Have you ever dreamed of opening up your closet and it’s packed with dresses from another time?
Of course you have or you wouldn’t be here reading!
Isn’t it fun to dream of silk dresses, wool coats and bonnets? To think of afternoon tea and reading Pride & Prejudice as a contemporary novel?
So let’s take a look at what that “closet full of shelves” would hold in the Regency/early 1800s time.
Note: Items listed are based on existing originals in museums and gathered from many of our fans on our popular Facebook page. Since we’re dreaming here, quantities are based on historical wardrobe lists as well as the imagination. 🙂
Undergarments
Where else to start a fashionable silhouette but with the undergarments! These basic items are necessities, get washed frequently as they are worn regularly, and are entirely plain and functional.
Shift/Chemise – 12
Long line corset (stays)
Short stays
Stockings – 12 pair
Petticoats – 3
Nightgowns – 2
Back bustle pad
Caps – 4, for house wear and sleeping
Chemisette – 2, plain and ruffled collar
I did not include pantalets (drawers) as they were generally not worn until later in the 1820s and 30s,
Main Garments
Now, we’re looking at a Regency wardrobe with a 21st C. costumer perspective. So you’ll notice this list is not class specific. The poorer classes will naturally not have an opera gown or even one silk dress. If you are building a wardrobe to a particular class level, adjust accordingly (and to your creativity).
Working dress – 2 everyday functional ones
Day dress – 5
Riding habit – skirt and bodice
Dinner/Evening dress – 2
Opera Gown
Ball Gown
Overdress
For fitting tips when making your main garments, check out the sewing handbook.
Outerwear
For protection from the cold over those thin gowns. And besides… one can never have too many spencer jackets. 😉
Spencer jackets – 5, wool and silk
Pelisse
Coat or Redingote
Cape
Accessories
This is the bread & butter of our dream wardrobe. It’s not complete until you have adorned the proper accessories.
Boots
House/everyday slippers
Dancing slippers
Handkerchief – 6 or 12
Fichu – 3
Apron
Capote hat
Bonnets – 3
Turban – 2, fabric strips to wrap or sewn one
Reticules – 3, plain/everyday and one for balls
Gloves – 6, everyday kid and fancy colored ones, very long ones and short functional ones
Shawls – 2
Fans – 2, sandalwood and painted paper
Ribbons for belts and sashes
Feathers for hair and hats
Earrings – 3 pair
Necklaces – 2, simple cross and amber beads
Tiara
Hairpieces – buns and face curls
Mr. Darcy – for elegant town events
Mr. Ferris – for quiet country walks
Mr. Willoughby – a rake for ???
Parasol
Oversized muff
What would you add to this list in your dream Regency wardrobe? (Check the Pinterest board for more inspiration!)
I wonder how a victorian counterpart of this list would vary
I do have a very fair amount of regency clothing and wish that I had the nerve to wear it whenever I wanted.
Oh and you need Colonel Fitzwilliam to walk with.
I have absolutely none of this except a stack of handkerchiefs. I do have a couple of patterns, fabric for at least one dress, materials for a bonnet, and a busk. Stays are well beyond my meager sewing skills; I need to find someone who can make some for me so I can make the dress. (I ordered a set online; never again! Money and hope wasted, unless I can sell them.) I even have someplace local to wear Regency clothing, if only I could get a set of stays that actually fit. So frustrating!
So Far I have
2 petticoats 1 waist/strapped and one full (that really needs redoing coz I made it from a bedsheet in a hurry)
1 Shift (I need to make at least 2 more)
1 Chemise (well it a shirt I modified and it has sleeves handy for a cold day)
1 floral print day dress (which is sooo not accurate so needs replacing) – 1 striped sleeveless ‘jumper’ dress – 1 plain white dress with removable long sleeves.
1 Open Robe 1 Fichu
2 Caps – 1 bonnet – 3
1 Spencer – 3 shawls – 1 cloak
I also have one half of a dress I need to make the half robe to go with….need one more day dress and a ball gown really.
Oh wow! Very cool Regency wardrobe you’ve put together.
Oh, I love this! My interests have grown to include this time period as well as the 1860’s. The linesman styles of the regency/ federalist dresses appeal to me greatly, so I have decided to make myself a simpler and slightly earlier (1806 ish) day dress.
Thank you so much for this post.
Amy
Hi, I noticed you mentioned an “amber bead” necklace in your accessories section…but I’ve never seen a Regency example. Do you have a reference pic that made you inspired to include that piece?
Anyway, I love this list, it is giving me so many ideas. 🙂
Oh! I meant “coral”… sorry. Here is a pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/61713457365757727/
Oh, okay! Well I have a few of those so I guess I am set. 😉
I like the 3 “Mr.” acessories, One can never have enough handsome men in her wardrobe!
If you have a tiara, you MUST have a whole parure, or set of jewelry–tiara, necklace, bracelets, earrings, and maybe a comb or belt buckle. Let’s see, coral or cameos would probably be my first choice, but pearls or colored faceted stones would be nice, too.
But of course! 🙂
I often dream of opening my wardrobe and having a nice set of 19th century attire to don. This is nice early stuff, but some Victorian clothes would be even better! That era was the height of class.
I own the January 1824 ball dress. I don’t suppose you have it’s escriptive text from the journal, La Belle Assembleee ? 🙂 I’d be happy to give you a text in exchange. Best wishes, Mandy N.
This is great, and hey, while we’re at it, can we make lists like this for other eras too?
Because I’d love to see lists from the bustle eras, and it would also be interesting to compare the different decades.
Can you imagine how much longer/shorter it would get from one period to the next?
I’d love to put other lists together! Regency seemed easiest to begin with. I agree that the list would be much longer as the century progressed. That’s of course if you’re going for the dream closet and not necessarily what the general, middle class Victorian woman would own. But it’s fun to come up with *everything* one could possibly have for a historical wardrobe. 😀
An excellent and comprehensive list! I should have my Regency wardrobe complete in about 10 years. 😉 For now my goal is to complete one outfit with all the accessories by the spring. I’m about half-way there!
What about your Huswife and Work bag.?
I think am going to tray and achieve this.