The era covers the period from 1714 to 1830, with the sub-period of the Regency defined by the Regency of George IV as Prince of Wales during the illness of his father George III.
Corsets - thin or large, old or young, all ladies wore them and you cannot have an accurate 18th century look without one. The corset of the time was heavily boned and was tightly laced in the back for a serious fit. The purpose of the corset was to create erect posture and to force the breasts up and together into a position known as “rising moons.”
Panniers - Hoopskirts were a part of ladies fashion for a long, long time. The terms hoopskirt, hooped skirt and hoops were all used in the 18th century, but for the oblong variety we often utilize the term “pannier”, which means "basket" in French. The pannier was made of wood, whalebone or reeds and was designed to hold out the upper petticoat and skirt, creating width and therefore a horizontally oriented look. The width of panniers could range from modest to extreme. Generally speaking, the larger panniers were reserved for more formal occasions just as were the largest hoops during the mid-1800s.
Bumroll, Bustle - these items used for skirt support went in and out of fashion for centuries. During this period such items were typically made of carved cork or stuffing sewn up in linen or cotton fabric with a tie coming out of each side.
A bustle is a type of framework used to expand the fullness or support the drapery of the back of a woman's dress. Bustles were worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. Heavy fabric tended to pull the back of a skirt down and flatten it.
Farthingale (bumroll) is a term applied to any of several structures used under Western European women's clothing to support the skirts into the desired shape.
Petticoats and Pockets - in addition to the upper petticoat which with most styles was meant to be seen, there were also one or more petticoats underneath which were regarded as underwear. Cloth “pockets” were common. These were a pair of flat cloth pouches sewn onto a cloth band which tied around the waist underneath the outer garments. They were accessed through slits in the sides of the skirt.
Shift - the shift was the bottom undergarment worn under all others. It was usually of linen or cotton and in appearance was something like a calf-length nightgown. A woman in only her chemise was considered “naked”.
Shoes - “were usually of leather though fancy shoes or dance slippers might be of silk (and could wear out in an evening or two). Shoes were usually black or brown but were known in many colors, especially among the wealthy. The buckle could be made of pewter, brass, silver or gold. Very wealthy Europeans would sometimes have them encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones.” Shoes were sometimes fabric covered and could be decorated with ribbon, lace or other materials. Depending on the occasion ladies could choose from the ubiquitous medium to high heeled shoes with buckles, low or no heeled dancing slippers or even “pumps” which were shaped very similar to the common modern variety.
Stockings - these were long, coming up at least over the knee and were fastened by garters around the leg. They were made from silk, wool or cotton.
Hats, Caps and Bonnets
The mob cap was as ubiquitous for women as the tricorn was for men. It was made of cotton or linen gathered to a band and covered much of the hair which was piled up underneath it.
Several styles of cloth bonnet were utilized including one with long “lappets” down each side of the face and the “calash” which was large enough to fit over high hair styles but was collapsible for ease of storage when not being used.
Fashionable ladies might wear a “cartwheel” hat of straw, perhaps bedecked with silk flowers and tied under the chin with a ribbon.
Hair and Wigs
Hairstyles were for a time kept fairly close to the head but then rose in height, sometimes extravagantly so, particularly in the 1770s.
In the 1780s the "hedgehog" style came in which was moderately high but wide as well and often worn with a broad-brimmed hat.
Fans, Jewelry and Cosmetics
The fan was an important accessory for many ladies and an entire “language” was developed in order to use it for communicating from across a room.
Jewelry of gold, silver and pewter was worn and often included precious or semi-precious stones.
A white (“fair”) complexion was considered very desirable and many ladies would utilize make-up to attain it.
The tricorne - from the common man to men in the military and navy, these hats were worn for both style and practicality. The three corners of the hat were arranged in such a manner that the hat would gather rainwater and let it flow away from the gentleman's face. This hat came before there were garments created for rain gear.
Cadogans - the wigs that had a short pony tail pulled back and held with a black ribbon.
Cravat - the name of an ornamental type of neckwear.
Engageantes - the cuffs of lace worn by both men and women and usually had two or three tiers to them.
Habit - a term for a more formal wear that men might have worn when at the Court of the King or a fancy event.
Waistcoat - made of a fine material for the front with a lining material in the back and was worn under a man's outer garment, much like a vest of today.
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