Estimating lace and muslin: dress and fashion in Jane Austen and her world, by Jeffrey A. Nigro is a fabulous article about fashion in Jane’s day. This conference paper was published in Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal in 2001. Some of Mr. Nigro’s observations include:
Convenience was another reason for the increasing simplicity in dress beginning in the 1780s. Dry cleaning was not invented until the middle of the nineteenth century, and did not become commonplace until the twentieth. In Austen’s time, a silk dress that got dirty was essentially ruined. The fabrics that started to become fashionable from the 1780s onward (muslin and other cotton fabrics, linen, lawn) were much easier to care for, which was part of their appeal. Nevertheless, given the absence of modern appliances, the care and maintenance of clothing still meant much work for the servants in upper- and middle-class households.
Outerwear garments included the spencer, a long-sleeved jacket that extended only to the raised waistline. Worn by both men and women, it was named for the 2nd Earl Spencer, who, according to one version of the story, cut off the coattails of his jacket after wagering that he could invent a new fashion. For colder weather, there was the pelisse, a skirt-length overcoat, often lined and trimmed with fur, which originated in Hungary as a part of military dress. Bonnets became fashionable, essentially smaller versions of the straw hats of the 1780s, but now pulled in to frame the face. Bonnets, like shawls, would become staples of feminine dress until at least the middle of the nineteenth century.
Click here for more links about fashion:
* A Quilted Regency Spencer Jacket
* The Importance of Wearing White, Jane Austen Centre Magazine
* Bonnets, Caps, Turbans, and Hats
Images:
Muslin dress, Vintage Textile (top)
Jane Austen’s Pellisse Coat (middle)
Kyoto Costume Institute, Spencer Jacket (bottom)
Jane Austen's World 
I love the fashion of the period. Sometimes I think it would be so much easier to have only a few dresses from which to choose each day.
The top muslin dress is just beautiful! But so thin! This may be a silly question, but certainly something else would have been worn under it….right? (besides the undergarmets)
Yes, Felicia, that is certainly a gossamer thin dress! (This original gown is still for sale at Vintage Textile, by the way). Aside from white stockings, a Regency lady would most likely wear a bodiced petticoat underneath this sheer gown. The under dress was made from sturdier fabric, such as silk, satin, or cotton, and therefore afforded some protection. Sometimes this petticoat would be a different color, such as rose or blue, and adding a lovely touch. For more on Regency Underwear, go to The Jane Austen Centre. Bibliophylia, I always enjoy your comments. Thank you for stopping by.
Thank you for your reply. I think I’ll have to pass for now on making a bid on the dress! :) It sure is beautiful though!
Hi! I followed a link here from Kaye Dacus’s blog. I love your site. And the photos of the fashions are scrumptious! I’m working on a novel set in mid 1790s America.
Hi Lori, Thanks for stopping by.
This site is great it helped me muchoooo with this project that I am working on. I LOVE IT! :]
I’m glad you stopped by, Olive. I love that it helped you with your project.
Incredible dress in that first photo. I’d love to see more! I also live in Richmond and I’m a rising third-year English major at VCU…and, of course, a Jane Austen enthusiast!