Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Regency Fashion

What is the Regency without its fashion, the lure of the long gown and guys in really tight pants. OK so my age is showing – I loved the tight jeans of the last century, (yep that’s right the 20th century). But have you seen the latest magazines. Riding clothes are in. Breeches, and boots and yes. . . yes. . . cravats. All right. I will put my tongue back now. Besides dh and breeches — boggles the imagination.

This is 1806. The Regency is interesting. It is when you think about it far more modern looking than the Victorian Era. Take a look at the first two pictures. Christmas 1806 and the Christmas 1860. I think we see gowns like those of 1806 today or at least one can imagine wearing something like that, igoring the hat or head coverings.
And this is 1860. No one is wearing the other stuff. Not even close. I hope. I don't actually think they ever will again, do you?






I know, I know. The real regency did not start until 1811 when Prinny, the Prince of Wales, became Regent by law, because daddy the king was thought to be mad, but everyone knows that his era started a whole lot earlier than that. We can call it the long Regency if you prefer.

Obviously, I am not going to give you a blow by blow fashion workshop here. But I thought the above comparison quite interesting. So I will do a couple of examples of men and women at the beginning and later in the regency. I am picking my favorites.

However if you have specific questions you can ask me. If I don’t know the answer I can always find out. I have my sources. Bwahahahaa. I just had to do that. I see people doing it all the time. But where else can you put that except on your blog.

Let us start with the Glam. Ball Gowns

The first is from 1810. Talk about nymphs and shephers dahling. I actually love this dress. So pretty. And look at the detail, the hand-made roses and the festoon. That's the pink draping just up from the hem.
I have thrown in a court dress for 1810 just for the hell of it.
This is what you have to wear when you go to the Queen’s drawing room to be introduced, if you are a noblewoman in her comeout season. All those hoops and feathers. The court was so slow to change fashions and of course the ladies were not used to walking in those hoops (at least the younger ladies) after their skimpy little gowns

And the third one is an evening dress from 1818. This is a net overdress over a white silk or satin. Notice how short it is, and how high the waist under the bust, but the hemline has already started to bell out.

and the fourth from 1821. A little different from the one above, the waist not as high, the hem longer and the skirt wider. We are moving towards that 1860 picture at the top.


Nuts. I had picked out like five more pictures, but look how long this post is already. I was having so much fun too.

Next time, I will do some men's outfits and then we will take look at what ladies wore for every day.

Happy rambles until next Monday.

2 comments:

  1. What? You're holding back pictures on us? Why you...

    ReplyDelete
  2. lol Kimber.
    Monday, I promise. I just didn't want to bore you.

    ReplyDelete