The prevailing materials for the morning dresses of this period were
cambrics, India muslins, clear muslins, usually white, and often
spotted and sprigged with clear colours. The bodices were usually cut
low with short sleeves, the neck being covered with an embroidered
habit shirt or chemisette, often cut with very high collars coming up
to the ears. The arms were covered with sleeves of rucked muslin or
net. The walking dresses were worn to the ankle only, but the more
graceful house dress was worn long. “Spencers,” or short bodices,
with sleeves made of silk or cloth, were often worn over the muslin
dress out of doors; these were sometimes buttoned down the centre,
sometimes double-breasted, sometimes left open. “Spanish vests,” a
sort of Spencer, with long-pointed ends in front, were often seen.
Shawls, and long scarfs with embroidered ends, were almost invariable
accompaniments of out-door dress, and were carried over the arm or worn
draped over one shoulder, or round the neck, with long ends hanging
in front like a boa. The use of muslins, furs, China silks, sarsnets,
satins, etc., indiscriminately, was characteristic of the period.
A dress of India muslin and a fur muff and boa was not considered
incongruous. Small hats and turban-shaped caps were as much worn as
large; ostrich and herons’ feathers, satins, velvets, velvet flowers,
and even jewels were used for these. Gloves were usually of York tan
or French kid, but sometimes were of _net_. Shoes were made of varying
materials—coloured kid, often velvet or silk. The colours most in
vogue were pinks, lilacs, violets, lavender, pale primrose, pale
greens—scarlets often for pelisses—and all clear colours. Browns are
described as “cinamon,” chocolate, nut, “la boue de Paris,” Egyptian
brown, etc. All muslin dresses were worn over “slips” of silk or
cambric. In making the bodices, it should be borne in mind that of the
many ways of cutting them, the least graceful is to have a straight
line round the waist. The line should curve upwards from beneath the
bosom in front and reach the highest point between the shoulder-blades
at the back, as seen in the back view of Emma. A double curve, which
rises slightly in front as well, as seen in one of the distant figures
in the frontispiece, is very becoming.