fashion descriptions, its place taken by decorative outer layers often called robes. These robes gave a similar effect, joining at the bodice or waist but open below the waist to show the gown below. However, the older style of open dresses may still have been worn by older ladies living in the countryside.

Wrapping dress - this was a gown with a full wrap front, where both bodice and skirt overlapped on the front and fastened on each side. Some outer layers were also designed to wrap across the body in this manner.

"The body of the dress is also made a degree longer than is usually worn; the back and bosom high, to wrap simply over, and fastened with a small diamond clasp, and trimmed all round to correspond with the bottom of the dress"
[Le Beau Monde, Fashions for April, pub. 1808]