Afternoon Dress – Winter 1800

Regency Empire Waist Gowns and Early 19th Century High Fashion

This classical Regency fashion plate from March 1800 showcases late Georgian womenswear at the turn of the 19th century. The hand-colored illustration displays a standing woman in a light pink high-waisted empire gown adorned with a gold waist band and multi-tiered ruffled sleeves. Both figures sport extravagant headdresses featuring large, theatrical feather plumes.

Antique Musical Performance and Period Parlor Setting

The historical engraving captures an intimate domestic scene centered around music. A seated woman wearing a white gown with a blue short-sleeved overdress edged in fur plays a mandolin or lute. She leans over a wooden music stand holding sheet music, providing a detailed look at late 18th and early 19th-century wealthy parlor entertainment.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges