Over the course of the century dress and suit styles changed quickly and immensely. Earlier, women had carried 'pockets' tied at the waistline and hidden in the folds of their skirts. In the mid-1800’s French fashion was very elaborate, lavish, and big, similar to the style that the famous Marie Antoinette wore, revealing necklines with ruffles, lace, and silk. Gone were the militaristic coats and hats. Say you were young in the 1960s. The style in France in the early 1800’s was very different than the styles that appeared later on in the century. Also American Heritage Magazine online features "We Wore What We Wore," published Dec. 1988, Volume 39, Issue 8. Ladies' clothing styles of the early 1800s is characterized by the Empire waist dress and classical Greek lines; the styles worn by characters in Jane Austen novels. However, towards the end of the period, the less restrictive Aesthetic style began to emerge. For both men and women at the end of the century the clothes became more modest and conservative making it difficult to differentiate between the working/middle class and the upper class and aristocrats. The thin, fine fabric used to create Regency dresses proved chilly during the winter months and demanded additional undergarments for modesty as well as for warmth. 1810 saw the appearance of flat heeled boots made of leather or cloth. Art by John Bell; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; wikimedia commons; public domain'; The Gothic influence of the Middle Ages continued and the Empire style faded as waists dropped to the normal waistline after years of rising and falling. (Head Over Heels) Women left behind the corsets and wire hoops and wore clothes that they could breath and walk in. Directoire style refers to the interest in neoclassical styles of costume and home décor that became popular during the Directory Period in France from 1795-1799, and includes dresses with high waistlines and a sleek silhouette. The French Revolution brought fashions that had been emerging since the 1780s to the forefront. After the end of the French revolution the first thing to go in fashion was the giant hooped dresses. In the beginning of the century it was popular for gentlemen to wear suits with embroidered silks and lace ruffled collars. While Regency refers to the early part of the 19th century, the early 1800s, the rest of the century is called Victorian after Queen Elizabeth who rose to the thrown of England in 1837. Ruffles appeared on the bodice recalling an Elizabethan style and skirts were embellished with flounces and padding. The 19th century was an iconic era for France and fashion. The new, slim style of high waisted dress made it impossible to tie on a pocket. Evening wear exposed the neckline. Even as the trends calmed there was still lots of extravagance in what people wore. Furs of Felix Jungmann 1900 by Kürschner – WikiCommons France, and Paris in particular, has been the Fashion capital of the world basically since the industry began hundreds of years ago. They even have at least one picture of a beautiful dress of that era. By the mid-1800s, people wore their success. These dresses were usually worn by aristocrats and women of wealth. Fashion design of the early 19th century is called Regency style, named for Britain's George Prince Regent who ran the country when his father, King George III, became mentally ill and unable to perform his duties. He halted the import of British textiles, revived French lace making, and forbade women to appear at court in the same dress more than twice. Men wore darker clothes with more conservative collars. Marie Antoinette's affinity for pastoral, rustic life created a new style that became the style after her death. Towards the end of the 19th century the rate at which the fashionable silhouette changed quickened. Italian quilting often added texture and pattern. The fashion of the 19th century is renowned for its corsets, bonnets, top hats, bustles and petticoats. Throughout history France has been known for its art and architecture but one of the most thing important things France is famous for is fashion. At the turn of the century (1700 - 1800), American women wore the Empire style with its high waist and somewhat flimsy fabric but in a more modest manner. Both men and women’s clothing were simplistic yet elegant. Some sites will show fashion plates by the year. The trend went wild and was worn by practically every woman and child. Shawls made of cashmere, a fine wool, were often woven with Asian inspired designs. Everything became overloaded with all sorts of trimmings, heavy plaitings, puffs of ribbons and ruffles of lace. You can see that change came over 30 years. Fashion turned toward simpler styles based on ancient Greece and Rome. The Empress Josephine - Fashion Icon of the Regency Era; Painting by Francois Gerard. Regency style also includes fashions worn in France during the period when Napoleon Bonaparte was the Emperor. Day dresses had a higher neckline and long sleeves. Flesh toned pantalettes, a loose kind of trouser, fell to just below the knee or to the ankle. Towards the end of the century their clothes became darker and pants became longer. By early 1812, flounces were added to skirts near the hemline. Short and long cloaks were worn as well. The puffiness at the top eventually grew so large, the fabric often needed support. In the 19th century, between progress and tradition, if masculine attire quickly loses its brilliance, feminine fashion seeks more and more opulence. Towards the end of the century women started to abandon the giant hoop skirts and detailed silk. Women went from wearing long flowing dresses with high collars and puffed sleeves to wearing gowns with corsets, wooden hoops, and layer upon layer of lace. Trousers became increasingly fashionable in the first quarter of the 19th century. While the terms Redingote and Pelisse are often used interchangeably, the Redingote usually features a close fitted top and flares out at the hemline with a more tailored or military look than a Pelisse. In England, the waist level lowered to a relatively normal line. It's easy to lump the past into one large time. (Fashion Encyclopedia) Formal wear became more casual and popular among gentlemen and the working class became harder to distinguish from the upper class. Over the course of the century dress and suit styles changed quickly and immensely. Also, the French Revolution nearly collapsed the French textile industry. The purse, or handbag came into being during the Regency period. Directoire style refers to the interest in neoclassical styles of costume and home décor that became popular during the Directory Period in France from 1795-1799, and includes dresses with high waistlines and a sleek silhouette. Can you suggest a source for American fashions around the War of 1812, especially in New England? Sleeves changed as well, becoming larger. However, by the middle of the century that style became popular again minus the powdered wigs. Although it is popular for women to wear heels now, it was originally a men’s fashion item. While Britain and France were at war, styles in the two countries varied. The Empire style dress has a high waist, a style that appeared in the late 1790s and has reappeared frequently in women's clothing design for the past 200 years. While still an Empire style, the Egyptian influence showed up in 1804-1807 with embroidered borders along the hemline. Society no longer admired the over the top extravagance of royalty. Most men wore dark clothes with little decoration. The American and French Revolutions ignited a more democratic sense of style as well as political ideal. In other words, you can afford to pay someone else to be washing your clothes all the time. Skirts gained width at the bottom with ruffles, floral embellishments, Italian quilting and padding, but lost the puffed hemline by 1835. In the early 19th century some dandies wore boned corsets to give them a small waist. By the end of the century both men and women’s style mellowed out. Sometimes called Marie sleeves, Mamelukes were full long sleeves sectioned into puffs by bands or ribbons.