A quick look at regency fashion- how the silhuette changes with time

I'll be doing several regency era projects in the near future so I wanted to do a quick overview of the silhouette and how it changes throughout the regency era. This is by no means a full look at all the changes that occurred nor is this an in-depth look into them or the complex social and political reasons behind them. But this is a quick look that will give you a general idea how the fashion changes. I'm not by any means an expert on this subject but I have spent way too much of my time looking at fashion plates and and patterns taken from extant garments to try to figure out how the fashion changes from decade to decade.
All the extant garments featured in this video are from the Met that they have graciously added to the public domain.

[@eldartahirov9]

Thank you so much for sharing 🤗. My favorite is the 1790's round gown... I think, I love all the Regency era☺️♥️

[@gumfoil]

I was literally just wishing there was a lecture on this subject, since the transitional styles are so interesting. And here it is. Thank you so much!

[@sewthroughtime]

Well that's good timing then 😊 and you are welcome ❤️

[@katherinemorelle7115]

If you’d like to watch another, also excellent video on the changing styles of the regency period, Marika from Enchanted Rose costumes also has a nice video on the topic.
And to really see transitional styles and how they change from the 1790s to 1900, Karolina Zebrowska has a video where she draws each style, showing the changes one by one. It’s also a great overview of each decade of fashion of the 19th century.

[@isabela8214]

The regency period is so... very. I find it interesting that the 90's move toward "minimalism" and simplicity was completely abandoned just 20-30 years later. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Also, your hair is lovely. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to style my own hair.

[@sewthroughtime]

Thanks! I've been styling my hair vintage for over 10years so lots of practice 😊
But yeah it's just at the beginning were fashion picks up speed and changes start to happen at a fast pace and they are dramatic. Makes for an interesting century 😅

[@amauryy4417]

Well, I am not a huge fan of the regency era fashions but I enjoyed your video with lots of fashion plates , your explanations are very clear even if english isn't my native langage, thank you so much!

[@sewthroughtime]

I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@sandijames8571]

Having done a generic, middling kind of Regency for years, I am now looking to the mid to late teens, and also back to the 1790s for my next projects.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

I tend to prefer the late regency, with the slightly lowered waistlines, the puffed sleeves, and the skirts that are widening, but just before we get into the Romantic era proper, where the fashions go kinda crazy.
I do also like the transition from the round gowns of the 1790s and the columnar gowns of the 1800s, where there’s still a tiny bit of gathering at the front, but we’ve already got that bust definition. Basically, the gathering at the front isn’t so much that you look pregnant, but is still enough there that the dress covers the sins of my tummy. So very late 1790s to very early 1800s. 98-81, pretty much.
Though honestly, regency as a whole isn’t my favourite. Mostly because I prefer a nipped in waist, as I find that the most flattering on my curvy body. Also, the girls being so high can be a bit uncomfortable when they’re so big. They do provide me with a nice pillow to rest my cheek upon, but I’m generally not a fan of the “boobs up to the chin” effect.

[@sewthroughtime]

Mine simply won't go that high no mater what I do 😅 they start fairly low on my body so there is a limit to how much I can lift them before the under part of the tissue gets pressed below the bust area and becomes painful. So I don't get the pillow effect that much but I know what you are talking about. It can get a bit much 😂

[@terpinator24]

I really like the early and late styles, but not the one with the high empire waist...it doesn't look that good on most people in my opinion. Thanks so much for the breakdown of the evolution of this period!

[@sewthroughtime]

I agree that it's the hardest to get really flattering. I'm never completely happy when I wear my 1800s gown like I am in my 90s and 10s ones.