Regency Fashion: The Red Cloak

I was yapping on social media about Diana Sperling and a clever commenter shared the red cloaks reminded her of what Kitty and Lydia wore in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice. As another commenter shared, red cloaks, called cardinal cloaks, were a popular style of cloak or mantle in the late 18th century that naturally carried over into the Regency era, including for the Jubilee as picture above from La Belle Assemblee (December 1809). By the late 18th century, they would be available ready-made (Cape – American or European – The Metropolitan Museum of Art), and were popular with provincials, especially landed gentry. They were made of wool, but the mass production would have reduced the cost so you also saw them popular with middle classes and even exported to the United States to be worn in the colonies.

Liverpool Albion – Monday 16 December 1839

I found mention in the February 1808 La Belle Assemblee of a military or cardinal cloak to describe this beauty:

and another blogger spotted this cashmere crimson mantle from March 1811’s La Belle Assemblee:

I also found mention of it in more provincial publications, like the Hampshire Chronicle (5 October 1807):

“FASHIONS FOR OCTOBER. The only fashion this great city now boasts, is comprised in the theatre, which from the re-appearance of Mrs. Jorden, is crowded every night with all the Nobility London, and its vicinity, and if fashionable costume cannot boast novelty here, it certainly may challenge variety. The private boxes display elegant half-dress muslin robes, or frocks, ornamented with work or lace, cottage caps and head-dresses hair, with simple row of pearls twisted in the curls, bracelets, broacnes inc. kid-shoes and gloves but when retiring to their carriages, &c. our Elegantes imitate Betty Blackberry; over all beautiful scarlet Cardinal, down to the ground; the hood thrown carelessly over the face, half concealing the lovely countenance the wearer from the gaze of the admiring eye or a crimson velvet mantle, trimmed with ermine, hanging with majestic grace from the shoulders, reminding us of the days of our ancestors, when the tank ot ihe lady was only known the richness of the velvet, or the sadness her brocade. But last, tnou t h not least admired, comes the grey market cloak, a very short time since confined to the good women who sold their wares in the markets, but now figure in their cloth, nay their velvet pelisses. But the dress circle the grand scene of variety one lady’s head-dress imitates an Arcadian nymph, while her shoulders are covered with the skin of the white fox Siberia another’s sylphid foim enveloped in transparent drapery of picket while silk handkerchief covers the head, tied under the chin, as if reverting to the days of old, when lady might as well want her cap her chemise, and tiavmg been surprised at her toilet, snatched a pocket handkerchief to preserve her bare head from the eyes of the intruder ; third having espied the Dutchess of ■ in a market cloak, and mob, adopts the same costume, ana sits fainting under the heat of fashion, until relieved by the dropping of the curtain. But detail all the eccentricities which the votaries of this fickle goddess exhibit, would far exceed our limits.”

Indeed, a year and a month later, the Hampshire Chronicle (7 November 1808) recommended the cardinal, or rustic mantle, for its convenience and warth and “from the graceful negligence of its folds when wrapt round the figure.” They also offered the Pilgrim’s cloak and bonnet in russet brown as an alternative, or a plain coat of Virginia cloth in pale olive or bright green.

Red had traditionally been a difficult, and therefore expensive, colour in dye. This made it prized for conveying luxury, and as a result, power. By the Napoleonic era, it still embodied power but would slide into associations with indecency by the end of the 19th century (The Red Craze | Fashion History Timeline). In part, this was because of the introduction of new natural products like Brazil wood, Cochineal, and madder that made red dye easier to produce (CLOTHING COLORS IN THE 18TH CENTURY© – Brady’s Faithful Reproductions). The Turkey red dyeing technique, introduced in Scotland by Pierre Jacques Papillon, a French chemist in 1785, created a cottage industry of dyeworks in Scotland by the 1820s. In conjunction with the industrialisation of woolen mills, Turkey red was an excellent industrial scale dye because it was colourfast and did not transfer to other fabrics, making it durable. Its these inventions that likely led to it being a novel, yet cheap, introduction to fashion in the late 18th century that carried over into the Regency era.

While the story of Little Red Riding Hood originated pre-17th century, potentially as early as the 10th century as an oral tradition from French peasants, versions of the stories proliferated until the 19th century retelling from the Brothers Grimm. So I am  not saying it was inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, but it would have been a fun association for folks.

I have seen some comments on other posts that by the end of the long Regency, c. 1830s, it was mostly worn by older and middle class women. I suspect that is because they either bought them used, or had them from their girlhood. Even as mass produced items, they were still made of  wool and were durable enough to survive for a few decades.

The next time you watch a Regency era film, you can keep an eye out for red cloaks — I understand it makes a cameo in quite a few productions including the 1995 P&P, which I of course had to revisit to confirm.

Read more:

“Woman’s red wool cloak, c. 1750-1800, front view” by Irma G. Bowen Historic Clothing Collection

NineteenTeen: The Mystery of the Jubilee Cloak

The Regency Red Cloak – a fashion staple! – Jane Austen articles and blog

Tea with Anastasia : Red Cloaks in Regency England

Make your own: 18th century Red Riding hood – Fashion Through Herstory

18th Century Wool Cloak — Costume and Conservation