I am super excited to share a wonderful video of dressing in 1802.
Ilsa Gregoor, the costume designer I referenced in my last post about stays (the original push-up bra) created a charming video of historically accurate dressing from underwear to empire gown based on fashion that year.
One imagines that at some point Jane Austen herself wore such an outfit.
From stockings and garters, to chemise, stays, petticoat and the bib dress itself, it soon becomes clear that the invention of zippers changed the world forever.
When watching the video, note how the bodice of the petticoat diffuses the stays beneath to soften the edges beneath.
I would like to thank Gareth E. for recommending this video after my last newsletter.
Get a relaxing cup of tea, sit back and watch the complexities of Georgian dressing at the turn of the century for a simple day gown!
Without a doubt, the newest Inconvenient Bride, Emma Davis, would have worn an outfit like the one demonstrated as a young girl growing up in Derby.
Considering she is a bluestocking with little time for fashion, and a love of gardening, she would have frequently had mud on her snow-white hem in the manner of Elizabeth Bennet after her walk to Netherfield to visit her ill sister.
You can meet Emma in the newest chapter of Inconvenient Brides, My Fair Bluestocking, in which we discover whether an intelligent but unsophisticated lass from the country can teach an incorrigible rogue the value of love.