Early Modern Women’s Coats
People not only wore coats but saw them as a fashion item as early as the beginning of the Middle ages. As such, coats have a long and complicated history.
The coat is one of the earliest recognizable clothing categories in the English language.
People not only wore coats but saw them as a fashion item as early as the beginning of the Middle ages. As such, coats have a long and complicated history.
That type of formal coat goes by the name of a frock coat. Its name derives from the expression “riding coat.” The redingote is a crucial part of early modern English formal attire, and it has permeated the culture. You have probably seen some of the most famous portraits of people such as Oscar Wilde or Prince Albert (husband of Queen Victoria), for example. They are wearing redingotes in those. What few people realize, though, is that women wore frock coats on formal occasions as well.
The redingote has the following distinct features:
When fitted well, a redingote both looked fancy and provided a degree of comfort.
You can describe the spencer as a tail-coat without the tails. Wool was the preferred material used in that type of coat. Being waist-length and double-breasted are other defining features. The short length of the spencer made it perfect for wearing with a dress. The spencer became particularly popular from the 1790s onward. The Earl of Spencer invented it after he got the tails of his coat burned. Soon after that, however, women in both England and the United States adopted it as part of their fashion. Look at a portrait or picture of a woman from the Regency Period (1790-1820). There is a high probability the lady would be wearing a spencer. The coats became popular in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa in the 19th century.
In the 20th century and today, a basque refers to a type of lingerie. More precisely – the torsolette type of corset. That was not the case in the Victorian era. At that time, a basque was a type of coat or jacket. Its most distinct feature was being closely fitted. It went past the waistline of the lady toward the hips. In the early Victorian era, women wore it over a hoopskirt. Toward the end of the Victorian era, the basque covered the upper part of a bustle. When the basque was an integral part of an outfit, it went by the name of "basque bodice." Ladies often referred to it as a corset waist as well. The basque originated in French fashion at the beginning of the 19th century. It gets its name from the Basque region in modern Spain. There the coat was a part of the traditional female dress.