Jane Austen's novels are set in the England of 1800 to 1815, when the Regency was at its height. Here is what everyone wore.
Quick answer. The clothing of Jane Austen's era (strictly 1796 when First Impressions was drafted to 1817 when she died) was Regency in style. Gentlemen wore tailcoats, waistcoats, pantaloons or breeches, cravats and tall boots or dancing pumps. Ladies wore high waisted gowns with slim skirts, often in muslin or silk, with Spencer jackets or pelisses over them. Both sexes wore gloves, hats and specific accessories for each occasion. The dress reflected neoclassical taste and the slow move toward Romantic sensibility.
Austen's own period
Jane Austen (1775 to 1817) lived through the long Regency, the Napoleonic Wars and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Her novels were published between 1811 (Sense and Sensibility) and 1818 (posthumous publication of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion). The clothing described, or more often implied, in her novels is specifically the dress of English middle and upper middle class gentry of the first decade of the 19th century. Austen's letters contain many clothing references and are an important source for historians.
Gentleman's dress
A gentleman of Austen's class (Darcy, Bingley, Knightley) would wear a dark cloth tailcoat with high collar, a pale waistcoat (often white Marcella for day), buff pantaloons with Hessian boots, a starched white cravat and a tall black beaver hat. For evening: black silk breeches with white silk stockings, buckled dancing pumps, white silk waistcoat, dark tailcoat with silk lapels. Country clergymen (like Mr Collins) might wear plainer wool coats and shorter boots. Military men like Colonel Brandon would wear their regimental uniforms when on duty.
Lady's dress
A lady of Austen's class wore a high waisted gown (the Empire line) that gathered just below the bust and fell straight to the ankle. Day gowns were in muslin, cotton or wool in white, cream, pale blue or sprigged print. Evening gowns were in silk, often white or pale, sometimes with embroidery. Over the gown went a Spencer (short jacket to the waist) or a pelisse (long coat to the ankle). Headwear: bonnet for outdoors, cap or turban indoors, feathers for formal evening. Gloves to the elbow for evening, shorter for day.
Country wear
In the country, where Austen's novels mostly happen, gentlemen's dress was less formal. Looser country tailcoats in green, brown or dark blue. Riding breeches with high boots. Soft collar on the shirt instead of the stiff starched one of town. Ladies wore sprigged muslin gowns in warmer weather, warmer wool gowns in winter. The country admitted dirtier roads, muddy walks, and horses, so clothing had to be more practical. Austen's heroines frequently muddy the hems of their gowns walking, which was socially tolerable in the country but less so in Bath or London.
Ball attire
The Netherfield ball, the Highbury Ball, the Meryton assembly: Austen's heroes and heroines spend significant time dancing. Gentlemen in black breeches, silk stockings, buckled dancing pumps, dark evening tailcoat, white silk waistcoat, carefully arranged cravat and freshly cut hair. Ladies in white silk evening gowns with high waist, short puffed sleeves, Grecian neckline, long gloves, feathers in the hair. Both sexes carried fans or snuff boxes for conversation; both knew the specific dances in detail. The ball was the main social arena of the Austen world.
Where to see Austen clothing
The Jane Austen Centre in Bath has excellent reconstructions of period dress. Chawton House in Hampshire, where Austen lived her last years, preserves her writing table and some personal effects. The V and A, the Met Costume Institute, and the Costume Society in Washington all have significant Regency menswear and womenswear collections. The annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath each September features hundreds of participants in period dress, which is one of the best places to see the full costume in action.
Common questions
What is the Empire line?
A high waisted gown gathered just below the bust, named after the French Empire fashions of the 1790s. The dominant women's silhouette through the Regency.
What is a Spencer?
A short jacket worn over a Regency gown, ending at the natural waist or just below. Named after the second Earl Spencer, who allegedly had the tails of his coat cut off at the waist as a joke.
What is a pelisse (for ladies)?
A long coat worn over a Regency gown, reaching to the ankle. Often in silk or wool with contrasting trim. The ladies' version is distinct from the hussar pelisse.
Did Jane Austen describe clothing in her novels?
Rarely in detail. The novels assume readers know what characters are wearing. Her letters contain many clothing references, which is where historians find the detail.
Where can I attend a Regency event?
The Jane Austen Festival in Bath each September. Various Regency balls in London, Edinburgh and other cities. The Jane Austen Society in Britain and America hosts regular events.