Georgette Heyer's Regency World (21 page)

The most important garment in a woman’s wardrobe, the dress had begun to change from the classical, semi-transparent gown of the previous decade as styles gradually turned towards a ‘pseudo-classical’ mode which allowed for shorter skirt lengths and the introduction of gores (triangular pieces of fabric) into the bodice and the skirt. Trains mostly disappeared after 1812 as the slightly wider skirt allowed for increased decoration and, as the period progressed, more and more elaborate trim, in the form of ruffs, tucks, frills, flounces, flowers and beads, was applied to the sleeves, bodices and hems of ladies’ dresses. Dress designs also became more elaborate, with both the cut and trim frequently styled to match a spencer or pelisse, while decorative underskirts, worn under partially open dresses, also began to appear. In
Friday’s Child
, Hero wore an elegant dress of worked French muslin with flounces and tucks which won the envious admiration of her aunt and cousins. Towards the end of the Regency, dresses with separate skirts and bodices began to be seen and, while waists remained high for much of the period, in the later years they began slowly to move lower until, by 1821, they were near their natural level. Dresses were made of a wide variety of fabrics, depending on the season, style and intended use, including muslin, cambric, lawn, jaconet, sarsnet, silk, merino, satin, crepe, gauze, kerseymere and velvet.

The social life of an upper-class Regency woman demanded a large and versatile wardrobe with a dress for every occasion. Between rising and retiring, a fashionable lady with a busy round of social engagements might change her dress three or four times in a day. Even on the quietest day it was expected that all members of an upper-class household would change for dinner—or at least make some alteration to their appearance—something Lady Legerwood in
Cotillion
felt to be obligatory. Ladies’ magazines such as
La Belle Assemblée
or the
Ladies’ Monthly Museum
depicted a wide range of dresses, cloaks, hats and accessories for different activities and times of the day; the differences between a walking dress, promenade dress, afternoon dress or carriage dress were not always obvious, however, as the various lines of demarcation shifted with changing fashions. Certainly the amount of exposed flesh was regulated according to the time of day and custom dictated that a lady cover her arms, neck and bosom in the morning and unveil them only for afternoon or evening wear. There were also subtle distinctions between an evening dress and a ball dress, or between a walking dress and a day dress, and it is likely that knowing the differences was one of the marks of a well-bred woman.

Put on after rising, the morning dress was made to cover the chest, arms and neck, with a close-fitting bodice and flowing skirt short enough for walking but not to reveal the ankle. It was often worn with a close-fitting lace cap. Later in the period morning dresses became less casual and took on the appearance of a day dress which could be worn outside. Nell Cardross in
April Lady
bought a very elegant and expensive morning dress of twilled French silk which could have been worn both indoors and out. For general day wear a round dress or gown was worn, which had no train but consisted of a joined skirt and bodice with the hem sewn all the way around (hence a ‘round’ gown) so as not to reveal any kind of underskirt or petticoat. Either as an informal evening dress or ordinary day dress, a half-dress could be worn consisting of a thigh-length, short-sleeved tunic worn over a round gown and tied across the waist of the dress. A walking dress was one of the most commonly worn costumes and could be either long- or short-sleeved depending on the season, with a slightly shorter hemline for ease of walking. They were often high-necked, or worn with a tucker or fichu, and in the second half of the period were regularly advertised with the model depicted wearing a matching pelisse, spencer or mantle. Patience Chartley in
The Nonesuch
wore her best walking dress of figured muslin (with a double flounce and long sleeves) on an ill-fated shopping trip to Leeds. Similar to the walking dress in style, though often made of richer fabrics and more elegantly trimmed, the carriage or promenade dress was worn to impress while taking the air in an open carriage or going ‘on the promenade’ in Hyde Park or some other fashionable spot. Miss Abigail Wendover in
Black Sheep
wore the latest thing in carriage dresses on her return from London to Bath, and the gown’s rucked sleeves and little winged ruff won instant approval from her sister Selina. The pelisse robe could provide an alternative to the carriage dress and was a style of robe which appeared from 1817, having evolved from the pelisse or close-fitting coat. It was fastened down the front from neck to ankle with concealed hooks and eyes or ribbons.

An afternoon dress was put on in place of the morning dress and worn for making formal calls, shopping, or while engaged in activities at home. An elegant gown with a low-cut bodice and, after 1812, no train, an evening dress could have either short or long sleeves and was trimmed around the hemline, on the sleeves and often across the bodice. In
The Grand Sophy
, the evening gown of pale green crepe which Sophy wore on her first evening at the Rivenhalls’ was richly trimmed with festoons of silk and tied at the waist with a tasselled cord. Usually worn with elbow-length gloves, evening dresses were sometimes draped with an over-tunic or a piece of elegantly ruched fabric and accessorised with a stylish headdress.

The most beautiful of all gowns, the ball dress was made of the finest fabrics and often consisted of a satin slip worn under a delicate over-dress of crepe, net, spider-gauze, or sarsnet. White was popular for debutantes in both the under- and over-dress, but soft colours were also acceptable for either, with pastel shades of pink, lavender or blue much worn, while more striking colours such as jonquil, Pomona green and cerulean blue were mostly worn over white. In
Frederica
, Charis Merriville drew every eye in an exquisite ball gown of ivory satin worn under a three-quarter dress of white sarsnet and adorned with pearl rosettes, while in
The Grand Sophy
, Cecilia Rivenhall was the loveliest damsel at the ball in a dress of white spider-gauze delicately embroidered with silver acorns. Ball dresses could also be delicately embroidered or lavishly trimmed with lace, ruffles, artificial flowers or beads and were nearly always worn with some kind of ornamental headdress.

Although the wide skirts and hoops of the eighteenth century had been banished from everyday life by the French Revolution, the grand fashion of the earlier era persisted in the English Court. Hoops, silk or satin, lace and ostrich feathers continued to be compulsory attire for women at the Court of St James’s until 1820 when the Regent ascended the throne and brought the tradition of eighteenth-century costume to an abrupt halt. The
grande toilette
that was Court dress consisted of a huge hoop under an embroidered petticoat over which could be worn a skirt of satin, lace or net drapery. Dresses were often white and sewn with pearls or beads but colours were also worn. In
A Civil Contract
, Jenny, Lady Lynton, wore violet satin with an amethyst-encrusted crape petticoat to her presentation and was persuaded to dispense with most of her jewels and wear just a delicate diamond necklace, a pair of diamond drop earrings and only two bracelets instead. Ostrich feathers were an important part of Court etiquette and attendance at a Drawing-room required the debutante or newly married woman to wear anywhere from three to eight large upright feathers as a headdress. They were often attached to a tiara or jewelled aigrette and although imposing, coupled with her wide hoop, could make getting in and out of a closed carriage a perilous undertaking.

The riding-habit was specifically designed for horse riding and, in particular, for the side-saddle which was used by all female riders. Based on a man’s eighteenth-century coat, the Regency habit consisted of a close-fitting jacket with long tight-fitting sleeves over the wrist and a very full skirt, sometimes with a train. The overall look of the riding costume was often that of a coat and some were cut with lapels and a high collar, or favoured the more military style, with frogs, epaulettes and braided sleeves. Lady Barbara Childe in
An Infamous Army
wore a severely cut habit of cerulean blue which was, apart from two rows of silver buttons, quite plain. Habits were made of linen, drab broadcloth or other woollen materials.
Tonnish
women often employed a tailor rather than a modiste to make their habits in order to ensure the quality of the cut and fit of what was a more ‘mannish’ costume than was usual for women at the time. The riding-habit was worn with a hat, gloves and boots and a lady usually carried a riding crop as well.

Mourning clothes were worn to mark the death of a relative or member of the royal family. The period varied according to the nature of one’s relationship with the deceased or, in the case of Court mourning, the individual’s social standing. Women were expected to wear black for the entire period of full mourning and grey, lilac, or black with white relief for half mourning, and they usually continued to wear black gloves when out socially. Mourning clothes were often specially made using black cotton, calico or bombazine, while traditional black crape was used for veils or to trim hats. Court mourning was ordered by the Lord Chamberlain on the death of a member of the royal family and was observed over three stages, with each stage marked by an alteration in dress style and fabrics. When Queen Charlotte died, Mrs Hendred in
Venetia
advised her niece to wear a high-necked gown rather than one cut low across the bosom, as well as the requisite black ribbons and gloves. Although colours and accessories were gradually introduced, at all times mourning clothes were expected to be quiet and unobtrusive with nothing shining or gleaming on them to draw the eye.