The spencer (left) was a close-fitting, waist length, tight sleeved jacket. It’s said to be invented by Lord Spencer as an accident. It is very similar to a man’s riding coat but it does not have tails. They were very tight to the body like a bodice and could be worn open or buttoned. It can be worn inside or outside but was usually a dark color so it wouldn’t blend with whatever dress was underneath it. Early in the 18th century it had no color or sleeves and would usually be made out of black or white lace. After 1804, it developed a color that would be high so you could fold it over of line it with fur for warmth. The pelisse (right) was a better choice to wear outside in colder weather. It was essentially an over dress or a coat dress. It was close fitting but not tight and they were often lined with fur. In the spring it could have been made from silk, satin or light velvet. In the summer they were made with sarsnet or light silk and in winter they were made with fur lined velvet and wool. The spencer and the pelisse were more so created because women were freezing to death, and in 1803 women who were fashionable were dying from “muslin disease”. Muslin disease was like a nick name given to an flu epidemic that often resulted in death for women who went out into the cold in their normal clothes; this was when the spencer and pelisse became crucial.
"Women's Fashion|Costumes|historical clothing | Spencers, Shawls, Pelisses and More." Jane Austen Centre|Festival|magazine|Tearoom|Bath UK England. Web. 01 Jan. 2010.
