The Regency is an era that ought to be very easy to replicate and to some extent this is true ,but there are a number of finer details in Regency costuming that merely buying a long straight dress and shrug don’t address .
If you are not able to create a costume from scratch or even follow one of my cheats guides on quick and easy to make costumes then the key to giving a more authentic feel to an outfit is to make it’s as layered and complex as possible with as many accessories as is reasonable .The extra accessories need not cost much, under 10 pounds might easily buy ,a fan ,a little bag or reticule, and a spencer or shawl and possibly even a fake parasol
,For another £ 10 a hat to make into a bonnet and some trims ,or for £30 a ready made bonnet can be bought .The result is that each individual item isnt seen alone but as part of an overall effect ,its possible to create a very authentic effect with carefully chosen modern and vintage items and virtually no sewing .Though I made the dress I am wearing,my daughters ivory dress was a vintage bridesmaid dress with some trims added its looked just as good as a made to order reproduction dress as the Regency was used as inspiration for quite a lot of vintage wedding outfits ,Its moire taffeta and had short sleeves and a square neckline.It zipped up but the main part of the zip is hidden by the little jacket ,which was also a modern jacket cut off at waist level .The boonet is a bought replica but was quite cheap .My outfit also used a modern cropped off jacket and a hat I made ,both the outfits below could be created with little or no sewing and quite cheaply.My daugthers ivory and brown outfit cost less than £15 ,if the bonnet is excluded ,but that includes the little bag ,parasol jacket,a fan and the dress.If I hadnt sewn the trim on there is only 5 mins of rough hand sewing to hem the jacket
This post repeats some parts of my other posts on making underlayers,accessories etc ,so I have provided links to those full posts for anyone who is able to do a small amount of stitching
This post is aimed at those with absolutely no Regency or costuming knowledge so I will for the most part keep to overall styles and start with a short description of the items that are needed or which would be good to have, in order to give a better look to the outfit.
I will work from the the under layers outwards.
Underwear
For under a gown you need something to give the same shape,so a balconette type bra and a long straight underskirt or something similar.I will go into more detail on this furher down the post But in general this era doesnt need any special corsets or underwear .
Shoes,slippers,boots
Regency shoes were often very like modern ballet pumps
Regency womens boots only went to ankle height and were very like the modern pixie boots
A chemisette which is a little under blouse
This is entirely optional but useful if your dress neckline is very low , one can easily be made by cutting upa blouse.
A fichu
This is a fine cotton ,or lace little shawl ,though the outfit below is earlier than the one we are creating fichus were still worn with higher waisted gowns ,they are handy to cover up a bodice thats not very authentic looking .
A dress
A spencer ,which is a little short jacket
A shawl
A fan
A reticule or bag
Below is a matching spencer and reticule made from a modern jacket
possibly lace or wool finger less mittens,a lace collar or tippet
This is a later collar but very similar styles were worn during the Regency era
A variety of these layers can be seen on these outfits
Extra options
a hairpiece or a little round cap to cover up short hair
This is an earlier era,but the little ringlet hair piece is a perfect Regency style
This is another earlier style and not a very clear image but it shows the back of a little round cap and how you could hide your lack of long hair under it.
the cap is actually a small round lace edged vintage doily or mat
a bonnet or hat
While everyone associates bonnets with the regency a little hat like the one below could also be worn .Its possible to buy most regency bonnets or hats ready made or improvise with a modern hat
The cheats costume guide ,A very easy and quick Regency bonnet or hat
a parasol or small umbrella
This doesnt have to be usable ,sometimes you can buy damaged antique parasols very cheaply,but if your going to be outside then a parasol which can be used as an umbrella is very handy ,Its possible to buy reproduction modern lace parasols for between 10 and 20 pounds and they are decorative enough to look nice afterwards or keep their value at resale on auction sites.
a muff
This is a later era ,but a similar or larger muff would look good with a regency outfit
lace ,fur or feather tippets,,,like narrow short scarfs
There are instructions for making all of these accessories in my cheats guide post here.Some need small amounts of sewing but some can be made within minutes with no sewing at all,for example to make a no sew muff ,cut off the sleeves of a suitable coat,put your arm into it and pull the cut end into the inside,then pull the cuff end over that ,so you have a tube of fabric,,now thread a long piece of cord or ribbon or a gold chain etc through the tube to make something to hang it round your neck with,maybe add a brooch for an evening muff.Depending on what coat or jacket you use you can have a satin evening muff or a fur winter one https://hathawaysofhaworth.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/an-easy-guide-to-making-your-own-victorian-accessories-part-onemuffs-capes-and-other-things/
The main item
A dress that will pass for an early 19thc Regency gown
This isnt as hard as it might seem if you have enough time to look.Below are several vintage Laura Ashley dresses and all except the low waisted blue spotty one would make perfect Regency gown
By Mabalu – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34160064
While there are still many 1960s weddding or evening dresses to be found cheaply which quite closely follow the shapes of Regency gowns
There are usually a few to be found on line on sites such as ebay or if you have enough time then visiting charity shops will eventually turn up a suitable dress fairly cheaply as these style have not yet become as sought after as the 1940s and 1950s outfits
The dress has to have a high waist,,just under your bust .It also must be long enough to reach at least your ankles and ideally a little bit longer so it skims the floor and it has to be a plain natural fabric ,but otherwise most other things such as modern trims,zips, modern tailoring etc can be covered up .
Though my dress was an accurate style very little but the skirt is visible once I have the other layers on
If you cant find any long enough gowns its possible to wear an under layer that shows below the dress to give a two layered gown impression but this is tricky .
The skirts need to be straight ,not bias cut or too floaty ,many regency gowns had flowing skirts but were constructed so the fullness was at the back ,the front of the gowns always looks flat ,modern gowns need to have this flat front and sides.
It should ideally have either short puff sleeves or narrow elbow length ones.
If possible your dress should have a low square neckline or a low round one,a v neckline isnt entirely inaccurate but was uncommon and it is hard to create a correct impression with or to match with a spencer or chemisette .A high neckline is ok though it’s not often that high-necked dresses appear . Often 1960s dresses have wide necklines which are not suitable but by adding a fichu or spencer you can cover this up.
You need fabrics which will look authentic ,shiny satins are not suitable,or floaty chiffon layers.Mat satin,silks cottons ,taffeta ,velvet and wool are all good choices.
This gown worn on the red carpet by Natalie Portman is a excellent example of a vintage gown that would work .
Below is an actual regency gown for comparison.Once the modern gown had a little spencer jacket and shawl the tell tale neckline and sleeves would be hidden.
Below are images of several Regency gowns in different styles ,which I thought might be a useful guide when searching for your own gown
Other essentials
Shoes
you will almost certainly have your feet showing under the gown so the correct shoes are essential ,luckily many Regency shoes were more or less the same as our modern dance pumps and satin ballet shoes can be bought very cheaply online or from dance suppliers,Irish dancing shoes are another good alternative .
Even easier to find are the fashionable Ballerina flat shoes ,these are a more modern shape but are also much more practical to wear for outdoor events and can be worn after the event for everyday living as opposed to only being used once.If you have an Asian clothing store near to you a trip there will usually produce a beautiful pair of shoes ,the ones below were under ten pounds and though an earlier style ,shoes in a regency style with similar detailing can also be bought
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of suede or soft leather flat very plain thin soled ankle boots that lace or button up,(r have a hidden zip which gives the impression of either lacing or button fastenings)
With these a pair of either fairly thick white or black tights or stockings are best ,flesh coloured isnt at all authentic ,other coloured stockings existed but were not often worn
A fan
If you will be in costume for any length of time and especially indoors or in summer a fan is very useful for keeeping cool ,but is an extreemly cheap way to create a more authentic effect.Cheap cotton fans can be bought from china for very little more than one up pound ,plain black is by far the easiest colour to match and to give the right impression ,but plain ivory or white will also work or very dark blue ,bright colours are much less effective.Avoid modern feather or lace fans these are not accurate.Occasionaly very pretty vintage or antique victorian fans can be bought for a few pounds if they are less than perfect
An outer layer
Even if your going to be indoors if your not going to have an accurate gown then adding a spencer or a shawl or preferably both is the perfect way to hide the bodice of a modern gown while also adding to the overall effect.Spencers were little cropped jackets that went over gowns,sometimes for outside wear and to provide warmth but also for indoors and for effect rather than function.
Theres a very quick and easy guide to making a Spencer here ,though the “making “only involves cutting off a jacket and doing a few inches of stitching so its possible for most people .In addition to using velvet or wool and thicker blouse could be cropped to make a summery spencer or indoor spencer ,
The cheats guide to making a very easy Regency Spencer (short jacket )
Its unlikely you will find anything suitable but occasionally full length wedding or evening coats appear on ebay or in charity shops and if so then a pellise or full length coat would be a great addition or could be used instead of a dress
Shawls
If theres no possibility of any sewing then you may be lucky enough to find a short-cropped jacket or an Asian saree blouse ,but if not then a good quality shawl would be almost as effective .Regency shawls were long and rectangular ,not square like Victorian shawls .They also only had fringes along their ends not along their full length.Silk or wool or paisley printed cotton or wool would all be suitable.The size is more important than the fabric ,shawls were long and large a very plain modern fashion pashmina in ivory or black or pastel colours is perfect .
If you cant make or find a spencer or shawl you could help create a more authentic feel by adding a layer under the gown ,a chemisette which would show under the gown at the neckline,these can sometimes be found cheaply online ,on sites such as ebay ,but are incredibly cheap and easy to make,,all you need is a pretty cream or white blouse that s fairly thin fabric ,you cut the blouse off at below bust level and cut off the sleeves,theres no need to do any sewing .Now you put this on like a blouse but under your dress.
Belts and sashes
To help give a more authentic feel to a simple prom ,wedding or bridesmaid gown you could attach a belt or sash ,this would also be useful to give a more defined waist level .
Underlayers
To create an accurate outfit you need accurate underwear,this is easier for the Regency era than for many others but still needs consideration
The ideal underwear would be a balconette style bra as this creates the same rough shape as many regency stays .Failing that a underwired bra .
You need an invisible panties layer ,and some tights or stockings
over this you need a long thin layer ,a underskirt ,its best not to use a waist slip ,these wont make the dress hang properly and will create a waistline under it,a strappy very thin cotton or silk nightdress would work or you could make a simple chemise using my cheats guide .This does need some sewing but not much ,you just fold a piece of fabric in half along its longest edge ,sew it together for at least part of its length and add two straps,you can get away with less than a yard of stitching along the edge then just the stitching of the straps,though you could safety pin on the straps
On top of these place a chemisette if you have one
Then your gown
then a ,collar ,sash or belt if your wearing any of these
Then add a spencer and /or a tippet or shawl.
A fan
A little bag or reticule
If you will be outside you will need an hat or bonnet,I have instructions for a very easy Regency bonnet or hat here,but a bought bonnet base is not too expensive and all that needs adding to them is a very long piece of ribbon for the ties ,this can be glued on but stitches are better and it only takes a few minutes to secure them .
Inside you could wear a little cap ,a tiara if your at a evening event,or a few feathers or flowers .
Make up needs to be as natural as possible and your hair needs to be in an up do,if its isnt long then pulling it back off your face under a little lace cap will hide that ,or brush it back and add a hair piece ,you need a hair piece with some curls ,rather than a plain plait or bun.I have provided some regency images to help choose all these items.
As will all cheats guides its essential to first know what you want to replicate and what you need to do it ,so I have provided some images at the very start of this post
Hathaways of Haworth 