Regency Era Fashions
The Regency era refers to a period between 1811 and 1820 in which Prince George IV ruled as Prince Regent during King George III’s mental illness and absence from royal life. However, the fashion of this period can be extended from about 1795 to 1837, later influencing Victorian styles.
This period is defined by its extravagance and how divided the classes were during the Napoleonic Wars and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This period also saw the rise of great literary figures like Jane Austen, who remains extremely relevant today. The “Regency” period was marked by elaborate balls and social etiquette, with the era being coined as the most romantic period in history.
This correlated with an emphasis on and progression of women’s fashions. With trends consistently being modified, and gowns being incredibly well-made. This era was a time of immense growth and general comfort for the aristocracy, which translated to more elaborate and well-made styles coming into fashion.
Towards the beginning of the 19th century, women had begun to abandon heavier styles that had defined previous eras, electing for flowy and lighter fabrics. The skirts that used panniers for their large structure were gone, and so were the rigid corsets made of whalebone. Gowns of the 19th century used lightweight fabrics that exaggerated the natural female figure. This was done in part due to the new skirt of the time, the column skirt. This development contrasted with earlier styles, in which skirts were voluminous and accompanied by elaborate petticoats. The column skirt maintained a straight silhouette from the hips to the ankles.
The straight silhouette was also achieved through the empire waist cut. This cut resulted in the skirt beginning right beneath the underbust.
To achieve the desired “shelf bust,” the chest was pushed upwards with the help of early brassiere prototypes like the divorce corset. The empire waist and vertical emphasis of these new gowns created longer lines designed to make the individual appear taller.
Additionally, the construction and detail of these garments featured delicate fabrics and subtle embellishments like embroidery. This is reminiscent of classical Greek and Roman details like drapery and gold embroidery, which the Regency era took much influence from. Originally, these details referenced their classical influences, which signalled intelligence and refinement. This represented a broader cultural shift towards more “natural” based beauty over the enhanced and extremely structured beauty of the 16th and 17th centuries.