Regency Era Fashions - Ackermann's Repository 1818

Today I continue posting more Regency Fashions from the pages of Ackermann's Repository and want to call your attention to "mourning dress" as viewed by those of Regency England.

My last post for the year 1817 ended with two mourning fashion plates.  This was due to the fact that all of England was in mourning over the death of their beloved Princess Charlotte.  Ackermann's then continued the mourning fashion plates in memory of Princess Charlotte by showing two more in January 1818  and then in Dec 1818 they end again with two mourning fashion plates due to the death of Queen Charlotte (wife of King George III and grandmother of Princess Charlotte).   These plates were shown in publications like Ackermann's since the entire country went into mourning when a member of the Royal family died.

One example of a Mourning Evening Dress for 1818

Mourning Dress (not to be confused with a morning dress) was a strong custom in Regency Europe. In modern society we wear black to a funeral and for the most part that's it but in Regency times it was a different situation. When a member of the family died, those related went into mourning and dressed accordingly for a lengthy period of time.  Depending on how the individual was related to you determined how long you were to wear mourning.  Not only was how you dressed a factor but also the type of functions you could attend and how you were allowed to participate in those affairs were dictated by mourning customs of the time.

There was Full-Mourning and Half-Mourning (Full-Mourning was ususally worn for the first half of the time frame and Half-Mouning to finish off the mourning period). The length of time you wore those extents of mourning were also determined by your relationship to the deceased.  It was a common practice to dye your existing clothing black when you went into mourning since this was the quickest way to have the appropriate attire.  The linings in cloaks were changed out for black ones and bonnets were usually remade to include black crêpe.  However, if a family member was to be in mourning for an extended about of months or years they would have new fashions created in the usual manner and use fashion plates such as these in Ackermann's as a guide.

Depending on the source you will find variances in length of time and what was 

appropriate or allowed in the mourning costume of Regency England;

but to give a general guide line:

24 months for a husband or wife
12 months for parents or parents in law
6 months for a sister or brother

12 weeks for a sister in law or brother in law

2 weeks to 6 months - uncle or aunt

2-4 weeks - first cousin 

For instance a Widow might go into mourning for 2 years for her Husband.

She would spend the 1st year and 1 day in Full-Mourning; wearing all black in matte fabrics like black crêpe or bombazine.  Very few jewelry choices would be available during this time.

After that she might wear Half-Mourning of grey, purple, lilac, lavender or a combination of black and white.  A bit more sheen would be allowed in the fabric choices as would a larger selection of jewelry options.

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Today I am posting the fashion plates 

from Ackermann's Series 2 for the year 1818.

Series 2 Vol 5 was Jan - June 1818
Series 2 Vol 6 was July - Dec 1818

Enjoy!

 Ackermann's Repository 1818 Fashion Plates

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - January Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - January Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - February Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - February Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - March Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - March Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - April Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - April Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - May Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - May Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - June Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 5 - June Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - July Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - July Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - August Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - August Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - September Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - September Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - October Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - October Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - November Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - November Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - December Issue

1818 - Ackermann's Repository Series 2 Vol 6 - December Issue

These last two Mourning fashion plates are in respect of 

Her Majesty Queen Charlotte who died in Nov 1818. 

For those of you who might like historical tidbits as much as I do; 

see below for the death notice Ackermann's printed in the Dec issue of that year.

I hope you are enjoying my series on Ackermann's Fashion plates from Regency England.

Below are links that will take you to previous fashions from 

Series 1 that I posted on my blog back in July 2011

& Series 2 which I'm currently posting now.

Ackermann's ran series 1 from 1809 - 1815

Series 1 -  Vol 1 & 2  - 1809
Series 1 -  Vol 3 & 4  - 1810
Series 1 -  Vol 5 & 6  - 1811
Series 1 -  Vol 7 & 8  - 1812 
Series 1 -  Vol 9 & 10 - 1813
Series 1 - Vol 11 & 12 - 1814
Series 1 - Vol 13 & 14  - 1815

Ackermann's ran series 2 from 1816 - 1822

Series 2 - Vol 1 & 2 - 1816

Series 2 - Vol 3 & 4 - 1817

Series 2 - Vol 5 & 6 - 1818

(1819 - 1822 - are yet to be posted)

Series 2 - Vol 7 & 8 - 1819

Series 2 - Vol 9 & 10 - 1820

Series 2 - Vol 11 & 12 - 1821

Series 2 - Vol 13 & 14 - 1822

Till next time...

Thanks for visiting me here at EKDuncan.blogspot.com

If you have enjoyed seeing these images from Ackermann's Repository 

and would like the opportunity to see and read an original for yourself 

they are are available on line at www.archive.org

Click HERE then choose the volume you are interested in.

You can then see and read them online or download 

them to your computer for future reference.

Enjoy!