Spencer (clothing)

The Spencer, dating from the 1790's, was originally a woolen outer tail-coat with the tails cut-off. It was worn as a short waist-length, double-breasted, man's jacket over a long-tailed coat as extra covering. In its most authentic and fashionable form it would have been decorated with military medals in a manner after its name-sake George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758-1834). Spencer, it was thought, singed the tails of his tail-coat while standing beside a fire and then cut off the ends, unwittingly starting a new fashion. [http://www.fashion-era.com/regency_fashion.htm#Earl%20Spencer%20And%20The%20Short%20Spencer%20Jacket%201795 Regency Fashion History. 1800s Costume History] , by Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com] . Other stories say Spencer—frustrated by his tails catching on brambles—tore the tails off his coat when hunting one day. [ [http://www.northwestjournal.ca/VIII11.htm Making a Man's Tailcoat] , by J. Gottfred.]

It was soon adopted as a popular women's fashion on both sides of the Atlantic during the 1790-1820 Regency style period [ [http://www.wemakehistory.com/Fashion/Regency/RegencyLadies/RegencyLadies.htm An Introduction to Ladies' Fashions of the Regency Era] , by Lord Scott.] ( [http://www.fashion-era.com/images/RegencyRom/grnspenc.jpgpicture] , [http://austen.com/costumes/pp5.jpgpicture] ). The Spencer was worn as a cardigan is worn today, as a short form of jacket to just above waist level cut on identical lines to the dress.

The use of the term spencer continued well into the 19th century to mean more generally any type of short jacket or coat. In Australia the term is sometimes used to refer to thermal underwear. [Oxford English Dictionary, "Spencer n.2", 2006 online edition.]

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