If you've been here through this whole series , I hope you've been enjoying the look into my life as a writer and the effort that goes into the research process. As I mentioned before, I learn about way more things through my research than I'm able to put in my writing. There just isn't enough room to put it all in, but it does influence what I'm writing. I think any research I do as a writer, if not used in this novel, may be used in another and isn't a vain effort.
Let's Talk Style
"This era is defined as late Baroque/Rococo style. The new fashion trends introduced during this era had a greater impact on society, affecting not only royalty and aristocrats, but also middle and even lower classes. Clothing during this time can be characterized by soft pastels, light, airy, and asymmetrical designs, and playful styles. Wigs remained essential for men and women of substance, and were often white; natural hair was powdered to achieve the fashionable look.
Distinction was made in this period between full dress worn at court and for formal occasions, and undress or everyday, daytime clothes. As the decades progressed, fewer and fewer occasions called for full dress, which had all but disappeared by the end of the century.
Fashion designers became more recognizable during this period, as men and women were eager to be dressed in the latest trends and styles. Fashion magazines emerged during this era, originally aimed at intelligent readers, but quickly capturing the attention of lower classes with their colorful illustrations and up-to-date fashion news."
"During this period, a new silhouette for women was developing. Panniers, or wide hoops worn under the skirt that extended sideways, became a staple. Extremely wide panniers were worn to formal occasions, while smaller ones were worn in everyday settings. Waists were tightly constricted by corsets, provided contrasts to the wide skirts. Plunging necklines also became common. Skirts usually opened at the front, displaying an underskirt or petticoat."
"Aristocratic women's fashions of the 18th century were greatly influenced by the Rococo mentality. While Baroque clothing had been stiff and formal, Rococo women began adapting looser dresses and skirts. Since so much of aristocratic life now centered on private estates rather than the formal court, women began publically wearing the sort of clothes that had previously only been worn in private."
As with anything in life, people can take an idea and run with it to the extreme. The above two dresses are a good example of that. They took two dresses that could have been beautiful and turned them into a ridiculous extreme of a fashion idea.
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| The above three pictures, show a more reasonable use of the Baroque/Rococo styles. |
Middle and Lower Class Style
There are things that the middle and lower classes of the Georgian Era would have been hard pressed to do when it came to wearing the styles of the day. They would have been more limited in what fabrics they could afford. They wouldn't have the help of a lady's maid and they would have needed to wear things they could work in. The lower class woman especially, would not have the means to hire a servant to work for her. The middle class might be able to afford some servants, but not to the extent that she could wear silks and gauze sipping tea and entertaining guests, with no worry of getting dust on her clothing.
Here is a video showing what and how a lower class woman would have dressed like in the 18th century. (G-Rated). If you missed the video of the upper class woman, you can find it here.
apron- A woman's apron was generally a rectangle gathered to a narrow tape or a narrow self-fabric band, with apron strings of tape, sometimes tying in back but often long enough to wrap around the back and tie in front.
bed gown- less frequently spelled bed-gown and bedgown A woman's informal, loose-fitting, typically thigh-length garment, with sleeves and skirts cut in one with the body, side seams at the natural side, pleated or shaped fullness at the hip, a pleat or two at center back usually held in place only at the neck, and often a V-neckline in front.
fichu-French word for a handkerchief.
gown- A full length, sleeved garment with a fitted bodice and skirts; the bodice and skirts may be cut in one, cut separately, or cut in one in some places and separate elsewhere, depending on the particular style. Women's gowns were cut in two basic variations: the English gown (night gown, robe à l'anglaise) and the sack gown (negligee, sacque, robe à la française)."
Thanks again for joining me this week as we looked at some of the styles of the times in Georgian Era England. The next two Mondays I will be unable to blog, so please make note that I plan to be back with the next installment of this series on August 26th. I hope to talk then about wigs, hats and shoes.
May the Lord Jesus bless you and your family with faith, hope and love.
In Christ,
Sandy
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ReplyDeleteInteresting what women did to get themselves dressed (as shown in the video)and yet they do it so easily, I guess it wasn't as much trouble as it
ReplyDeleteappears ! In my middle school years, we wore petty coats made from soft screen wire to make our skirts stand out. I guess that would seem strange to anyone in today's world!
I guess they did have the process down. I bet those coats were pretty.
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