Ann Lethbridge's Blog, page 10

Regency Fashion April 1815

Morning Gown
Ackermann's April 1815

I loved the addition of the parrot to this picture. And the description contains a word that jumped out at me:

A loose robe of fine cambric or worked jaconet muslin, over a petticoat of the same, flounced with French trimming; long full sleeve, confined at the wrist with treble drawings, and ornamented with corresponding trimming. 

The robe, or negligée of demi-length, is confined at the top by a narrow collar, or gathered into a Vandyke ruff, and is worn with a coloured silk handkerchief, tied carelessly round the neck, and is fastened down the front with bows and tassels. 

A mob cap, composed of net and Brussels lace, decorated with a cluster of flowers, and bows of satin ribbon. 

Hair curled in the neck. 

Slippers or sandals of pale tan-coloured kid. Gloves en suite.

Negligée, translated as robe, to me means night attire, as in bedroom attire, so I was interested to see the use of it in this context.  I also really liked the demi-length of it and was interested to see that is described as being over a petticoat, rather than a gown. Definitely something I will want to use in a story.

Talk about using fashion in stories my new release The Duke's Daring Debutante has several gowns inspired by this blog. I will give you a preview next time.









Coming soon and available for preorder, The Duke's Daring Debutante


Until next time .......

Lullworth Castle 5

One of the interesting things about Lullworth is its connection to the Prince of Wales. A slight tenuous it is true.

The Welds, the owners of Lullworth were staunch Roman Catholics and suffered much for their preferred religion, coming under suspicion whenever the issue of Catholicism or when the Stewarts were trying to reclaim the British throne. All Catholics were barred from holding public office.

After a childless first marriage,  Edward Weld's second wife was the beautiful seventeen-year-old Maria Smythe. Regency buffs will know that he died from injuries suffered from fall from his horse one month after his marriage. So very sad.

Maria, and was left destitute, because there was no will - how could her parents not have seen to this I ask myself? She married again - a Mr Fitzherbert.

Yes, she is indeed Maria Fitzherbert, who later illegally married the Prince Regent. Her marriage was never recognized.

And there we have the connection.  I think the Weld family were wrong not to support Edward's widow, don't you?

Until next time.....

Regency Fashion April 1815

What does the Spring of 1815 have in store for us. We know that Napoleon having left Elba has established himself in Paris, but what were the ladies wearing in London


Evening Dress Ackermann's for April 1815

WHITE satin petticoat, richly ornamented at the feet with white satin trimming; a deep flounce of blond lace, gathered full into a narrow heading of corresponding trimming, and tastefully laid on in festoons above the lower border;a body of white satin; plain fronts open to a point in the centre of the waist; the back to correspond, very narrow on the shoulder, and the neck exposed; the body trimmed entirely round the top with a full plaiting of blond lace; short full sleeves, ornamented with satin trimming, corresponding with the bottom of the dress; the waist very short. Hat composed of white satin; narrow turban front, ornamented with a full plume of ostrich feathers. Necklace and cross of satin bead or pearl; ear-drops and armlets to correspond. Grecian scarf, or shawl, a pale buff colour, embroidered with shaded morone silk, in Grecian characters, and fancifully disposed on the figure. Plain silk stockings, with laced clocks. Slippers of buff satin or kid, trimmed with silver. White gloves of French kid, drawn over the elbow. Fan of carved ivory or sandal wood.
This is quite the lovely outfit and very much in what we think of Regency style I think.  This is one of the few times I recall the mention of stockings with clocks, so I thought that was very interesting.

Until next time…..

Lullworth Castle 4

We continue our tour.
 To give you a feel for the house in its grandeaur, here is the door out to the park


This picture shows the grand cantilevered staircase rising to the first floor, built in 1780's and in use during our period of the Regency.
And here it is today.  Gosh, I did so want to explore that arched corridor. Alas, no stairs.

During the Regency, the following events took place at Lullworth.  The owner, Thomas Weld died and his son, also names Thomas, inherited the castle.  He did not live here.

From 1816 to 1826 the castle was let to some illustrious tenants.  The Barings, Robert Peel (of policeforce fame) and the Duke of Gloucester.

During this time Nelson won the battle of Trafalgar and Wellington defeated Napoleon.

There is a gem on this estate that I am keeping as a little secret, until next time.....

Regency Fashion ~ March 1815

 From Ackermann's for March 1815 we have this lovely gown and spencer described as follows:


MORNING DRESS.   
    A petticoat of fine jaconet muslin, ornamented at the feet with a flounce laid on, appliqued with borders of needle-work.

 French spencer, of striped muslin; long loose sleeve, confined at the wrist with a bracelet; high military collar—collar and fronts trimmed with lace; short sash of lilac sarsnet tied in front. 

A melon cap, composed of lace and lilac ribbon, confined in bows upon the crown.

 Half-boots or sandals, lilac kid. Gloves, Limerick or French kid.
   

 For the fashions for this month we are again indebted to the tasteful and elegant designs of Mrs. Bean of Albemarle-street.






I enjoyed the description of the hat as a melon cap, but for a change I quite like it. I would have liked the colour lilac to have showed more in the picture, but I imagine that the lacy ruffles made the gown seem very light and airy and feminine. I had a blouse something like the spencer that I used to wear under a jacket. It was one of my favourites.

Until next time

Lullworth Castle 3

It is always fascinating to poke around in someone's home, even if those people are long gone.  This was the saloon in the Regency. Originally the Great Hall, a place where visitors would have processed through to reach the Great Chamber and the State Apartments on the first floor. (2nd floor in North America).


 This is how it looks now, but we are kindly given a picture of how it looked before the fire.


While not Regency, it is easy to imagine it looking like this in our period. If you have a character living in a house like this remember that this room was also the route to other rooms in the house.



As usual I am fascinated by the other nooks and crannies in these old places.  These stairs obviously originate back the the more castle-like structure of the house.  No doubt the servants route from one place to another.  The picture is grainy because without the use of a flash it was too dark to be seen, so I have brightened it.

And here we have a view of the house as it was in the time of Humphrey Weld who owned the house after the Howards.

Until next time.......

Lullworth Castle 2

Once a country house in a vast estate, Lullworth Castle is now this.



The castle was destroyed by fire in 1929 and is now an empty shell.

One can only imagine the feeling of loss. Certainly I felt sad when I walked into the building.







Still there is quite a bit to see and some information to garner of use in our period, so we will continue our visit next time.....

Regency Fashion March 1815

Walking Dress, Ackermann's March 1815

All set for windy weather, though I do wonder how the bonnet will fare.

Here is the official description, but I do not think this is primrose.

PELISSE of short walking length, made of evening primrose-coloured velvet, ornamented down the front with satin trimming; round capes, trimmed to correspond; full lace ruff. 

A French bonnet, composed of white velvet and satin in reversed plaitings, trimmed round the edge with a quilting of lace; full plume of ostrich feathers in the front. 

Half-boots of tan-coloured kid. Gloves, Limerick or York tan.

I think this is a beautifully elegant coat. Reminds me of a coat I had when the maxi fashion first came out.

Until next time……..

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Until next time.

Regency Fashion February 2015

Evening Dress from Ackermann's Repository February 1815

My first thought when I saw this was "sumptuous".  I love this. I have to use it in a book. This is a very sophisticated dress and the neckline is very daring. It is certainly not the gown for the shy debutante, I am thinking.

Here is the description from the magazine.

Pale pink or primrose-coloured crape petticoat over white satin, ornamented at the feet with a deep border of tull, trimmed with blond lace and pink, or primrose-coloured ribband, festooned and decorated with roses; 

short full sleeve, composed of tull and crape, with a border of French embroidery; and back drawn nearly to a point, corresponding to the cape front of the dress, and trimmed round with blond lace; 

the waist very short, and an easy fullness in the petticoat, carried entirely round.

Necklace and drop of pearl; ear-drops and bracelets to correspond. 

Hair in irregular curls, confined in the Eastern style, and blended with flowers. French scarf, fancifully disposed on the figure. 

Slippers of pink or primrose-coloured kid; gloves to correspond.

For the fashions for this month we are indebted to the tasteful and elegant designs of Mrs. Bean of Albemarle-street.

Until next time…….