How the Regency era changed women’s garments

The Regency era, while famous in popular culture for its genteel ways, was a period of immense social and political upheaval, and women’s fashion served as a clear reflection of these signs of times. Moving away from the rigid, opulent styles of previous decades, a new, more natural silhouette emerged, heavily influenced by both foreign revolutionary ideals and the changing social landscape at home.

How it was (Late 18th Century)

Throughout the eighteenth century, women’s fashion was often incredibly, even grotesquely elaborate, featuring, for example, immensely wide hoop petticoats. These cumbersome structures created a vast, artificial silhouette that dominated court and aristocratic dress. However, by the end of the 1780s, hoop petticoats began to fall out of favor; though they have persisted as formal court attire until the 1820s, causing some foreign visitors to remark with amusement on the peculiar silhuettes of court ladies!

This seemingly slight shift had marked an initial, subtle shift towards more naturalistic styles.

Revolutionary Ripples

The French Revolution profoundly impacted British fashion, leading to a rejection of the elaborate styles associated with the Ancien Régime in favor of simpler, naturalistic designs imitating the Classical world (and, let us not forget, the republics of old). This influence extended to hairstyles, with some fashionable women even cutting their hair short in a style called à la Brutus – a style that originated from that of an actor portraying, well, Brutus in a pro-republican French historical play in the 1790s. The Whig ladies in particular embraced French style, even risking accusations of radicalism during the 1790s or that of treason during the Napoleonic Wars. Fashion thus became a deliberate tool in social and political battles – especially for women who had otherwise limited options to influence politics.

New Era’s Elegance

By 1800, the dominant style was a slimmer, naturalistic, classical gown, often white or pale. These so-called ’round gowns’ encircled the body, closed at the back, and featured a short bodice and a high waistline with sashes. Fabrics have also changed: the advent of the spinning jenny had drastically increased cotton yarn production, making muslins and calicoes more widely available and cheaper, propelling their popularity over the old fabrics of linen and wool. The somewhat sheer, clinging nature of these fabrics sometimes led to concerns about “nudity,” which appalled some moralists.

Underneath these gowns, women wore a simple, sleeved linen shift or chemise. Stays or corsets, once ubiquitous for shaping the figure, saw a decline in popularity, particularly after 1785, with medical professionals noting their harm to young girls. The early 19th century also introduced drawers, previously deemed masculine (!), becoming somewhat acceptable only after Princess Charlotte’s example of wearing them (though it did cause a scandal at first!). Invisible stockinette petticoats, in turn, provided warmth under flimsy gowns.

These last ones were not the only ways to combat chill. Women adopted such outerwear as the short spencer jacket and longer pelisse. Bosom-friends, scarves at the throat, also became common due to low necklines. As detached pockets became impractical with relatively flimsier new gowns, women carried small decorative bags: reticules, or ridicules—the first handbags. Footwear could include flat, pointed fabric shoes with ribbons or laced “sandals”.

However, that does not mean that all these changes have escaped a censor’s glance. Hannah More’s tracts, for example, were keen to promote modesty, reflecting her (and many other people’s) moral concerns about perceived decadence. Though, for some strange reason, More mostly aimed this concern and this message at poor people… and some fear over the events in France might have played a role.

Ann Hawthorne is a passionate student of the Regency era, and sets all her historical romances there. Her books do not follow the leading couples into their bedchambers, preferring to let the sparks fly in the ballroom instead. She is also partial to making special editions of her books.