The demise of the peacock?

Loretta reports:

Funny how fashion changes. My new story required my moving out of the Regency into that no man’s land between 1820--when the Regent became King George IV--and 1837, when Victoria donned her crown and launched the Victorian era. I’m in late 1831, to be precise.

In the course of researching fashion, I noticed that while men’s dress remained relatively simple and form-fitting, women’s dress went berserk.

Here are some gentlemen of 1831, the time of my story. Notice how the man in front doesn’t look all that different from the man in the caricature or the picture of Brummell in my previous blog. 1831 guy is showing more chest, but that’s partly the need of the fashion plate to show details. Generally, though he hasn’t grown much fancier in 25 years, and he’s still showing off his figure.

Now check out some ladies of 1831.

I can’t help thinking that Brummell killed the male peacock. Is that something to regret?