How did Jane Austen, her contemporaries, and their fashion media describe clothing, and what did they mean when they did?

Drawing on new research undertaken for her book A Guide To Regency Dress: From Corsets and Breeches to Bonnets and Muslin, this presentation by Hilary Davidson, looks at the words of fashion in use during Austen’s adult life and their slippery associations with actual garments.

The language of dress from this period is not necessarily straightforward to understand now. Words commonly used to describe Regency dress such as bonnet, Spencer, chemisette, or shirt had multiple meanings and interpretations for their original wearers. This talk explores the relationships between what clothing, dress, textiles and accessories were called, what they looked like at the time, and some of the joys and challenges of researching definitions from two hundred years ago.