Hello, everyone! I've been doing more research, and have things running through my head, so I feel it's time to get them out of my head and onto my blog. So... here you go!
While researching headwear, I realized that as a married woman, I should be wearing a cap. Unmarried women did not, unless they reached a certain age when they were considered old maids (out of the marriage market). Jane Austen, who never married, started wearing caps in her late 20s. I'm 49.95 plus tax, so I'm at a ripe old age, and would be wearing caps every day, so... something else to add to my outfit.
What are caps? Not quite the same thing as a nightcap, day caps were made from fine linen or cotton, sometimes embroidered, sometimes lacy, sometimes puffier than you can imagine! It depended on the woman and her style. I'm not a particularly "fussy" dresser--I keep things pretty simple. I'm thinking of a simple cap, maybe with a little embroidery, and a ruffle of lace around the front edging. Some examples from the time period:
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| Very elaborate and foofy. |
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| Simple, but ruffly. |
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| More simple, but I don't care for the ties. |
Women wore these all day. I've read in a book that women wore different caps for different times of the day. In the morning, for hanging around the house, ladies wore a fairly simple house cap. For visiting or receiving visitors, women wore their nicer, fancier caps, possibly to show off some needlework or status. There were widow's caps, too. Caps were worn all day long. They were kind of convenient, in some ways... bad hair day? Hide it with your cap! Going out? No worries, just put your hat on over your cap.
On the one hand, I don't like adding so much to my outfit, but on the other hand... my hairstyle is not exactly Regency-appropriate. Women either had long hair or very short hair. I don't have either. So I've been trying to figure out how this is going to work. I'm letting my hair grow a little longer so that I can more easily style it in the back--probably with hairpins and a short ponytail pinned down into a tiny bun. Curls around the face were extremely popular, so I'll have those, of course. But the cap will be perfect to hide what will probably be a rather messy and awkward back-of-the-head hair.
As for style, well... I kind of like this one:
It's simple, but not elaborate. And I can make something like that. I just ordered fabric from my favorite online fabric store... different kinds of fine, almost sheer cottons for a cap and possibly a kerchief. A kerchief was a large triangular scarf worn to add warmth and cover up one's bare neck, or to fill in an opening in one's spencer or pelisse. The woman in the picture above is wearing a kerchief. It is tucked into her neckline, and provides some modesty. Hers is from a pretty solid cotton, while contemporary kerchiefs were of finer, sheerer fabric. Women also wore chemisettes, which were sort of half-collar, half-shirt. After all, you didn't want to freeze, nor did you want everyone to be able to check out one's décolletage (cleavage). Some examples:
Sorry about the spacing...I tried to get them to go two by two, but... I lack blog knowledge. Anyway... here is a different chemisette, and several kerchiefs.
Well, I think I've done enough for one day... :)
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