What we refer to as the Regency period was actually part of the Georgian era. King George III was insane after 1811, but alive until 1820. His son acted as Regent for nine years until his father's death, then reigned from 1820-1830. So influential was the Prince Regent during this time that we now refer to this period as the Regency Period - a period of classical revival  and simplicity in dress.

Marie Antoinette was the first associated with the simple style of white muslin dress in the 1780s, when her friend Georgiana, duchess of Devonshire, imported the style "chemise à la reine" into England. A 1788 portrait of Mme Lavoisier shows this style.

The newly romantic and Grecian styles were lighter and simpler than of past periods. Hair styles gentled, stays & petticoats reduced and underwear minimalised. Pockets that ruined the smooth lines of the new Regency gowns were discarded in favour of the new reticule. Regency gowns in plain, subdued colours featured a high waistline - now just below the bust.
Printed cottons with dainty spot, sprig or check patterns and white muslins were used in day dresses, which now looked long and slender. Long sleeves almost covered the hand and were sometimes gathered at the upper arm. Often the longer sleeves of the day dresses were detachable, allowing one to remove them if indoors. Pantalettes, or drawers adapted from male garments were worn underneath garments and consisted of two tubular legs open in the center and attached to a waistband. Often the top part was made of plain fabric and the bottom of the leg with fancier fabric so they could show when a lady lifted her skirts.
Early in the regency period dresses were bib-fronted, pinning near each front shoulder or tied together with numerous wrapping ties. Very soon though the back fastening method become very popular - hooks and eyes of flattened silver wire and drawstrings through both the neckline and under the bodice or handmade buttons and drawstrings. Buttons were made with either linen or cotton thread neatly covering brass wire rings or were covered with self-fabric.
Piped back seams didn't appear until 1815-22 and puffed, petal-shaped sleeves are often found in 1818-20, when the colours returned, particularly in silks. It was about this time, too, that the hems started to be quite thickly corded.
Spencers, pelisses, shawls and mantles were worn out of doors, along with broad-brimmed hats or bonnets tied under the chin with ribbon. Spencers were most often darker coloured, often dark blue or black, although light coloured ones have been found. Mostly made of thicker, warmer fabrics, they were sometimes made of fine lighter sheer fabrics.
Silk parasols were used in this period, with folding wooden handles and whalebone frames. By 1800 the heels had come off the shoes which were now being called "straights". After 1815 hints of newer styles appeared with the increasing use of frilled hems and more decoration on the bodice. As the hemlines widened, so the waistline lowered, although very slowly, moving us into the Romantic Era.

Men also dressed more soberly, with plain, dark cutaway coats and knee breeches or pantaloons tucked into high riding boots. Hair was now worn short and natural.

 

Fabrics Used in Regency Garments

COTTON - Printed cottons were block-printed by hand in the 1790s, with most designs being very complex florals. At the turn of the century the designs started becoming less complex, often featuring just one element of a pattern, and the colours became more subdued and dark.
With the advent of the roller-printer came the popularity of vertical designs, and in the teens and early twenties fabrics were also printed on the diagonal. As interest moved away from classical simplicity so the designs got bigger and dresses started featuring very detailed trims. During the twenties "turkey red" designs also became very popular.

MUSLIN - Many dresses that sought to capture the classical look were made from white and off-white muslins, many of which featured a woven pattern. One of the more popular designs featured a small dot that was either embroidered or woven into the fabric. Other popular designs included a woven check or embroidered eyelet.

SILK - Silks provided women of the later Regency an opportunity to wear stronger colours. Softer silks were used, one dress dated 1806-10 was made of "fine soft twilled silk".

SATIN - Silk satin provided another opportunity to use a shiny fabric for evening dress.  Creams, whites and other colours were used, and the fabric worked well gathered at the back of dresses. Silk satin was also used for outerwear, as evidenced by a "delicate cream satin pelisse and bonnet" in the collection of Nancy Bradfield. Embroidered net or gauze was increasingly used over satin ballgowns from about 1815, and was gathered with the fabric at the back. 

 

Brassière - Two boned panels with an outer brown coutil covering
Bodice - silk embroidered bodice with center front and back lacing.
Shift - womans plain linen chemise
Underdress Fragment - Women's underdress fragment of plain weave linen
Stays - White cotton twill stays with whalebone, 1815-20
Stays - very typical Regency corset
Corset - cotton corded corset
Petticoat - white cotton petticoat with short sleeves, 1825-30
Petticoat - sleeveless bodiced petticoat with corded lower skirt 1828-35

MEN'S REGENCY NECKWEAR
NECKCLOTHS, CRAVATS, STOCKS, SOLITAIRES, JABOTS, MACARONIS

Cravats were developed from Croatian mercenaries honored by Louis XIV in France during the 17th century. It was not until early 19th centuty that the cravat achieved the height of fashion in France and England.The French called it 'cravate', French for Croat or Croatian. The word "cravat," lost its French final "e" when it crossed to England. Once in Englan the cravat replaced the neck-high lace collars of Charles I and II. At first it was a straight narrow strip of lace or linen, hanging down from the neck. In the 18th century the jabot took over, the ruffled and embroidered shirt-front billowing up over the opening of the waistcoat almost to conceal the neckcloth, which now buttoned at the back. Then the neckcloth re-established itself over the jabot, covering the shirt-front and evolving into the stock, which grew freer and more voluminous in its proportions as time went on.

An endless variety of cravats appeared, including cravats of tasseled strings, plaid scarves, tufts and bows of ribbon, lace, and embroidered linen all had their staunch adherents. Nearly one hundred different knots were recognized. Collars grew higher at the turn of the 19th century. pointed edges around the chin and cheeks became fashionable. Cravats were wrapped tightly around the neck ending in bows of varying length. Cravats, at this period, were sometimes as much as a foot high, with the points of the collars rising half-way up the face and obliging gentlemen to keep their chins and their heads well up in the air.

It was George "Beau" Brummel who first elevated the cravat into a cult by starching his neckwear, creating novel, intricate knots that might take up to an hour to tie. He was the first to introduce starch into it, insisting that it should be stiffened to the "consistency of fine writing papcr". Cravats grew more casual again as the 19th century went on and gradually shrank into smaller bows as the century progressed. Collars became lower, with wide enough gaps between the points to allow the head to move freely enough from side to side.

There were a variety of altrnatives to the cravat available to 18th and 19th century men and boys. The most common was the "stock". A cravat was a generally long piece of cloth that would around the neck and tied in front. Stocks were fastened in back by a hook or knot. The stock in front had what to the modern eye looks something like a pre-tied bowtie. Some stocks looked like a wide cravat swathing the neck almost like a poultice. They were not the most comfortable of neckwear. A boy or man wearing one might force the individual to stand or sit upright in a rather stiff positon. The "solitare" appeared in the mid-18th century and was attached in the back to the wig, wrapped around the neck, and brought to a bow in front over a cravat. The "macaronis" appeared in England during the mid-18th century on dandies affecting an Italian-inspired fashion, coloring their cheeks with rouge and wearing diamond-studed pumps, and cravats with huge bows. Those who adopted massive cravats were called the incroyables, meaning the "incredibles". They wore such large cravats that their chins were hidden.

It was the necktie which finally replaced the cravat. It was inexpensive, lasted for ever, and was easy and quick to knot.

Detail showing neck closure of shirt	Detail showing frill of shirt turned to right side	Detail showing pinned front of shirt
Detail showing neck closure of shirt	Detail showing tied cravat	Regency Gentleman
Click on picture to see larger image.	FREE CRAVAT PATTERN Cut 1.5 yards white linen. Keep the selvage edge smooth. Fold in half lengthwise. Measure 10 inches on the fold and cut. This will give you an isosceles triangle, 55" x 10". Hand sew a narrow hem on the slanted edges - the selvage edge is already finished. Spray starch and iron.