Your ultimate opera resource


Elizabeth Bennet's Wardrobe: Undress, Half Dress, Full Dress, Headdress! Making Sense of it All

Let us understand from the start that thejewels, a fan, perhaps a reticule, and satin
term "Undress" did not signify beingslippers. Other accessories could also be
unclothed. Likewise, "Half Dress" did notworn or on hand: feathers, boas, shawls,
mean one was literally half- dressed. Thescarves  and  fans,  to name the most common.
terms are categorical, not literal. Like
Full-Dress, their name referred more toThe following gowns constituted Undress. #
function than a state of being. In which caseMorning dress # Walking-out dress #
you  may  ask,  'What  does  it  all  mean?'Carriage dress # Promenade dress #
Afternoon dress # Riding dress (or Habit) #
It means there had to be many gowns in aHalf-dress
genteel Regency lady's wardrobe--regardless
of the size of her fortune. Indeed, to beSee the difference? In theory, you were in
active in society the necessity of owning aUndress in the morning, Half-dress in the
large wardrobe could hardly be avoided. In aafternoon, and Full Dress for evening events.
small town such as Longbourne (where the(Such as, a dinner or soiree, opera, ballet,
Bennett's lived) the categories no doubttheatre, concert, or ball). Court Dress was
overlapped more than they would, say, for aalso considered Full Dress, though it had
debutante  in  London.extravagant requirements that no other
occasion  called  for.
Nevertheless, a number of categories of dress
were necessary, and of course there wouldAccording to the Georgian Index, a wonderful
have to be variety within each category--andonline resource for Regency fans, Dinner
this, no matter where you dwelt, for thereDress and Opera Dress fall into the category
were different uses forthe differentof "Half Dress." And only "Evening, Ball and
categories,  as  we  shall  see.Court Dresses" passed as Full Dress. Is your
head swimming, yet? If not, consider that the
Having said that, one could argue there areRiding Habit might not fit into any of the
only two main categories of clothing for theabove, but simply constitute a category in
Regency belle: Undress and Full Dress. Inits  own  right!
this "model", Undress includes all of the
gowns worn during the day, and what isAh, so many dresses, so little time! No
otherwise called Half Dress. (Which is towonder the all-important Regency "season" was
say, the majority of clothing for daytime,a roller-coaster ride of entertainments,
and  even  perhaps,  informal  evening wear.)diversions and delights. A lady must needs
have enough events to make use of such an
Day gowns include any gown worn for theextensive wardrobe, and enough gowns in her
morning, walking out, shopping, carriagepossession to attend them in "the mode." Pity
riding, or making calls. Full Dress, on thethe poor chit who couldn't follow protocol or
other hand, was for the evening Ball, verydress for the occasion. Such was the
fancy Dinner, Opera or appearance at Court.challenge for families with more pretension
(The  Royal  Court,  not  a  court  of  law.)than means, who wished to launch a Regency
buck or belle into the swirl of the
The chief difference between Undress and Fullfashionable  elite.
was a lower bodice for the evening, but in
practice full dress implied a whole ensemble;The Regency. There's never been a time quite
A short-sleeved empire-waisted, low-neckedlike  it.  You've  got  to  love  it!
gown, (generally of muslin but by no means
restricted to such) and including eveningPS:(I didn't forget about Headdress. Article
gloves, a fancy headdress of some sort, a fewcoming soon!



1 A B C D 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 79 80 81 82 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110