FASHION FOR WOMEN & MEN IN REGENCY BY LIONTOU E

1. FASHION FOR WOMEN AND MEN IN REGENCY
ΛΙΟΝΤΟΥ ΕΥΣΤΑΘΙΑ Α΄2
References:Wikipedia, google

2. The Regency era of British history is commonly described
as the years between c. 1795 and 1837, although the
official regency for which it is named only spanned the
years 1811 to 1820
ABOUT
REGENCY:

3. WOMANS FASHION IN
REGENCY
The most prominent fashion trend of the day,
Regency style empire line dresses were high-
waisted, with a raised waistline just below the
bust. This style accentuated the natural body
shape and allowed for freedom of movement.
Delicate fabrics such as muslin and silk were
favored. For women's dress, the day-to-day
outfit of the skirt and jacket style were practical
and tactful, recalling the working-class woman.
Women's fashions followed classical ideals, and
stiffly boned stays were abandoned in favor of
softer, less boned corsets. This natural figure
was emphasized by being able to see the body
beneath the clothing. Visible breasts were part
of this classical look, and some characterized
the breasts in fashion as solely aesthetic.

4. DAY DRESS
Many fashion prints of the Regency period are
labeled “Morning Dress.” This does not designate a
specific type of dress. The “morning” label designates
nothing more than the time of day the ensemble was
worn. There are basically two types of morning dress:
those worn indoors and those worn outdoors. A
handful of fashion prints in my collection are
specifically labeled “Indoor Morning Dress,” while a
great many are labeled “Morning Walking Dress,” ie
an outdoor ensemble. Indoor morning dresses are
almost always white, relatively simple, and a bit more
loose-fitting than other dresses. They would be worn
in the privacy of one’s home, while having breakfast
or writing letters, or other such domestic activities.
Most prints of indoor morning dress show women
seated and doing something, such as drinking tea,
reading a book, drawing, writing, or sewing.

5. Mourning dresses were worn to show the
mourning of a loved one. They were high-
necked and long-sleeved, covering throat
and wrists, generally plain and black, and
devoid of decoration. Gowns (now
restricted to formal occasions) were often
extravagantly trimmed and decorated with
lace, ribbons, and netting. They were cut
low and sported short sleeves, baring
bosoms. Bared arms were covered by long
white gloves. Our Lady of Distinction ,
however, cautions young women from
displaying their bosoms beyond the
boundaries of decency, saying, "The
bosom and shoulders of a very young and
fair girl may be displayed without exciting
much displeasure or disgust."

6. MENS CLOTHES IN REGENCY
This period saw the final abandonment of lace, embroidery,
and other embellishments from serious men's clothing
outside of formalized court dress—it would not reappear
except as an affectation of Aesthetic dress in the 1880s and
its successor, the "Young Edwardian" look of the 1960s.
Instead, cut and tailoring became much more important as an
indicator of quality.[18] This transformation can be attributed
in part to an increased interest in antiquity stemming from
the discovery of classical engravings, including the Elgin
Marbles. The figures depicted in classical art were viewed as
an exemplar of the ideal natural form, and an embodiment of
Neoclassical ideas. The style in London for men became more
and more refined and this was due to the influence of two
things: the dandy and the romantic movement. The dandy (a
man who placed high importance on personal aesthetics and
hobbies but wanted to seem totally nonchalant about it)
arguably emerged as early as the 1790s.

7. Dark colors were all but mandatory. (Dark doesn't
necessarily mean dreary though; many items,
particularly vests and coats were cut from rich,
vivid fabrics.) Blue tailcoats with gold buttons
were everywhere. White muslin shirts
(sometimes with ruffles on the neck/sleeves)
were extremely popular. Breeches were officially
on their way out, with pants/trousers taking their
place. Fabrics in general were becoming more
practical silk and more wool, cotton, and
buckskin. Therefore, in the 18th century, the
dress was simplified and greater emphasis was
put on tailoring to enhance the natural form of
the body.
This was also the period of the rise of hair wax for
styling men's hair, as well as mutton chops as a
style of facial hair.

8. Breeches became longer—tightly fitted leather riding breeches
reached almost to the boot tops—and were replaced by pantaloons
or trousers for fashionable streetwear. The French Revolution is
largely responsible for altering the standard male dress. During the
revolution, clothing symbolized the division between the upper
classes and the working-class revolutionaries. French rebels earned
the nickname sans-culottes, or "the people without breeches,"
because of the loose floppy trousers they popularized.
Coats were cutaway in front with long skirts or tails behind,
and had tall standing collars. Lapels were not as large as they
had been in years before and often featured an M-shaped
notch unique to the period.[1

9. Waistcoats were high-waisted, and squared off at the bottom, but came in a
broad variety of styles. They were often double-breasted, with wide lapels
and stand collars. Around 1805 large lapels that overlapped those of the
jacket began to fall out of fashion, as did the 18th-century tradition of
wearing the coat unbuttoned, and gradually waistcoats became less visible.
Shortly before this time waistcoats were commonly vertically striped but by
1810 plain white waistcoats were increasingly fashionable, as did
horizontally striped waistcoats. High-collared waistcoats were fashionable
until 1815, then collars were gradually lowered as the shawl collar came into
use toward the end of this period.
Overcoats or greatcoats were fashionable, often with contrasting collars of
fur or velvet. The garrick, sometimes called a coachman's coat, was a
particularly popular style, and had between three and five short caplets
attached to the collar.