This place has lovely things to look at.
I would rock these shoes. They’re 1790’s but come on! They’re so pretty.
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| Regency Hat, original condition |
I’m not so sure about the hat. I mean, maybe. But it wouldn’t go with the shoes. I think our own Risky Megan would look fantastic in this hat. I wish I had the skilz to show you how right I am. Someone with skilz needs to photoshop Megan’s face there. Because I’m right.
This silk gown is soooo pretty. Until you get to the red flowers. I’m not feeling that as a fashion choice, but maybe they were perkier a couple hundred years ago. And yet, it’s like they have some kind of power over me, because I would not mind wearing this dress at all.
I would attend a fancy tea in this dress and catch the eye of a certain Lord HeroMaterial. My slippers would probably be some shade of gold.
Or this one:
Look, it even has a little swooshy train and the embroidery, gosh. It that not divine? I would have to wear some underwear, but a yellow underskirt thingee would look pretty darn nice.
I would wear this gown to an exhibition, where Lord HeroMaterial would approach me with my cousin Eustace. We would be introduced.
There’s a lovely red dress for sale at this site. Red Silk Faile 1800-1810. The detailed photos will have you swooning. And more.
I would wear that red dress to go driving with Lord HeroMaterial. He would lose his head, just a little, on account of how adorable I looked, and I would have to give him a very stern look.
Where would you wear these clothes? And what might happen to you?
Oh, Carolyn, you are SO RIGHT about that hat. I would rock that like a house on fire. All the pics are gorgeous.
I love them all! Wonder if the dresses would be too long though? I’m only five feet tall. Lord HeroWotsit would have to be my train-bearer. So not a good look 😉
Blogger ate my comment!
I said that I think all these are gorgeous and I have bookmarked the site. Seeing the detailed stitching of the red dress was a treat. All done by hand, of course.
Sarah, I suspect you would have been the perfect size for a real Regency heroine. In our books, we tend to make them taller than they really were, I think.
Ooooh, pretty shoes! Must have, must have
Sarah S., I’m also only 5 feet nothing and all my clothes always have to be hemmed! But that just means we are the perfect size to be Regency pocket Venuses 🙂
Oh, I crave those shoes, too. Agree Megan would rock that hat, though I couldn’t. The dress with the rosettes would make me look preggers, I think, but I like the other one and the red gown looks gorgeous from the back. A bit simple otherwise, needs jewelry. For fantasies on that, I go to The Three Graces antique jewelry. Great stuff to wear to a ball or the opera, I think!
Diane, I remember reading somewhere that the upper classes had more like our normal range of height, because generally they had good nutrition. (The urban poor were stunted, though.) I have also heard that there are more small period gowns because larger ones were often cut down and remade for daughters, younger siblings, etc…, so it doesn’t necesarily mean they were all tiny. I think the Regency heroine could be short or tall or anywhere in between
If I recall, that red dress is 50 inches from the shoulder to hem, that’s just over 4 feet. I’m guessing a 5 foot heroine such as SarahSiddons would fit into that gown. Even Amanda could wear it.
Elena, that makes a lot of sense! Especially why the antique dresses that survived are usually small.
How lovely! You’ve plugged straight into my regency heart – my not-so-secret-to-do-before-I-die is to wear a stunning gown like one of these. Everyone at work thinks I’m a little bit unhinged but hey, we all need a dream.
Oooh ! I am having SERIOUS shoe envy! I LOVE those shoes!! The gowns are gorgeous too. I would wear any of those gowns to a lovely ball or an afternoon tea so long as those events meant I HAD to fly to England to do so!
And as another 5 ft nothing Pocket Venus I know exactly what you mean about having everything hemmed.
Checking out the links so I can enjoy this envious feeling longer!
Never give me a link. That site has wonderful stuff. I really like the first dress, even with the red flowers. It would be wonderful for an afternoon tea with friends at a very posh hotel. The shoes are lovely, but too pointed for me.