Saturday, August 15, 2009

The demise of the peacock?

Saturday, August 15, 2009
1814 Lodgings to let-w 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.

1831 Dandies-w 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.

1831-October-02 Now check out some ladies of 1831.

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

3 comments:

Vanessa Kelly said...

Loretta, I always loved Dain's description of Jessica's demented clothing in LOS. So funny from the male point of view!

I, for one, am happy that the Beau killed the peacock.

Monica Burns said...

I LOVE this post. I agree that fashion for women was all over this place. Personally, I've always been a fan of the bustle. I've NO idea how easy it might have been to wear, but it sure looks lovely when I look at it. Women always looked like figureheads on a ship.

And I think there's nothing finer than a man in snug breeches. It's just downright sexy.

Great POST and looking forward to more in the future. It's now in my Google Reader!

Loretta Chase said...

Vanessa, I saw some wonderful examples of the kinds of things Jess would wear in the film, The Horseman on the Roof. The movie is a romance (very romantic, IMO) but it does deal with the cholera epidemic, so it does have some grim aspects, not for the very squeamish. I'm pretty squeamish, but I still loved it. Truly romantic movies are so hard to find.

Monica, I'm with you on the bustles. I think they are incredibly sexy.

Susan, I think we need to share some of our Booty pix with the readers before too long.

 
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