Your observation about travel by sleigh is so true when snow and ice remained frozen and hard. The quote I used described a situation when snow turned to slush and the hard ground underneath turned to rutted mud. In Holland people skated over the canals from town to town. When the Thames froze over, however, the shipping industry and those who depended on plying the waters for their living experienced true hardship until the ice melted.

As for the muslin gowns, there was a short period in early 19th century England when wiser heads did not prevail for fashionable women on special occasions. Thin muslin gowns a la Greque were de riguer and fashionistas suffered in their dinner gowns, and at balls and parties. One presumes the upper classes followed this fashion more closely than the middle and lower classes, who did not have as many clothing options. One source stated that when ladies were presented at court, etiquette dictated that they had to leave their outer wear and wrappers in their carriages.

Michael,

Beaver skin was another relatively waterproof fur, as was otter. An 1851 catalog lists various furs “outside of waterproof cloth.” The entire page is morbidly fascinating in the way that fur is listed and how the various animal parts are used/prepared. Our species could not have survived colder climes without these animals:

157. Carriage wrappers North American grey fox various outside of waterproof cloth 158. Carriage wrappers Black African monkey outside of waterproof cloth 159. Carriage wrappers African antelope outside of waterproof cloth 160. Carriage wrappers North American black bear outside of waterproof cloth 161. Carriage wrappers Foreign and English cat various outside of water proof cloth 162. Carriage wrappers Silver grey English rabbit skin The skins presented by the Duchess of St Albans 163. Cloth travelling bag lined and trimmed bear Official Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue By Great Exhibition, F.L.S. Robert Ellis, Robert Ellis, Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, Great Britain Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, Great Britain

As for travelling in winter time. in sweden (before 1900) it was considered EASIER to travell in wintertime (than in autumn or spring) because it was easier to drive with a sleigh on frozen and snow covered roads and on the frozen lakes. than on muddy bad roads. so many important trasportation took place in wintertime

There is fascinating literature surfacing about 18th/19th century arctic voyages (whaling, discovery & glory, or what-have-you). That would be an interesting and apropos post!