Naomi I am familiar with the word spencer from Jane Austen. I found this English source
"Outerwear garments included the spencer, a long-sleeved jacket that extended only to the raised waistline. Worn by both men and women, it was named for the 2nd Earl Spencer, who, according to one version of the story, cut off the coattails of his jacket after
wagering that he could invent a new fashion."
German Wikipedia says
Als Spenzer wird eine eng anliegende, kurze Jacke bezeichnet. Die Bezeichnung soll auf den Erfinder, George John
Spencer, 2. Earl Spencer, zurückgehen.
Debbie
