Ladies Fashion in 1813

The first decade of the 19th century saw the neoclassical influence on fashion waning. Though dresses remained narrow in the front, fullness was added to the raised back waist, and the fabric of a dress could be decorated in a more obvious manner. The puffed sleeves of the earlier period were replaced with less full, round ones. This allowed a dress to be worn without a corset, although one could still be fastened with ribbon or sash. This style of dress was especially popular among young women, and it is often seen in portraits of teenagers and girls.

A fashionable style of shawl was the red paisley pattern. This was often worn over a white gown for warmth during the colder months of the year, especially in the North of England where the winters were more severe. These shawls were usually made of silk or cashmere and lined with Persian wool. They were a popular accessory for ladies who went out for long walks in the country.

Some young women began to wear hair in the form of masses of curls or ringlets. This was often confined with an antique comb or bodkin, and the result was a graceful coiffure reminiscent of Greek and Roman sculpture. The younger generation of fashionable ladies also tended to wear their hair up in “Brutus style”, with sideburns and a large cravat wrapped up under the chin.

In the later years of Regency society, a more practical solution to the problem of keeping a lady warm in her fashions was found in the invention of pantaloons. These were light stockinet garments patterned or coloured in flesh toned nude and reaching to the ankles or just below them. The pantaloons acted in the same way as a man’s trousers do when they are worn with tight breeches.

The aristocrats had no interest in the new garments and they were ridiculed in cartoons of the time, illustrating them as looking like bulbous, round-waisted tulips. It was only during the wartime between 1808 and 1814 that the English woke up to Paris fashion and began to lengthen their skirts, widen their sleeves and add decorations.

This blue pelisse is from the period around 1814 and may have been owned by Jane Austen. It has a more straight skirt and sleeves than the early Regency style and a heavier amount of decoration at the hem. The sleeves have a puffed shape that is flatter than the early ruffled styles, and it is not unreasonable to speculate that she might have worn this when going for a ride in a carriage or walking in the country during a rainy day in Bath.

Another garment from the same time that may have belonged to Jane is this green embroidered linen mob cap, which was popular during the mid-Regency period for morning (at home undress) wear. It has a curved brim to cover the ears and a small amount of embroidery at the brim.