The Regency in ten dresses

The Regency Act was passed on 5 February 1811. To celebrate this anniversary, I have chosen ten dresses to illustrate how outdoor fashions changed during the Regency years.

Details

1st row:
1. Regency walking dress from La Belle Assemblée (Jan 1811)
“A pelisse of scarlet Merino cloth” with “an ermine tippet” and a “bonnet of scarlet cloth, turned up with velvet”.

2. Walking dress from La Belle Assemblée (Jan 1812)
“Round dress of cambric muslin” and a “cassimere crimson mantle” with “a deep cape falling from the shoulders” with “tassels” and a “crimson velvet bonnet, turban front”.

3. Morning walking dress from Ackermann's Repository (Jan 1813)
"A round robe of Cambric muslin” with a “robe pelisse of bright morone velvet” trimmed with “spotted ermine” and a “Flora cap” underneath a “village hat of morone velvet, with open edge of black chenille”.

2nd row:
1. Promenade costume from Ackermann's Repository (Jan 1814)
“A plain cambric robe” with a “Spanish lapelled coat of fine orange Merino cloth” with “full epaulette ornaments on the shoulders” and a “white spotted ermine or Chinchilli muff”.

2. Walking dress from Ackermann's Repository (Mar 1815)
“Pelisse of short walking length made of evening primrose-coloured velvet” with a “French bonnet, composed of white velvet” with “full plume of ostrich feathers in the front”.

3. Riding dress from La Belle Assemblée (May 1816)
“Of fine blue Merino cloth” with a “full double ruff of fine Vandyke lace”.

3rd row:
1. Carriage costume from La Belle Assemblée (Dec 1816 for Jan 1817)
“A velvet pelisse of bright carmine red, superbly trimmed with ermine” with “rich military silk chain work” and a “Russian hussar cap of ermine”.

2. Walking dress from La Belle Assemblée (Apr 1818)
“Bridal morning robe of fine cambric” with “Elizabeth spenser and bonnet of ethereal blue” worn with “a Brussels lace cornette” and a “Cachemire shawl”.

3. Walking dress La Belle Assemblée (Feb 1819)
“Round dress of muslin” with a “spencer of ethereal blue Terry velvet”.

4th row :
1. Carriage costume from La Belle Assemblée (Feb 1820)
“Round dress of black crape over black satin” with a “spencer of black velvet”.

Note
The spellings of some words varies eg spencer and spenser. I have left all words spelled as recorded in the issue from which the detail was taken.

Sources
Ackermann, Rudolph, The Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashions and Politics (1813-1815)
Bell, John, La Belle Assemblée (1811-1820)