Fashion - Vanessa Riley's Regency Reflections

Category: Fashion

26
Aug
2024

Regency Best Dressed List ~ What would you wear?

Kristi here. It’s no secret that part of the Regency era’s appeal is the clothes. Fancy and glamorous, yet relatable with it’s lack of hoop skirts and horse hair bustles. I’m going to the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference in September and one of the events is a dinner where everyone is invited to dress up as one of their characters.

I don’t have a Regency era dress. I’m seriously considering making one (with the help of my considerably more sewing skilled mother). If I do it will probably be a fairly simple cotton one, not a fancy ballgown. But if I were to dream, what kind of Regency dress would I want?

First off, it would definitely be an evening dress. The ruffles around the neck and face that often accompany morning dresses would drive me insane.

Second, I’d want some color. I have no desire to look like a ghost walking around in an all white gown. I’d stay away from the lavenders and purples, since those indicated a state of half-mourning. Red would be a bit garish, though the Hubs always likes me in it. I think I’d lean to the blues or greens. I see more blue in Ackerman’s prints than green, so we’ll go with blue.

GauzyEveningDress I think my favorite would be something like this, but with a blue underskirt instead of the pink.

And guess what? I could actually order a reproduction dress very similar to it… though of course it’s rather expensive. It’s gorgeous though, isn’t it?

PlaidEveningGown Of course, this was all dreamed up before I came across this beauty. One day I’m going to have to write a heroine with the gumption to walk into a ball wearing a plaid evening gown. That is just amazing.

What about you? Do you have a dream Regency outfit?

Originally posted 2014-07-31 10:00:00.

20
Aug
2024

Men’s Regency Hair Styles, by Susan Karsten

categories: Fashion, Hairstyles, History

Hi, Susan Karsten here!

Grecian influence held sway over the men’s hairstyles (as it did for women as well). Short hair prevailed for men during the Regency. Many wore their hair natural, parts were not popular. But the fashionable set wore one of the following hairstyles.

Windswept:

Brutus: As popularized by Beau Brummel

Titus:

Coup au Vent: This modern hairdresser is doing a style that is very close to what my research describes!

Cherubin:

Which one’s your favorite? Are they what you’d imagined?

Originally posted 2014-06-19 10:00:00.

18
Aug
2024

Knitting a Victorian shawl

categories: Fashion, Free Book, History, New Release

Hi guys, Camy here!

My mom taught me basic knitting when I was young, but then I forgot it all as an adult. I wanted to knit again, so I learned from online videos (so awesome! I can hit repeat over and over).

One thing that has fascinated me since I started knitting has been historical knitting patterns. One book I love is Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. There are tons of lacy shawl patterns to knit and they’re all gorgeous. They range from easy to difficult.

I love knitting these patterns because they make me feel like a woman in those times, knitting delicate shawls for an evening by the fire or for a day out in London.

This shawl is called “Large Rectangle with Center Diamond Pattern” in the book. It’s actually a combination of two knitting patterns:

“Close Diamond, Surrounded by Open Stitch” from The Lady’s Assistant by Jane Gaugain, volume 1, edition published in 1847

And

“Vandyke Border” from My Knitting Book by Frances Lambert, first edition published in 1843.

I’ve included links above to the digitized versions of these books, which you can download for free! The books themselves are fascinating, because the patterns and the items women could make represented the industrious needlework of women in the early 1800s. In addition to shawls, women could make mittens, caps, purses, stockings, ruffs, counterpanes, even garters!

For you crocheters, Jane Gaugin’s book also includes crochet patterns, although they’re not very detailed. The book also includes netting patterns.

The shawl I made looks like a complicated pattern, but it’s actually very easy. The center portion repeats the same diamond motif over and over again, and the edging is knitted on, also in a repeating pattern that’s easy to memorize.

I used a lace weight yarn, which is a wool yarn that is very thin, almost like crochet cotton, but it’s very light and lofty. I also used a pretty large needle size for the yarn, so the holes are larger and the lace pattern shows up better.

After knitting, I blocked it, which is basically just dampening it and then pinning it out on my bed to dry, stretching it a little so the lace pattern opens up. Once dry, it stays opened up.

Can you imagine a young Victorian lady throwing this shawl about her shoulders as she heads out for a carriage ride at the park? Or perhaps tucking it about her bodice for modesty as she receives morning callers?

In Victorian Lace Today, Sowerby writes: “Not only did a shawl provide warmth, it was a modest cover-up for décolleté dresses. Mrs. Gaugain (the author of the first knitting pattern I linked to above) suggested that a shawl should be ‘for throwing over the shoulders indoors, or for very young ladies wearing out-of-doors.’”

If any of you are knitters and you haven’t tried lace knitting yet, I encourage you to try it! The first several patterns in this book are super easy, and you can feel you’re a Victorian lady knitting a shawl for an evening out. 🙂 If you’re on Ravelry, here’s the link to my knitting notes.

To celebrate the release of my first Regency romance in August, I’m busy knitting away so that I can offer some Victorian lace shawls in a few giveaways I’ve planned! I’ll be giving away several gift baskets with shawls, a violin ornament, and some Jane Austen tea. 🙂 I hope you all will preorder Prelude for a Lord!

Originally posted 2014-06-05 05:00:51.

14
Aug
2024

From Ackerman’s to Almack’s ~ Dressmaking in Regency England

categories: Fashion

Much is made of the fashion trends and inspirations of the early 19th century, but have you ever considered what it took to turn those gorgeous Ackerman’s drawings into actual gowns?

With no sewing machine, no electricity for decent lighting, and no ready-to-wear size guide, creating clothing for the masses was no small feat.

Those of lesser means had to find time to make their own clothing, which meant they often had limited wardrobes and much plainer pieces. Those who could afford to purchase their clothes couldn’t just stroll down to Bond Street and come home with a new look. Purchasing a dress took time.

Selecting the Materials

Fabrics, trimmings, and matching accessories were not all to be found under one roof. While a dressmaker might have a selection of ribbons and beads to add to the piece, the cloth itself came from the linen-draper.

Since fabric making was one of the first industrialized products, inventory at these large establishments could be massive indeed. If a person were particularly indecisive, they could spend hours, if not days perusing the options.

Buttons, ribbons, and other embellishments could be had from the haberdasher.

Selecting the Design

Once at the dressmaker’s, it was time to scour the Ackerman’s drawings and determine the dress you wanted. Some dressmaker’s were also designers and could create unique pieces, but most were altering the drawn designs to best compliment their customer’s figures. Because all pieces were custom made, flattering a person’s individual figure was crucial.

Adorning from Head to Toe

Once the outfit was done, there was still the matter of accessories. Hats were purchased from the milliner. Stockings could be had from the hosiers. For the affluent, even their shoes were custom made. Custom boots were particularly valued amongst men, as they would hold up considerably longer than a lady’s fragile dancing slipper.

Some stores, particularly in less populated areas, would carry a variety of accessories from muffs and bonnets to slippers and reticules, possibly even fabric and ribbons. In the large city, shops could afford to be more specialized.

With all these stops and shops, it’s no surprise that a woman could spend an entire day or possibly even a week selecting a new look. Imagine the time and effort it took to select a new wardrobe, particularly for the upper classes that could wear upwards of four outfits in a single day.

What do you think? Would you like to go through all those steps instead of driving to your local Kohl’s?

Originally posted 2014-05-08 05:00:10.

06
Aug
2024

The Eye of the Beholder: Standards of Regency Beauty

categories: Fashion, History

Kristi here. In a recent fit of nostalgia, I’ve been watching some of my favorite shows from the eighties on Netflix. Aside from the huge difference in sound and film quality and the stiltedness of some of the acting, I was struck by the vast gulf that existed between what was considered beautiful then, and what it is now.

The fashioning of hair and clothes are obviously different – high-waisted jumpsuit with enormous shoudlerpad,s anyone? – but as I put on my analytical thinking cap, I saw it went deeper. The size and shape of the bodies and even the eyebrows is different.

If standards of beauty can change that much in thirty years, imagine how they could have altered in 200 years. What was considered beautiful in the Regency era?

Pale Skin

Pale skin was considered a sign of wealth as it meant you didn’t have to work outside. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s tan is remarked upon when she travels to Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle. Caroline attempts to use Elizabeth’s darkened skin to diminish Darcy’s attraction.

Curves

The Regency ideal was a good deal plumper than today’s standard of beauty. Paintings and poetry from the day show an affection for plumper backsides and dimpled thighs. Again this was a sign of wealth. The plumper people didn’t have to work psychically and they had plenty to eat.

The appealing curves extended to the facial regions as well, with rounded, young looking faces reigning the day instead of the cut cheekbones of modern times.

1817 fashion plate — Notice the ruffles, embroidery, and sheer sleeves of this 1817 gown.

Delicate Clothing

Light colors, embroidery, and nearly translucent fabrics were the epitome of fashion. Yards of ruffles and ropes of jewels were the epitome of beautiful. The glittery adornments and delicate clothing were, once again, signs of wealth.

The more delicate appearance also extended to the hair, with wigs and enormous headpieces falling out of fashion, curls, feathers, and natural hair were prized. This signified that not only could your delicate hairdo withstand your lifestyle, but that you were healthy, as wigs had become popular in an attempt to disguise illness induced hair loss.

Shoes were also delicate, especially evening shoes. Men were known to still wear the occasional heel on a night out and more than one woman packed an extra set of dancing slippers in her reticule.

Beauty trends of the Regency era were obviously tied to what the wealthy could attain. Do you think that holds true today? Do you think the working classes of the Regency had the same opinions of beauty as the upper classes did?

Originally posted 2014-03-13 10:00:00.

04
Aug
2024

More Caricatures from the Regency Era

categories: entertainment, Fashion, Flashback, Government, Uncategorized

In November, we looked at James Gillray and some of his more famous caricatures from the Regency Era. Today I wanted to introduce another caricaturist and illustrator, George Cruikshank. George was the son of caricaturist, Isaac Cruikshank (a contemporary of Gillray’s), and apprenticed with his father at an early age. After spending a decade or so making caricatures, George then turned his attentions to book illustrations. The most notable of his illustrations are those he did in the 1830s for his friend, Charles Dickens.

Cruikshank British_valour — From 1813, this mocks American boasting in the face of the British Navy.

This mocks some of the rather impractical fashions of 1818.

This mocks servants trying to act as their masters in the kitchen.

This is one of Cruikshank's numerous illustrations for Oliver Twist. — This is one of Cruikshank’s numerous illustrations for *Oliver Twist*.

Do you like any of these caricatures and illustrations? Do you prefer the ones that satirize regular life or politics? Why?

Originally posted 2014-02-27 10:00:53.

01
Aug
2024

The Parasol, a Necessary Regency Accessory, by Susan Karsten

categories: A Day in the Life, entertainment, Fashion, History, Regency accessories, Uncategorized

Parasols were introduced to England from China. The earliest ones were silk and often shaped like a pagoda.

This elegant accessory was mainly to shade a lady’s delicate, fair complexion. Jaunts through warehouses for accessories would have included buying parasols to match particular outfits.

The frames were bamboo, cane, or steel. Funny for us 20th-21st century ladies to realize that suntans were extremely unfashionable until the 1920s, when Coco Chanel helped to popularize the suntan. Prior to that, only women who had to labor outdoors were tan. After the 20s, chic, wealthy women were outdoors because they alone had the leisure time for outdoor games like tennis and golf.

Wear your sunscreen, ladies!

Originally posted 2014-02-10 10:00:00.

11
Jun
2024

Hats off to the Races: Derby Fashion (and Giveaway Winner!)

categories: entertainment, Fashion, Horse Racing

Finish of the Epsom Derby, 1822. (Painting by James Pollard. Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The past weekend marked the opening ceremonies of the annual Kentucky Derby Festival in our fair city. It’s two weeks of celebration from the inaugural event (Thunder Over Louisville, the largest annual fireworks show in the country), including the Pegasus Parade, Great Balloon Race and the many parties leading up to the main event that draw celebrities from across the globe. The festival culminates in the Kentucky Derby (also known as the Run for the Roses), which has long been a traditional celebration of elegance and grandeur for horse racing’s elite.

This year will usher in a new tradition for me personally, as I will attend my first official Derby event at historic Churchill Downs, complete with a British-inspired ensemble and the all important Derby hat. (The Derby outfit, ladies, is quite an important part of the experience!) And though the world now recognizes the Derby hat as a tradition associated with Kentucky’s first Saturday in May, the upscale fashion at the race actually finds its roots in – you guessed it – Regency England.

In the Regency, horse racing was known as the sport of kings – and for good reason. Like the meets at Ascot, Doncaster, Heath, and Newmarket, the Epsom Derby became an affair that in many ways, was restricted to England’s elite. The Regency woman, always fashionable, would plan her ensemble months in advance of a yearly race. Dresses were specifically tailored and could be imported from Paris, Milan and Rome, just for the event. The extravagance of the hats too, were an important aspect of the overall attire. [For a complete look-book of spring Regency attire, including bonnets and hats, click here.]

In the late nineteenth century, businessman Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. (founding father of the Kentucky Derby and the grandson of William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame) sought to raise the standard of horse racing in the United States. Upon traveling to London to attend the famed Epsom Derby (with local roots dating as far back as 1618, but its first Oaks Stakes race in 1779), Clark determined that a similar event could be christened along the banks of the Ohio River. He envisioned for the Louisville Jockey Club “…a racing environment that would feel comfortable and luxurious, an event that would remind people of European horse racing.” [Read more at Derbymuseum.org and in Never Say Die: A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry on Google Books. The historical ties to England are fascinating!]

At the time of the first Kentucky Derby on May 17, 1875, horse racing needed a serious image boost. Drinking and gambling were practices that worked to keep women and children away from the track in droves. Without the family atmosphere, Clark knew the business venture was sure to fail. He sought an avenue to make racing something of an elegant event like he’d witnessed at Epsom Downs. What would be key in the pursuit for families to attend the races? Get women to the track. And how to do it? Easy – do it with fashion. He solicited help from the women of Louisville’s elite to go door-to-door and promote the Derby picnic as a fashionable affair.

“Women coordinated their hats, dresses, bags, their shoes and their parasols,” said Ellen Goldstein, a professor at the Fashion Institute of New York. “To go to a horse racing event was really a regal affair. It was just as important as going to a cocktail party, or a ball.”

[Read more in A Brief History of the Derby Hat – link]

Today, the modern Derby fashionista can spend an average $100 to more than $2000 dollars on her Derby hat. (I can assure you the Derby attire of this mother of three will be on one end of the scale. Just for fun, I’ll let you guess which one!) But when each woman steps through the gates to show off her headpiece at the races, she’ll inevitably display a tradition that is decidedly Regency in tone. For if it not for the strong tradition of fashion established once upon a time at Epsom, would we have “the greatest two minutes in sports” as we know it today?

For a little instruction on the “how-to” of hats, here’s how the Royals do a smashing job at Epsom [click here]. And for those of us heading to the Kentucky Derby, some competition you might encounter in the hat department [click here].

Have you been to the races? Which Derby fashion was your favorite?

___________________________________________________________

~ GIVEAWAY WINNER ~

Thanks to all for catching up with author Sarah Ladd and celebrating the launch of her book with us – The Heiress of Winterwood. We are pleased to announce that the winner of last week’s giveaway (the signed book from Sarah) is:

Angela Holland

Congratulations Angela! To claim your amazing book, please send an email to: cambron_k@yahoo.com

In His Love,

~ Kristy

Originally posted 2013-04-22 10:00:00.

09
Jun
2024

The Shawl: A Regency Fashion Essential, by Susan Karsten

categories: Fashion, Regency accessories

Either utilitarian or elegant, the shawl joins the pelisse and spencer as a main regency outerwear option. Over an evening dress, draped artistically, the shawl appeared as an ornament. At home or when not on display, however, they would be used to cover the shoulders and upper body to provide warmth.

The shawls came either rectangular or square and some were over six feet long.
Cashmere shawls imported from Kashmir in the Himalayas were warm, beautiful and popular. Also popular was the English Norwich silk shawl which cost 60 pounds and was one yard square. It’s clear the shawl was a fashion essential during the regency, particularly as the dresses tended to be scanty.

Originally posted 2013-04-15 10:00:00.

05
Jun
2024

Contest Winner and A Peek at the Handmade Dress on the Cover of Moonlight Masquerade

categories: Contests, Fashion, Uncategorized

We have a winner!

The winner of our Moonlight Masquerade contest for a $25 Amazon gift card is:

Melissa!

Who correctly answered last Friday’s question about where Napoleon escaped from in 1815.

If you’re wondering whether you answered your questions correctly, we have the answers for all four questions at the bottom of the post. But first, we want to give you a peek at the dress that appears on the cover of Moonlight Masquerade. Did you know it was handmade as a homage to the 1820’s? This petticoated Regency dress was made by Patricia Franco, who wrote a little snippet about the dress for us to share with you:

The cover of the book, Moonlight Masquerade, is much more than a collection of words on a blank page. A photographer and designer play a pivotal role in bringing a book to the public’s attention. For Moonlight Masquerade, photographer and designer Brandon Hill brandonhillphotos and the team at Revell Books wanted something richer, something that gave a sense of the era and conveyed an emotion. He found the right place, and the right model, but jeans wouldn’t do. A quick search through Etsy found a sweeping, blue satin dress – made by Patricia Francisco of Patrician Designs. Nice find!

The dress you see is handmade, true to the period, complete with petticoats and custom fabric trim. This isn’t some Butterick or Simplicity pattern. It is a lot of custom work. Whew! It’s a work/art/passion and the kind of work that keeps Patrician Designs busy.

Of course, let’s be real. Truly in period would be hand-stitched by the light of an oil lamp using fabric that somehow survived a couple of centuries. Welcome to the new millennium. Sewing machines and electric lights were involved in the production of this gown.

The dress was a project encouraged by a Victorian reenactment group, back before Patrician Designs was dreamed up. The basic dress probably didn’t take as long as the trim or the petticoats. The trim was cloth not even intended as trim, but the pattern and texture were just right for the band at the high waist and down the front. The petticoats, which are hard to see, took just as much time, especially fitting the petticoats to the dress. All of the layers must hang and flow together. Imagine going for a walk in this dress, maybe even dancing. It is what they did in the regency era.

It is a joy to see the dress on the cover, and to have a copy of the book (which will be treated tenderly, no broken spine!) If you want to see more such work, including other eras (even steampunk) go to the same site used by the book cover designers . Enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PatricianDesignsEtc

www.whidbeysewing.com

www.facebook.com/whidbeysewing

Thank you for sharing with us, Patricia. The dress is absolutely stunning! (Though I must admit, anything that involves a sewing machine often has me running for the other room.) The last time I attempted to sew something, I spent 45 minutes trying to get the bobbin to wind. At that point, I gave up and decided it would be easier for me to just pay someone else to do my sewing. You have a really remarkable talent!

And now for the answers to our quiz questions from last week:

1) The summer of 1814 was known as the victory summer in Britain because the war with France was over. But in 1815 they were mobilizing troops once again. Why?

a) Napoleon had escaped from Elba.
b) Napoleon had allied himself with Russia.
c) Napoleon had escaped from St. Helena.
d) Napoleon had escaped to America.

Answer.: a) Napoleon had escaped from Elba. He had been put on an island off the coast of Italy by the British and other Allied governments but escaped in a ship with 1000 men and landed at Antibes in Southern France.

2) Which allied armies fought the French in the battle of Waterloo?

a) British, German, Russian
b) British, Austrian, Prussian
c) British, Russian, Prussian
d) British, Dutch, Prussian

Answer.: d) The Duke of Wellington led the British forces alongside the young Prince of Orange who commanded the Dutch troops. They were joined by the Prussian troops led by von Blücher who arrived from the east.

3) The hero in Moonlight Masquerade is lent to the Home Office from his job at the Foreign Office, in order to spy on Lady Céline Wexham. Céline was born in France but spent her adult life in England when her mother and she escaped France during the French Revolution. What were these French living in England called?

a) foreigners
b) émigrés
c) francais
d) frogs

Answer: b) émigrés, a French word for emigrant, was used by the British aristocracy and gentry, who were conversant in French, to describe all the arriving French aristocrats fleeing the Reign of Terror.

4) The title of Moonlight Masquerade refers to a masked ball. Which of the following costume would not be a typical one at a regency bal masqué?

a) shepherdess
b) pirate
c) hula girl
d) Harlequin

Answer: c) hula girl, which is a Hawaiian dancer. Europeans were not very familiar with Hawaii in the Regency period. The islands had only been discovered by Capt. Cook in 1778, and the only people traveling there were military advisers and merchant ships.

5) Who was made the leader of France after Napoleon abdicated?

a) Louis XVI
b) Louis XVII
c) Louis XVIII
d) Charles X

Answer: c) Louis XVIII, formerly the Comte de Provence, a younger brother of Louis XVI, who was beheaded during the French Revolution. His son, who would have been Louis XVII died from sickness at the age of ten while in prison. Charles X, a younger brother of Louis XVI & Louis XVIII, reigned as king after his brother Louis XVIII died.

Thank you for everyone who participated in our contest. It was lovely to read your answers and get to interact with you, and we really appreciate your enthusiasm over the release of Moonlight Masquerade! Next month we have two more books releasing, and we look forward to telling you more about each of those!

Originally posted 2013-03-25 10:00:00.