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REGENCY
strict 1811-1820
extended 1800-1837
The
Stays
Regency stays came in many forms. They were very different from their predecessors. They were not designed
to lift the breasts and create cleavage, but to lift and separate the breasts (one of the most common was called a “divorce
corset”). Stays came in two forms throughout the era: the most common was a longer corset which came down over the hip,
and was used to smooth the entire line. These long stays were frequently constructed with no boning at all (they’re sort
of like a fabric girdle). There were also short stays, some of which were rather flimsy wrap-around things that are very close
to a modern brassier once on (great example in the Kyoto Costume Institute’s collection). The short stays may have had
a small pad attached to the back, to “poof” out the back of the dress. Almost all styles during this period had
shoulder straps and laced up the back (except for the “wrap” stays). If they were boned, it would have been with
whalebone or reed. The longer ones would also usually have had a busk. For good examples of the period’s underwear see
the BBC’s productions of Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth version) and Wives and Daughters.
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Regency wrap stays, c. 1800-1810
This garment
comes apart into two pieces.
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Engraving, c. 1823
Woman in shift and short,
front-lacing stays.
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The Rest
Under the stays, the lady would
have worn a shift of fine linen, cotton, or silk. Then the stays. During the early “wild” part of this period that
would have been it! And they might have dampened even that to make it cling. Later (after the first few years of the 1800s)
she might have added a single very fine petticoat (sometimes called an “invisible” petticoat). Most women during
this period did not wear underwear. In the first few years of the century some women wore drawers of flesh colored stockinet
that went to just below the knee, but these were by no means a commonly adopted garment. The lack of underwear was a phenomenon
so common it was even noted in the political cartoons of the day. Pantalettes (which differ from drawers in that they were
meant to show) were considered extremely “fast” when they first appeared around 1806, and were not really accepted
until after about 1818-1820. Even then, they were crotch-less, made as two entirely separate legs, attached to a drawstring
tied around the waist. Women would have also worn knit stockings of cotton or silk, held up with garters tied or buckled above
the knee (just as the women of the Georgian era had). These stockings might also have been striped or clocked.
For
a more indepth look at Regency fashion, use the Demode link on the Georgian page to see extant garments, or visit The Republic
of Pemberley
to view period images and fashion plates.
Suggested Viewing: Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson version),
1800; Pride and Prejudice, (Colin Firth version) 1800/1805; Persuasion, (1995 version) 1805; Emma, (Paltrow
or Beckinsale version), 1810; Wives and Daughters, late-1820s to early-1830s; Immortal Beloved, 1800-1830; Children
of the Century, early-1830s; Oniegin, 1830s; Impromptu , 1830s; The Horseman on the Roof, 1830s.
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