How is everyone enjoying Costume Theatre? (Haven’t got a copy yet? Get yours now, free from the App Store.)
After spending so much time working with Regency clothing (where, naturally, “work” entails watching BBC period dramas), Samantha started thinking about the pros and cons of wearing such attire. So she gave us these two questions to answer:
- What do you find most appealing about Regency fashion?
- What might deter you from Regency clothing?
And here are our responses, in words, images, and a combination of both!
Jenny
Melody
What do you find most appealing about Regency fashion?
I coo over the men’s dress: The sporty riding look with tousled windblown hair.
What might deter you from Regency clothing?
Mixed feelings on muslin. Draped lightly over a natural figure, a muslin dress sounds both elegant and comfortable but all those layers of delicate white gauze must be a pain to clean! Being hopelessly accident prone, any muslin gown of mine would not likely survive its first tea sitting.
Samantha
What do you find most appealing about Regency fashion?
Cravats. The very idea of delicate fingers running over an immaculately tied neckband, playing with the knot before loosening the fabric to reveal, little by little, the soft skin beneath, the pulse that quickens, the heat of a gentleman’s breath upon a lady’s fingers…is an appealing notion, indeed.
What might deter you from Regency clothing?
As much as I love the look and feel of gloves, navigating the world while wearing them would be a real bother: I’d get them extremely dirty, but be forever fumbling with them during meals and while playing the piano. Of course, the act of removing gloves—before one begins to work on cravats—is another matter entirely…
And what do you think? What exactly do you like/dislike about the Regency wardrobe? Let us know in the comments!
“Dresses give you a figure of none and look like rectangles” made me laugh hard. (But but ballgowns are gorgeous!) YES to everything about gentlemen fashion. Suits/tuxedos are great, but it was SO much better in the Regency, in my opinion. And I agree with Samantha – the navigation in Regency attire had to be a pain.