1770 to 1775

• Early 18th-century winter dresses featured several layers -- an underskirt, a petticoat, and often heavy decoration and embroidery on the outer layer of the skirt. The upper portion featured a corseted waist and tightly fitting bodice. Because built-up wigs had become fashionable for both men and women, hats were worn less due to the awkward size and shape of the wigs. A small men's hat appeared that was placed atop the wig, or otherwise was held in the hand, rather like women carried a fan.
  
  

1775 to 1780

• Toward the end of the 1770s, a wave of simplicity swept though both male and female fashion styles. An enthusiasm for rural life is believed to have inspired this, as milkmaid-style hairdos became popular. Men's fashion at this time saw rugged winter coats and high leather boots, designed to cope with country estates and cold, wet weather. Women wore a masculine riding attire as morning dress -- the bodice fashioned like a masculine jacket and waistcoat, with overlapping revers, and the skirt plain but full.
  
  

1780 to 1790

• Men's winter coats after 1780 saw the inclusion of collars, which were nonexistent in coats of the earlier 18th century. They were worn folded down or standing up rigid against the neck. The space between the neck and the collar was filled with a scarf wound around the neck. The neck scarves were made from muslin, as opposed to earlier ones made from cambric. Coat sleeves became longer and more slender than before, with lace frills protruding from the cuffs.
  
  

1785 to 1790

• Toward the end of the1780s, the caraco became a popular fashion item for colder weather. It was a masculine style -- a tight-fitting jacketlike garment for women. Designed to wear over a dress that had a tight-fitting bodice, the caraco was also worn with a skirt, the look resembling a man's waistcoat. The caraco was often worn with a large apron with pockets, producing a distinct style. Short silk capes often lined with fur, called mantelets, were a popular winter fashion piece of this era. A variation of the mantelet fitted with wide, half-length sleeves was called a pelisse and also saw popularity as a winter fashion garment. The 1780s saw a neoclassicism enter 18th-century fashion, an influence of antiquity and classical lines, which featured polonaises and gatherings to the flanks. It lasted through the 1790s.
  
  

1790 to 1795

• The masculine attire of the 1790s saw the introduction of the tailed jacket similar to that worn with 20th-century formal evening dress. The tailed jacket was a double-breasted coat adapted from the English riding coat, featuring two rows of buttons down the front, which was cut away at the waist. Revers were used extensively, even in waistcoats, and contrasting colors were used to accentuate the stylish lines.
  
  

1790 to 1800

• Ladies' fashions in the late 1790s favored thin fabrics with no under-petticoats. As a result, ladies wore fur muffs, cashmere shawls and neck scarves over their dresses to keep warm in winter.