Jacket (Spencer), Underbodice and Skirt

c. 1815-unknown (Country)

Material: 

Jacket and skirt of red cut velvet with piping and wrapped buttons in hussar style; beige silk satin underbodice.

This is a short jacket with long, tight-fitting sleeves that covered the hands, called Spencer jacket. A high-waisted skirt of the same fabric. It took its name from England's Earl Spencer (1758-1834), who wore this kind of jacket. The Spencer was fashionable from the 1790s to the 1820s. Initially a men's garment, its practical features meant that it soon came to be worn by women as well.

Inventory Number(s): AC3145 80-5-36AC