"But little change has taken place in the style of dress since our last communications. The season is too far advanced for variety, and it is as yet too early for the introduction of novelty. Much taste and fancy have, however, been displayed in the assortment of colours. We noticed on a lady of high rank, a dead leaf coloured sarsnet mantle, made short, with a large hood thrown open, tied with ribband; the cloak was lined with pink Persian, and ornamented at the edges with a satin vandyke ribband."
[General Observations and Reflections on Fashion and Dress, La Belle Assemblee, pub. March 1810]
Fashions changed considerably between 1790 and 1820, but not everyone indulged in the most up-to-date designs. Just like today, only the most fashionable and well-off people wore the Regency equivalent of "designer" labels. Others might have ordered new dresses from a seamstress in their nearest town, or bought the material and made their own. They could copy the examples printed in the many fashion magazines of the time, while using more durable materials or cheaper trimmings.
Trends waxed and waned in London during the Season. The latest must-have design or colour in April could be out of favour by June, and only the very wealthiest families--usually those who spent time at Court-- even tried to keep up with it. The modern equivalent these days would be a Kardashian, or Victoria Beckham; those who wanted to set the trends rather than following them. It wasn't just styles that gained or lost popularity. Different materials, trimmings and colours also changed as the season progressed, with the most fashionable ladies always wanting to be seen wearing the latest novelty.
"However, your coming just at this time is the greatest of comforts, and I am very glad to hear what you tell us, of long sleeves.''
[Chapter 25, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen]
Families who spent most of their time in the country did not always keep up with the very latest styles. However, that didn't mean they didn't want to know what was most fashionable at the time, only that they wouldn't be slaves to the newest fashions. This is why many letters between friends and family included information on the fashions seen in London. What was the height of fashion in the capital in March might not be seen in more distant areas of the country until months later, if at all.
Even among the peerage and gentry, not all families would or could invest in a whole new wardrobe every year. Many ladies wore clothes that they'd owned for a few years, perhaps freshened up with a different trimming or other decorations. Dresses that were in good condition could be taken apart and reshaped. Even when ordering new clothes, older people might choose the out-of-date styles they were comfortable in. It was said of the philosopher and scientist Henry Cavendish that when he died in 1810, he had not changed the fashion or cut of his clothes for the last sixty years of his life.
Glossary
The following sections will explain some of the words used to describe clothing worn at the time. These are words you may come across in later chapters on men's and women's clothes, hats and accessories.
The word Dress itself needs some explanation. Throughout these chapters, you'll see phrases like "Evening Dress" or "Riding Dress". These descriptions usually don't refer to one specific item of clothing, but to the whole outfit or ensemble. This is why men could wear their Evening Dress without appearing in women's clothing.
There were items sometimes called dresses, including the round dress and the train dress, that referred to their cut or style, but they would only be one layer of an outfit. A woman's "Evening Dress" could often include two layers of gown, or a gown with a visible under layer, or slip, plus a shawl or scarf, gloves, shoes and head dress.
"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]
Body/Bodice - both words were used to describe the part of the dress above the waist. In French, it was called a corsage and this word was could also be used in English magazines to describe the bodice of a dress from 1817 onwards.
Bib front - also called drop-front or apron front. Instead of the dress being fastened at the back, the front part of the bodice dropped down from the waist. This allowed the wearer to step into the dress. The bib front was then raised and fastened at the sides, just in front of the shoulders or under the arms, depending on the neckline. This could make the dress appear as if it had no obvious fastenings.
Wrap front - similar to the bib front, the wrap front was joined to the dress at the side seams and opened to allow easier dressing. Once the dress was on, the two halves of the bodice wrapped across the chest, fastening at opposite sides. This was different from the wrapping dress because with a wrap front the skirt remained in one piece.
Stomacher front - The stomacher was a holdover from 17th and 18th-century fashions. It was a separate, decorative stiffened piece of fabric that filled the gap left by an open-fronted dress. Stomacher fronts in the Regency period were dress fronts that were fitted separately, rather than being joined to the gown like the wrap and bib fronts, and could be used on round or train dresses. However, some elements described as stomachers were purely decorative, like the "appliqued stomacher" on the bodice of a round robe. A few Regency stomachers looked more like shaped belts that fitted in the small space between the high waist and the underside of the bust.
High Dress - this was a dress that was made high to cover some or all of the throat. The first specific mention of a high dress I've seen was in 1806.
Half High Dress - this was a dress where the neckline covered up to the collar-bone, leaving the neck bare, or has a high neckline behind the neck, coming down into a v-shape in front. The higher necklines were common in day dresses.
Sleeves were as varied in shape or length as they are today, and styles went into and out of fashion according to the preferences of the month or year. The only style I haven't seen was sleeveless dresses. While some evening dresses bared skin almost to the full width of the shoulder, the tops of the arms always remained decently covered, even if the material was semi-transparent.
Walking Length described skirts that were slightly shorter than the usual length in that particular year. In some years, a walking length skirt touched the top of the foot, but in other years it could expose the ankle or even an inch or two above the ankle. It wasn't only walking dresses that could be made in a walking length. Some morning and evening dresses were also made in a walking length. In the evening dresses, it was occasionally described as Dancing Length.
Three-quarter Length usually referred to a top layer of an outfit that was shorter than the robe beneath. It could be anywhere from just above the knee to mid-calf length.
Undress, Half Dress and Full Dress.
"I will take care to exhibit at certain stated seasons a set of Poupées, which I flatter myself will convey from my shop window a perfect idea of the reigning dress and undress of the fashionable world."
[The British Essayists, Volume 37, pub. 1808]
Undress, Half Dress and Full Dress described both male and female outfits and were related to the formality and ornamentation of the clothing. They didn't describe the types of dress, as an evening dress could be either undress, half dress or full dress.
Note that these terms were not often used in speech, but are frequently mentioned in the fashion descriptions published in magazines of the time.
"There's my friend Lady C----; in an elegant undress she passes for very genteel, but put her into a hoop and she looks as pitiable a figure, as much a prisoner, and as little able to walk, as a child in a go-cart."
[Chapter 5, Belinda by Maria Edgeworth]
Undress - The dictionary of 1805 described undress as: "To divest of ornaments, or the attire of ostentation". Undress was the Regency version of relaxed, casual clothing. Our modern equivalent of undress might be jeans and a t-shirt.
Undress was often plain, or with the most simple trimming or decoration. A morning dress could be undress, if you were spending time at home and there wasn't a need to impress anyone. A walking dress could be undress if, for example, Elizabeth Bennet was visiting Charlotte Lucas or walking into Meryton with her sisters. For an older woman, an undress cap could be worn around the house or even in bed.
Clothes considered undress were made of sturdy materials and would therefore be cheaper, easier to clean and longer lasting. They were often also warmer and could be worn on different occasions. An undress morning dress could also be used as a walking dress, with the addition of a shawl or wrap.
Later in the Regency period, undress morning dress might be called home dress or domestic dress, as this "fashionable" example describes:
"Morning Domestic Dress.--A white jaconet muslin gown, buttoned down the front with white regency buttons, and trimming formed en lozenge; handkerchief, gloves, and sandals of dragon-fly green; figuranté cap, ornamented with a rose in front."
[Lady's Monthly Museum, pub. June 1812]
Even the occasional party or ball, such as the Undressed Balls mentioned in Northanger Abbey, could be a time for wearing undress, just as we might wear casual clothes to a family barbecue. When the Bennet family attend an impromptu evening at Lucas Lodge, where they were mixing with neighbours they'd known for a long time, they might wear an undress evening dress. Undress evening dress could have included a train, and any decoration and jewellery, if worn at all, would be simple.
The French word for undress was Dishabillé, or the state of being casually dressed. Some French fashion plates also used the phrase Costume négligé, or negligently dressed.
For men, wearing a banyan, or a dressing gown over their plain shirt and breeches as they sat down to breakfast would be undress, as would wearing a simple coat for general day wear in the country. Undress riding dress might include a plain coat and leather breeches.
In the Military, undress uniform was worn when working, such as watering horses or cleaning out stables, and for wearing onboard ships. It could also be called their ordinary uniform.
"Perhaps all this time you have taken it into your head that full dress will not become you; but I assure you that it will--you look well in any thing."
[Chapter 5, Belinda by Maria Edgeworth]
Full Dress - A combination of the style and materials used in the dress and trimmings, along with often expensive jewellery elevated an outfit to full dress. A modern day equivalent might be a ball gown. Attendance at Court events, including Royal birthdays and presentations, would require Court Dress, which was always full dress. However, most full dress was not suitable for court, which required a specific design of full dress.
In London particularly, evening gowns, ball gowns and opera dresses could be full dress, depending on who you were mixing with. A rout at Lady Jersey's house or an assembly at Almacks could include a full dress evening or ball dress, particularly for those who were looking to impress. However, if you were attending an assembly in a county town, a half-dress evening dress wouldn't be out of place.
Full dress would have been expensive and would not have been in the budget of many of the gentry families, most of whom lived their lives in the countryside and avoided London society. In 1806, the new Duchess of Roxborough was reported as having worn the following full dress at her wedding:
"Robe of the finest India muslin, embroidered in small sprigs, and worn over a white satin slip. Drapery of lace, falling from the left shoulder in front, and terminating on the right side of the waist behind with a silk tassel; the sleeves formed of three falls of lace, with antique, or puckered tops, of white satin. Drawn tucker to correspond, terminating on the shoulders; simple wrap front, fastened with a single diamond pin. The hair formed in full bands on the forehead, and turned up simply behind, with the ends in loose curls, falling over the bands in front, fastened behind with a diamond comb, and ornamented before with a broach and star of brilliants. Maltese cross of diamonds, suspended from a row of large pearl. Pearl earrings and bracelets, with diamond studs. White satin shoes, and white kid gloves."
[London Fashions, La Belle Assemblee, pub. October 1806]
In 1820, for King George IV's coronation, they asked people to attend in full dress, rather than coronation robes.
In French fashion plates, they called full dress Habit Habillé or Costume Habillé.
For men, full dress in the early part of this period included a coat of silk, velvet or fine cloth, embroidered waistcoat, breeches of silk or cloth, white silk stockings and flat shoes with buckles. Court Dress usually meant an embroidered coat, and in the early part of the Regency, swords were frequently worn as Court Dress.
In the military, Full Dress uniform was the complete uniform worn on ceremonial occasions such as military funerals and reviews.
"Half Dress. An Egyptian head-dress of silver and pearls, one point falling on the left shoulder, finished with a tassel; the hair in loose ringlets; pearl ear-rings, bracelets, and necklace; a train dress of brocaded sarsnet trimmed with silver and vandyked; lace round the neck in form of a tucker, long sleeves of Mecklin or Brussels lace; white gloves and fan; shoes the same as the dress, of brocaded silk, with silver bows."
[Ackermann's Repository of Arts, pub. February 1809]
Half Dress - Any outfit not covered by Undress or Full Dress was considered Half-Dress. It was the equivalent of our "smart casual", or maybe a cocktail dress in the evenings. You would wear half-dress for morning calls, especially if you were calling on new acquaintances, going to church, or perhaps walking somewhere where you expected to be seen or wanted to impress.
Promenade Dresses and Carriage Dresses were half dress, particularly if you were walking or driving in Hyde Park at the fashionable hour. Promenade and Carriage dresses were worn to be seen in, and were therefore more elaborate than your average walking dress. They were also made from finer materials than undress.
Half-dress evening dresses and ball dresses would be most suitable for parties such as the Netherfield Ball, where locals would want to show off their finest clothes. They were more dressy than undress evening dresses, but not as expensive or showy as full-dress.
Particularly in evening gowns, there is also reference to half-full-dress. This fell somewhere between half and full dress, and often involved adding additional jewellery or decoration to a half-dress gown. If a party dress is the modern equivalent of half-dress and a ball gown is full dress, then a long evening dress might be the 21st century version of half-full dress.
In France, half dress was called Demi-Habillé.
Half dress for men might include pantaloons or trousers as well as cloth breeches for making formal calls or evening wear. Boots might be acceptable for daytime, but less so in the evenings, when black shoes with buckles were required for dancing.
In the military, Half Dress uniform was worn for ordinary duties that did not include physical labour. It also appears that not every regiment had half-dress uniform:
"The three classes are most in use among the cavalry and artillery corps; battalions of the line rarely have more than an ordinary and a full dress; some, indeed, have little or no distinction beyond trowsers, feather cases, and best or old cloathing."
[The Cyclopædia, Or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature, Volume 12, pub. 1819]
Edited to add: details of walking/dancing/three-quarter lengths
Edited to add: details of a wrapping dress
[Image: Kensington Garden Dresses for June, pub. In Le Beau Monde, Or, Literary and Fashionable Magazine, June 1808, (Public Domain) ]