Regency Reader Question
Hi , sooo happy to stumble upon this blog which I call a treasure !! I’m an avid reader of Reg Rom can’t stay a night without reading one . I’m confused by something when they say the heroine for instance slept in her shift / slept in her nightdress. as far as I know shifts are underwear right ? how can they sleep in them
| Source of Question | Reg Rom Book |
| Additional comments | you’re amazing keeeep going |
Thanks for the question, Amina, and for being a Regency Reader!
A shift was basically a white, linen precursor to the slip, or a sleeveless/short sleeve dress that was the base for a dressed Regency woman. Typically knee length, these would be worn beneath their corsets or other underthings between the 17th and late 19th centuries. Chemise was often used interchangeably with shift, and also meant a shirt like under dress. Chemises definitely were more likely to be short, above the knees, whereas shifts could be slightly longer,
Most nightrails/night dresses were cotton, pretty formless with the main difference between it and the shift being it usually had a high collar and sleeves. They also were often longer, covering at least the knees.
Both were usually simply designed and easy to launder. Night rails could be fancied up, especially if they were more likely to be viewed by others, with lace or other trimmings (http://www.fashionintime.org/history-of-sleepwear/).
In any case, its easy to see that a woman of more modest means, or in a pinch (like travelling or kidnapped, or other scenarios imagined in Reg Rom) could reasonably let her shift double as a nightrail.
In the drafty houses of the Regency era, however, a woman was likely to not just have on a shift or night dress. Women also typically wore a bed jacket, dressing gown, or wrapper over their thin night rails to keep warm. A bed cap or night cap was also deployed for warmth and to keep a ladies hair in neat and tidy condition.
It wasn’t until about the 1820s lawn fabric or cotton drawers would be worn underneath women’s clothes. Pantaloons and pantalettes were a flesh colored way to have some under coverage in an Empire gown without bulk, lump, or you know, VPL (visible panty line). Most had a slit or hole in the crotch era for easy bathroom access, so were more for warmth than modesty (https://www.bustle.com/p/the-underwear-of-jane-austens-time-will-make-you-seriously-grateful-for-modern-conveniences-2350928).
The bottom line is that a shift or chemise could be used in lieu of a night dress, but if a lady was wealthy, fashionable and in a drafty house or cold Season, would be more likely to bundle up with a night rail, dressing gown, socks or stockings, and a bed cap.
Hope that clarifies things for you Amina! Keep the Regency Reader Questions coming, dear readers!
For more on Regency underwear, and why there is a debate about it: https://donnahatch.com/the-great-regency-underwear-debate/
Kristen Koster has a wonderful primer on Regency Era clothing: https://www.kristenkoster.com/a-primer-on-regency-era-womens-fashion/
A tutorial on making Marianne’s nightdress from the ’95 Sense and Sensibility: https://www.sensibility.com/blog/recreating-mariannes-nightgown-from-sense-amp-sensibility
An excellent post on Regency night wear: https://sewingempire.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/regency-nightwear/
More info on Regency underwear: https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/tag/regency-underwear/
