Pretty Cassandra Austen, Jane Austen’s elder sister by two years, lived until the ripe age of 72 . This brief visual guide demonstrates how fashion changed during her lifetime. Wherever possible, I tried to represent Cassandra’s age and the clothes she would have worn during that period. I also used the paired women combination to evoke Cassandra and Jane, even in the years after Jane’s death. The last image shows the changes in the silhouettes of the gowns regarding waists, sleeves, skirts and trains.
Mrs. Thomas Bolling with children, 1773. One can see the style of clothes baby Cassandra and Mrs. Austen would have worn after her birth.
Madame Vigee and child, 1780. Cassandra was seven and Jane had turned five, somewhat older than the child depicted in this painting.
Isaac Cruickshank Sketch 1790. Jane Austen would have been 15 and Cassandra 17 years of age. This image is NOT of the Austen sisters.
Jane Austen was 20 and Cassandra 22 when Hoppner painted this image of the Frankland sisters in 1795
Chemise dress, 1799. Lovely lines, but the trains so popular during these years must have collected dust and dirt.
Afternoon dresses, Lady's Monthly Museum, 1802
Ingres drew the Harvey sisters in 1804 when Jane was 29 and Cassandra had turned 31
Belle Assemblee, English Costume 1807. Short trains are still fashionable.
Regency morning dress 1813
Walking dress 1817, the year Jane Austen died
Eliza Ridgely painted by Sully, 1818.
Ball gown, 1820. Notice the shorter dress length and the fancy hem.
Rust brown redingote, 1823
Morning and evening dresses in 1829. Notice how the elaborate hats and hairdos balance the large sleeves. The waistline is situated almost at its natural position and the hemlines reveal slippers and trim ankles.
Riding Habit, 1842
Would Cassandra have resembled this old woman in 1845, the year of her death?
Review of the changes in fashion silhouettes
More on the topic
Jane Austen's World 
Vic,
great post!
Really interesting post – my own view is that the early 1800s gowns were v flattering. One thing that’s puzzled me – I’ve seen refs but no definitions – what’s a ’round gown’? x
Gorgeous! I love looking at 19th century fashion plates. You get such a sense of the clothing compared to later black and white photography.
Thank you, Raquel. Sheila, this description of a round gown from We Make History is as good as any:
“The skirt was sewn onto the bodice and hung nearly to floor length (longer if a rear train was desired). It covered the back but was open in the front to reveal a petticoat. (A gown which did not open in the front was called a “round gown.”) This petticoat was a skirt which was meant to be revealed (in contrast to petticoats used as underwear) and like the stomacher was of a fabric which either matched or made a pleasant contrast to the gown.”
http://www.wemakehistory.com/Fashion/Georgian/GeorgianLadies/GeorgianLadies.htm
This was really interesting. I like the early 1800s fashions–the more elaborate and voluminous dresses that came later would have been irritating.
That was a lovely trip down fashion lane!
Vic, this post is a visual crash-course in fashion design and cultural moresof 3/4 of a century.
It’s wonderful! From her letters, Jane was very interested in fashion, even if she couldn’t afford to buy most of the things she coveted while window-shopping. Was Cassandra as much of a fashionista?
Hi Leslie, There’s no way of knowing if Cassandra wrote as avidly about fashion as Jane. According to their niece, Fanny Knight Knatchbull, her aunts, while interested in fashion, were rather frumpy. As you noted, in the letters that survive, Jane frequently wrote about purchasing cloth and ribbons, redecorating hats, having a dress made or her hair done, etc. One imagines, since she and Cassandra shared so many interests, that fashion was one of them. Thanks for asking.
[…] Pedi permissão para Vic para publicar uma das imagens apenas e o restante recomendo firmemente que vocês vejam no blogue dela. Não é preciso saber inglês, as imagens estão todas muito bem identificadas e com datas, neste link: “Fashions During Cassandra Austen’s Lifetime (1773-1845)” […]
Thank you, Vic, as usual. How absorbing and fascinating.
I have mixed feelings about Cassandra as I feel bitter that she burned so many of Jane’s letters. However, perhaps she had her reasons.
What do you think about the possible portrait of Jane, aged twelve? I love that picture – so much more inspiring than that rather prim image from Cassandra’s pencil. The funny thing is that her portrait of Fanny Knight, Jane’s niece (also someone I am not too keen on) is just lovely.
It is interesting to me that the silhouette stayed fairly steady for about 25 years with that high waist, and what a huge change after that! Looks like clothing became much less comfortable…
[…] Fashions During Cassandra Austen’s Lifetime […]