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| Ball Dress February 1814 |
Loretta reports:
1814 puts us square in the official Regency period (1811-1819) when George III was deemed too insane to rule and the Prince of Wales became Prince Regent. Social historians tend to use the term Regency for a much broader period, from about 1800 (sometimes earlier) until 1837 when Victoria became queen.
Interestingly, the style so often associated with the Regency—the simple vertical lines ornamented with designs from Greek, Egyptian, and Etruscan art—have, by about 1814, begun to get a little fussier. By the end of the official Regency, that simple, classical look will have disappeared entirely. In 1814, though, we’re just beginning to see the change. In these two prints, it’s not as obvious as it is in some others. The walking dress especially still expresses the graceful simplicity of earlier years.
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| February 1814 Dress Description |
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| Walking Dress February 1814 |
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4 comments:
That walking dress still looks too damn cold for February!
One wonders why more women didn't freeze to death in the light fabrics of the Regency. Shawls were de rigeur for good reason, and cloaks a necessity, not just a fashion statement. And when damped muslin was the craze, even Napoleon objected. Ladies were dying of pneumonia. The Spencer jacket was a welcome addition, I'm sure. The styles were lovely to look at, but not very warm, even with underpinnings as another layer.
Just watched the BBC "Having a Ball" on Youtube. The discussion of 1813 fashions for men and women is fascinating. Amanda Vickery and Alastair Sooke, are two of my favourite BBC historians/presenters.
Liz, thank you for mentioning the BBC program on YouTube. I finally found a block of time in which to watch it, and it was so interesting to watch the way everything was created--and how much work was involved!
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