Corsets and Drawers: A Look at Regency Underwear
Fashionable young ladies of the Regency were fortunate to escape one constriction that had haunted the lives of their mothers and would later fall to their daughters and granddaughters: The Boned Corset. Where both the Georgian and Victorian sillouette called for unnaturally small waists and straight backs, designers during the Regency were captivated by the “natural Female form.”
Drawing inspiration from classical Greek and Roman statuary (all things ancient Greece were the rage at this time) they allowed for column dresses with minimal flouncing. Where once layers of hoops and petticoats reined, now almost modern dress shape took over. Waists were raised to just under the bosom while skirts hung free.
These new styles called for an all new type of support garment. Thus was born the short corset, forbearer to today’s modern undergarments. Unlike Victorian corsets which hooked in the front and laced up the back, older corsets only laced up the back in a zigzag fashion using one string—cross lacing would be invented later on—and stiffened in the front with a carved wooden or bone busk which created a straight posture and separated the bosoms for the “heaving” effect, so popular at the time. Pre-Regency corsets constrained the body from the hips to the bust line and were held on with straps over the shoulders where gown sleeves could be laced on.
These corsets could be a separate garment worn under clothes, or used as the bodice of the dress itself. It would be worn over a chemise and stockings (knee to thigh high and held up with garters).
In the 1700’s petticoats and panniers would be worn over that, though during the Regency this was slimmed down to one petticoat—and only if necessary. Drawers would not be invented until 1806. Until then, women walked free of any other undergarments. The “new” Regency Corset was a clever combination of straps, tapes and laces. They came in many styles—some for controlling the figure, some for pushing the bosom up and out in a shelf-like display. Two of these types are shown in this picture of 1819 stays from the Kyoto Museum in Japan. They would be stiffened with cording or stays, though the tight whale boned figure was still decades off.
These corsets were mostly supportive, similar to today’s bras—and not constricting or dangerous to health as some later corsets would be. Of course, not all women even wore corsets! Some settled for a boned chemise (or boned, bodiced petticoat) or a chemise with a ribbon tied underneath the bosom for enhancement. It all depended on the style being sought, the shape of the wearer and the financial investment that they wished to make.
Many stories are told, both of the fun and exasperation girls had in modifying their underclothing to suit their styles and needs. Tales are told of girls who wore pink stockings (shocking!) to simulate bare flesh and others who dampened their chemises for a see-through effect through their white and pastel gowns (popular with the men, I’m sure!)
Drawers, a modified version of the Men’s garment, tied at the waist with a string and split in the middle, were uncommon for women’s wear for the first 20 years of the 1800’s, though popular on young girls. Princess Charlotte is supposed to have 
worn them with glee, much to the astonishment of several other ladies, though this woman did not have the same happy experience:
"They are the ugliest things I ever saw: I will never put them on again. I dragged my dress in the dirt for fear someone would spy them. My finest dimity pair with real Swiss lace is quite useless to me for I lost one leg and did not deem it proper to pick it up, and so walked off leaving it in the street behind me, and the lace had cost six shillings a yard..."
Of course- Men had their own items—Undershirts are a relatively new invention, but before the advent of men’s drawers, they had nothing but their long shirts to tuck into their pants. Later, drawers- similar to shorts with a drawstring and buttoned flaps were invented, much to everyone’s relief. At the time of the Regency, men would normally be wearing cotton drawers, a linen or Muslin shirt, perhaps a corset (yes, not even the men escaped!) depending on the man, stockings and then pants (or knickers), cravat, vest and coat.
Why not browse our costume section in our online giftshop for costume, patterns and accessories?
Read more
Maternity fashions in Regency England
The History of Maternity Wear
Read more
Mrs Beeton On the Important Subject of Dress and Fashion
Isabella Beeton addresses the Mistress of the House
Read more
841 comments
cbd oil benefits cbd oil pure cbd oil
blafelliomb
http://cannabisoilhemp.com/# cbd drops [url=http://cbdoilhh.com/# ]cbd oil at walmart [/url] hemp cbd oil
gahFuengeand
cbd for sale cbd oil for sale cbd oils cbd oils [url=http://cbdforsalesh.com/# ]cbd pills [/url]
Toowhelve
real casino slots https://onlinecasinos911.com/ online slots best online casino free casino games
Toowhelve
https://viagrafirst.com/ buy sildenafil [url=https://viagrafirst.com/ ]buy viagra pills [/url] buy viagra pills
Toowhelve
http://cbdoilhh.com/# cannabis oil cbd pure buy cbd oil cbd oil online
Altervequeedge
cbd pills http://bestcbdoiltws.com/# cbd tinctures cbd oils hemp cbd
Altervequeedge
online slots https://onlinecasinos911.com/ online casino bonus online casino bonus big fish casino
Choohackbourb
cbd oil online hemp cbd cbd hemp cbd oil near me http://annabisoilweb.com/#
Toowhelve
cbd products cbd gummies walmart cbd gummies walmart
gahFuengeand
http://cbdhempamp.com/# cbd oils cbd drops medterra cbd hemp cbd
Altervequeedge
cbd near me [url=http://buycbdoilfo.com/# ]buy cbd oil online [/url] cbd online buy cbd oil online
Choohackbourb
cbd drops cbd oil near me best cbd cdb oils
Choohackbourb
http://cbdhempamp.com/# medterra cbd cbd oil at walmart full spectrum cbd oil cbd pure
Toowhelve
cbd oil for sale http://buycbdoilonlinerru.com/# pure cbd cbd products hemp cbd
Toowhelve
big fish casino free casino slot games play casino
gahFuengeand
online viagra [url=https://viagrafirst.com/ ]buy viagra [/url] online viagra cheap viagra buy viagra
Toowhelve
http://cbdforsalesh.com/# hemp cbd cbd store best cbd cbd cream
gahFuengeand
free slots games https://onlinecasinos911.com/ casino online online gambling online casinos
blafelliomb
cbd near me http://cannabisoilstoretv.com/# hemp cbd best cbd oil buy cbd oil
Altervequeedge
full spectrum cbd oil [url=http://cbdhempoildk.com/# ]cbd drops [/url] buy cbd cbd gummies walmart
blafelliomb
https://onlinecasinos911.com/ free casino games online casino slots vegas casino slots play online casino
Toowhelve
viagra no prescription https://viagrafirst.com/ viagra price viagra for men viagra online
Toowhelve
cbd oil benefits buy cbd cbd near me buy cannabis oil [url=http://cbdforsalesh.com/# ]cdb oils [/url]
Choohackbourb
pure cbd hemp cbd oil cbd online
gahFuengeand
http://cannabisoilhemp.com/# cannabis oil best cbd medterra cbd cbd gummies walmart
blafelliomb
casino bonus codes [url=https://onlinecasinos911.com/ ]no deposit casino [/url] best online casinos free slots
Choohackbourb
pure cbd cbd for sale cannabis oil best cbd
Choohackbourb
best online casinos [url=https://onlinecasinos911.com/ ]real money casino [/url] casino play vegas casino slots slots games free
gahFuengeand
online viagra https://viagrafirst.com/ buy viagra viagra no prescription viagra price
Toowhelve
buy cannabis oil cbd gummies walmart buy cannabis oil
blafelliomb
cbd oil for sale http://cbdoilforsalejmm.com/# buy hemp oil buy cbd oil online cbd drops
gahFuengeand
cbd pure [url=http://cbdoilforsalejmm.com/# ]best cbd oil [/url] cdb oils cbd for sale http://cbdhempoildk.com/#
Toowhelve
online slots free casino slot games free casino games online casino real money
blafelliomb
cbd pills http://cbdoilforsalejmm.com/# best cbd oil buy cbd cbd cream
Altervequeedge
cbd oils [url=http://cbdoilwow.com/# ]cbd pure [/url] cbd tinctures cannabis oil cbd hemp
blafelliomb
cbd cream buy hemp oil buy cbd oil cbd for sale [url=http://cbdforsalesh.com/# ]medterra cbd [/url]
Altervequeedge
online viagra viagra online online viagra viagra pill [url=https://viagrafirst.com/ ]buy viagra pills [/url]
Toowhelve
play casino [url=https://onlinecasinos911.com/ ]casino online slots [/url] casino real money big fish casino https://onlinecasinos911.com/
Toowhelve
cbd tinctures [url=http://cbdoinlinexo.com/# ]cbd oil store [/url] cbd for sale cdb oils cbd oil online
Toowhelve
best cbd oil cbd oil at walmart full spectrum cbd oil cbd pure
Altervequeedge
buy cannabis oil [url=http://cbdhempoildk.com/# ]buy hemp oil [/url] cdb oils buy cbd
gahFuengeand
http://cbdoilhh.com/# hemp cbd cbd gummies walmart cbd oil store cbd near me
Choohackbourb
http://cannabisoilhemp.com/# cbd oil near me [url=http://cbdtincturesew.com/# ]cbd pills [/url] pure cbd oil
Toowhelve
http://bestcbdoiltws.com/# cbd products cdb oils buy hemp oil medterra cbd
Choohackbourb
casino online [url=https://onlinecasinos911.com/ ]slots free [/url] online gambling casino slots
Altervequeedge
slots online https://onlinecasinos911.com/ free online slots casino slots casino slots
Choohackbourb
http://bestcbdoiltws.com/# cbd for sale cbd online cbd products cbd oil at walmart
gahFuengeand
viagra [url=https://viagrafirst.com/ ]buy viagra [/url] viagra for sale viagra no prescription https://viagrafirst.com/
Toowhelve
free online slots online casino gambling casino bonus codes big fish casino [url=https://onlinecasinos911.com/ ]casino games [/url]
gahFuengeand
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.