I just LOVED how you delivered the quote by Richard Rush, it felt so alive and passionate! And thank you for bringing light to these very odd gowns, it's such a shame that we didn't get to see them in Bridgerton. With the way the show loved to play with fabrics and textures for the dresses, I feel like these court gowns would have been super fun and would have fitted in quite well in the show.
That was the kindest thing I have ever heard about English Regency Court gowns. This was very interesting. The weirdness of these remind me of the dresses of 1920 and 1921 where what would have been a lovely Flapper gown was weirdly poofed out on the bottom. It's funny how fashion history goes Clunk, Meh, WOW, What the ? Repeat. It's interesting that an attempt has even been made. Thank you for this. Stay well.
Sounds like the Eddie Izzard bit on the circularity of fashion. "Lookin' like a dickhead, average looking, cool, cool-hip and groovy and back to lookin' like a dickhead."
@@ameliaedwards5817 And look at him now, he's a mess inside and out! What a sad regression of a human being... probably consumed too much pornography... shameful.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Honestly I had leftover antiques from my parents, and I love costumes so much... it felt like a good idea. Plus, I have a short torso and a large bum, the dress hides so much without looking bad.
I've seen people compare these dresses to the Barbie cake dresses but they also really remind me of those crocheted doll toilet paper covers that my grandma (and many others her age) used to have in the bathroom! I suppose that's where my fascination for these things slowly began 😅 Lovely video as usual!
I remember watching a BBC fashion documentary from the 50s where the presenter talked about little things that remained when fashions changed but some things remained. She mentioned the court dress, where the hoops stayed, and men's coats, the buttons on the back that once had a function in the early 1700s, were only for looks in the early 1800s, as well as the coattails that once were basically a long jacket, that to this day are still part of white tie, the elaborate capes worn by Oxford dons used to be like monk's cowls, for warmth, but now purely ceremonial rather than practical. She pointed out quite a lot of those things in all of fashion history it was very interesting! :)
Turns out, I really like these Regency Court Dresses. they're silly, but in a fun way that plays with and focuses on fabric texture, pattern and colour. Plus, it seems that the hoop placed higher to the bust would allow some forgiveness after feasting.
I feel like this was such a missed opportunity. Bridgerton was very stylized in its costuming and going for a historically accurate court silhouette would have added to the feel they were going for I think
Bridgerton was such a hoot, the series was so full of what I think as deliberate mistakes, not a minute passed without yet another goof. I especially liked the pre-invented 1950s cocktail frocks worn by Lady Portia Featherington. But yes, the British Regency Court etiquette should have featured, it certainly would have been a highlight in the series.
This is a great video Rebecca. Often when explaining to people how Bridgerton got it horribly wrong, these cupcake style court dresses are my go-to example, and wow are they strange. Transitional styles throughout dress history are always so fascinating.
I really appreciate you sympathizing with the modern audience, but also giving a very positive contemporary reflection of the English court gowns so that we ALL can be sympathetic with how they saw them back then!
The silhouette doesn't look that strange to me, maybe because I've been watching a lot of Korean historical dramas? It is kind of reminiscent of the hanbok silhouette
These look like th modern two piece convertible wedding dresses. Big and pouty for the ceremony, drop the skirt to reveal a tight miniskirt for partying...
I hope that you do. I have to think that the truly outrageous volumes would make the garment its own thing, I can not imagine the size of the person wearing it would matter so much unless they were too frail to carry such a frame.
They look like fancily decorated handbells. Give them a swing and hear them ding. Thanks for a lovely look into such a unique fashion period. Take care
Thank you! I'd imaged searched these after reading about it in a Regency romance, and I have wanted to see them on screen ever since! They are so odd to my eyes. I hadn't any idea of how it might be seen at the time! I hadn't considered that it was a peak of conspicuous consumption, nor did I look beyond the individual dress and the odd silhouette. The expense of rich fabric and trimming on display, the forest of feather, the glittering of jewels, my, the effet of a crowd of thus attired ladies *must* have been truly magnificent! Not sexy, mind you, but now I *have* to see that on screen! Thanks for the wonderful quote!
Even at the time it was considered very odd. There are plenty of primary sources of the young women complaining about it and of how hard it was to move in them or even just sit in a carriage. People observing the parade of women made fun of them. They cost an enormous sum of money, and could only be worn once, so most got remade over as soon as the court presentation was over with. By the mid teens, in the France court they openly mocked the English court for the outlandish style, so I wouldnt be surprised if that quote she read was in response to the mockery the English women were getting.
@@cincocats320, well, were they complaining about the paniers, that were out of fashion and cumbersome and that they weren't used to? Or about the incongruity of wearing them with the high waist? The french court dress of the 18th century was also from a previous time, with its covered stays worn as a bodice, with of the shoulder straps and the chemise visible through the lacing gap in the back, with its train. And débutantes presented at court for the first time had to wear it black with gold lace. Their was little opportunity to wear it again and there are primary sources critiquing them (like the marquise de la Tour du Pin in her memoirs, to mention one). It doesn't seem less magnificent to us...
@@cincocats320 I mean, reading that list of complaints all I can think of is the Met Gala and the number of stories about celebrities who attend that who laid down or stood up in their cars because they couldn't sit in their red carpet dresses and got changed the second they got inside for the actual dinner. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme!
I know from Georgette Heyer that Regency Court Dress required hoops and was very different than contemporary fashion, but I couldn't have imagined anything that weird. Thanks for this info! Also, I now know why Heyer almost never bothered to include scenes of court presentations in her romance novels...
As always, your videos are such a delight, and as someone still tentatively planning to make my own historical clothes (to eventually be worn as everyday clothes), I feel a little braver with each video I watch.
Love your research here and the reading of the historical witness account. And so hoping you go ahead with making this in 2024 as you discuss… which brought me to this older video of yours. Please do it if you possibly can!
That was fascinating. I sort of want to try these dresses on and really don't. Funny, I've been to the fashion museum in Bath, England and, as far as I remember, they didn't have any of these strange concoctions. It would be perfect for that museum!
Thank you! And to be honest, I don't know of any extants. I have a feeling, since they were such specialized dresses and used so much expensive fabric, that they were all cut up and used to make more fashionable dresses instead.
Honestly I always thought the French regency court dress lacked something and today I found out it’s hoops. I really like the look of these gowns better haha
I hope, hope, hope, some fashion director will be given the chance to show off English Regency Court dress in a movie or show. Bridgeton totally missed a great opportunity for a lot of fun!
Regency court gowns made women look like bizarre, inflated cake toppers. Either that, or if you could pick them up by their hair and shake them, they'd ring out like bells.
ok but the tassels on the bows on the dress at 3:09 ? those are very cool. The bows look like flowers, and the tassels like the pollen things (forgive my lack of proper terms lol) in the center. the spiraling diagonal direction of the ribbons is really cool
I do Viking reenactment but these videos are *chef’s kiss* inspiration for something way later than my comfort time period 😂 💕 thank you for all your awesome videos
I never thought that I would ever see something as odd yet gorgeous ensemble as an English Regency Court gown. Quite a charming dress but probably wouldnt wear one since I might just look a bit off.
1. Your sleeves on this gown are gorgeous. I'm sure you know, but I wanted to say it :) 2. I have been so tempted and interested in making a regency court dress! It's so kooky. I just have to figure out how to get my panniers to hang just under my bust.
The royal court of Dresden in Saxony required the style of the past century including powdered faces and wigs right into the 1820ies. To visitors from Berlin, (where the Prussian court had adopted the french fashion very early on), the king, princes and princesses appeared like ghosts from the past. (Max von Böhm in his highly recommendable book "die Mode" (fashion)).
That really needs to represented on screen. If need be, have a character make a remark about only wearing their hoops in Her Majesty’s presence at court.
As in, why did she decide to require hoops? I think it was probably a matter of seeing Regency style as very informal/casual compared to what she had grown up with most of her life, and wanting that formality to remain at court. So requiring hoops be worn was probably, in her eyes, a compromise.
What a wonderful discovery on TH-cam! Love your videos and presentation style! The absurdity of regency court dresses made me laugh. I wonder if there were any similarly ridiculous rules about male ceremonial costumes at the time.
Thank you! I don't know a ton about menswear, but I do know that court dress for men required wigs be worn (way past when men were wearing wigs). I'm not sure what else was required.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions www.susannedietze.com/fashion-for-the-regency-gentleman.html Susanne has the description for this time period... And when the comment on women's court dress included "but thankfully the men's court dress of the time was nearly as bad"... "Court Dress A coat of embroidered velvet, with knee-breeches to match, would have been worn when at Court. These ensembles were generally a bright color like green, red, blue, or even purple, like the suit at right. Oftentimes, they were embellished with up to six pounds of metallic thread. White silk stockings and black slippers would be worn. A gentleman would also carry a chapeau-bras and a dress sword." This over a waistcoat, shirt and shorts combo, of course.
Besides, they wouldn't have been able to do that whole corset scene anyway. These dresses do not care about your corset anyway. 18 inch waist... I'm sorry it's more like a 36 in. Or maybe they simply made the hoops as part of the corset... That would actually be fun to try. Like hooks midway up the torso on the corset for linking your hoop skirt. Useful for when you absolutely must hide the winter bulge.
Am I the only one who actually is kinda fond of the regency court dress? I think they're so fun, they look like they'd be so fun to wear and maybe even make
Having a hoop at waist height is the ultimate power flex against fat shaming tbh. Oh you wanna judge me on my figure? Joke's on you, we all look like majestic castles perched on top of hills of luxurious fabric. Is it a butt or a hump? You'll never know, gaze on my jewels and frills.
I've been interested in doing an English court dress because it is just to weird. My question is how to do the hoops not slide down? It's not like you have the curve of your waist to help it stay in place.
As in, how did they come about originally, or why did Queen Charlotte decide to require them when they weren't part of modern fashion anymore? If it's the first question, speaking to panniers as opposed to the cage crinolines of the 1850s, I have no idea. My guess is they liked the side swags of the mantua era, and basically were like, "how can we make this hip emphasis bigger?" If it's the second, my guess is that Queen Charlotte, being older, found that regular Regency dress just seemed too casual for court, and therefore tried to find a happy medium between 18th c court dress and Regency fashion, creating this oddity.
Dear Lady Rebecca! I have been trying for years to find information on how those circular dresses were constructed -- alas, without success! Therefore, I depend on your expertise: Did those ladies wear panniers like their predecessors during the 18th century, were their underpinnings constructed like a Spanish farthingale from way back, or did British courtiers invent something entirely new, i.e. a kind of flexible hoop construction that anticipated the crinoline by more than four decades? And did the British court dress have any impact on early Victorian fashions, when women all over Europe started to sport much wider gowns with an almost natural waist (i.e. just a few after the hoop-dress court style was abolished at the discretion George IV)?
To be honest, I'm not sure! I'm inclined to say that most of them would have been constructed like the grand panniers of the 18th c (but probably with shoulder straps to hold them up), but there are certainly some plates that look a lot more round than those. I wish I knew for certain!
I don't recall ever seeing it represented on screen, but it has been on Broadway. I first encountered it in The Scarlet Pimpernel, and was sure the costume designer was smoking something until I looked into it more and discovered it really was a thing, and well beyond the transitional period in which Pimpernel is set! I saw the show before the production was retooled about a year into the run, so I don't know if those costumes were retained, but they certain made an impression on me back in 1998! :-D Here's a scan from someone's blog review: 1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3BUIyeHL4k/TyDDiTqfsCI/AAAAAAAABrk/ElcXBTC79i4/s1600/img115.jpg
Great video and even greater speech. Very well done. I want to ask you a question if I may. I am starting to look for a serger. I have never used one but I've been sewing a lot of dresses and some gowns and a serger would make my clothes look more professional and it would be a lot easier than making French seams. Where do I look and what exactly am I looking for? Any advice will be of great use to me. I understand this may be a hard subject to be specific on but I would appreciate any advice you could give me. Thanks so much.
Thanks! There are two sergers I recommend, depending on your price point. The first one is the Brother 1034D, which is a good basic machine at an intro price point, but it still has manual tensions, and can take about 10 mins to rethread:www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CBK1L?tag=onamzrebecc08-20&linkCode=ic5&ascsubtag=amzn1.infl.us.product&creativeASIN=B0000CBK1L&ref=exp_ladyrebeccafashions_dp_vv_d The one I really love is the Babylock Imagine (which I think they now call the Babylock Victory). The price point is waaay higher, but it has jet air threading and automatic tensions. It takes about 1-2 mins to change all your threads. That one has to be purchased from a Babylock dealer.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thank you so much. I will check into the ones you said. The brother sounds good except for the rethread but, I'm not in a hurry so it may be a good machine for me. I will look in these. Again, many thanks.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thank you so much for your referrals. I was interested in the Brother since I saw it on a demo. I had no idea and was a little confused but you saying that one gives me a point in the right direction. It's hard when you really don't know much about sergers. As for the ten minutes, I think that would be ok since I am in retired and really don't have much else to do. Again, thank you so much for your opinion because I respect you and do wonderful work and I know you would give me the best advice.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thank you so much for your suggestions. I was looking at the Brother and had a big interest in that one, also I can afford that one. I don't mind the 10min. threading time,( I didn't know that) since I am retired and don't really have much else to do. I was also looking at the singer but wasn't too thrilled about it and the baby lock is too pricey for my budget. I am so glad you recommended the Brother machine. I can afford that one and if I find I can't live without the Babylock I can always upgrade when I win the lotto. LOL I am so thankful for your opinion because I respect you and I knew you would give me good solid opinions. Again, thank you very much!
Since they're side panniers, I would think that you'd be fine sitting as long as your chair doesn't have arms. Though I do feel like your elbows might bang into them a bit!
Unfortunately, none that I've come across. I think they were probably remade into something more fashionable, since these were kind of one time use dresses.
I think the fashion plates are a little confusing. The descriptions of court dress usually state they were we worn over hoops. In art they look more flat fronted like they were worn over paniers. I haven't found any photos of extant court gowns of this period to compare to. I guess the gowns were so silly and expensive that the owners were in a hurry to have them remade in a more flattering style.
Yeah, in all my research, I couldn't find any extant ones. I honestly wonder if both shapes existed - the pannier shape makes more sense, since that is where they had just been, style-wise, but there certainly are some plates and drawings that look decidedly round.
It's like a barbie cake from my childhood.
That is an excellent description, LOL
haha! Totally. I definitely had one of those in elementary school.
Omg yes! Those cupcake dolls!
Also, when an empire waist EGL dress is worn with the wrong (cupcake shaped) petticoat...
Or the toilet paper covers at Mamaw’s house!
Instablaster
Anyone else remember those crochet toilet paper covers from the 80s? The ones with the dolls stuck in the center? That's what these remind me of
That's EXACTLY what I thought!
I was adding a similar comment but saw this already posted, Haha! 🤣🤣
80s?! Nah, one of my grandmas crocheted those TP covers back in the 60s.
This is exactly what I was thinking, only my grandmother sewed hers, so the likeness was truly striking. You nailed this one on the head.
What!?
HOOPS - The original Social Distancing Device
I've been saying this all year!
Legit
It was also a response to chauvinism, whether intentional or not, so women would take up more space than men.
I wear one and even though it's not six feet people give you ten.
Lol- we should bring them back- but only very temporarily!!
I just LOVED how you delivered the quote by Richard Rush, it felt so alive and passionate! And thank you for bringing light to these very odd gowns, it's such a shame that we didn't get to see them in Bridgerton. With the way the show loved to play with fabrics and textures for the dresses, I feel like these court gowns would have been super fun and would have fitted in quite well in the show.
Thank you! And yes, I especially would have loved to see what the Featheringtons would have done with these.
When you need to steal your host's flatscreen tv
😂
Miss Thompson could have easily hid her predicament while wearing English Regency Court gowns 😮
Hahah! Very true. It would have been a little too easy!
There is a book where the protagonist manages with petticoats and Winter layers, with the waistline nearly touching the neckline...odd
That was the kindest thing I have ever heard about English Regency Court gowns. This was very interesting. The weirdness of these remind me of the dresses of 1920 and 1921 where what would have been a lovely Flapper gown was weirdly poofed out on the bottom. It's funny how fashion history goes Clunk, Meh, WOW, What the ? Repeat. It's interesting that an attempt has even been made. Thank you for this. Stay well.
I love the comparison with the 1920s robe de style - it's totally true!
Sounds like the Eddie Izzard bit on the circularity of fashion.
"Lookin' like a dickhead, average looking, cool, cool-hip and groovy and back to lookin' like a dickhead."
@@ameliaedwards5817 And look at him now, he's a mess inside and out! What a sad regression of a human being... probably consumed too much pornography... shameful.
“oh your priceless heirloom painting is missing? What a shame! I have no idea where it could have gone🤔”
I wore one on my wedding day.
It was unique and confusing to some of my family that didn't understand my love of historical costumes.
Oh my gosh, you did? That is so cool! What made you decide to go with Regency court dress for your wedding?
@@LadyRebeccaFashions
Honestly I had leftover antiques from my parents, and I love costumes so much... it felt like a good idea.
Plus, I have a short torso and a large bum, the dress hides so much without looking bad.
I've seen people compare these dresses to the Barbie cake dresses but they also really remind me of those crocheted doll toilet paper covers that my grandma (and many others her age) used to have in the bathroom! I suppose that's where my fascination for these things slowly began 😅 Lovely video as usual!
I remember watching a BBC fashion documentary from the 50s where the presenter talked about little things that remained when fashions changed but some things remained. She mentioned the court dress, where the hoops stayed, and men's coats, the buttons on the back that once had a function in the early 1700s, were only for looks in the early 1800s, as well as the coattails that once were basically a long jacket, that to this day are still part of white tie, the elaborate capes worn by Oxford dons used to be like monk's cowls, for warmth, but now purely ceremonial rather than practical. She pointed out quite a lot of those things in all of fashion history it was very interesting! :)
It's almost a Western version of traditional Korean dress (hanbok).
Ooh, I kind of love that comparison!
Yes and BUT hanbok are flattering they do have petticoats but not hoops
I believe the technical term is, to borrow from Abby, "whackadoodle". When is this going to be a historical costuming trend?
Now I have that Raising Hope scene in my head where they all sing the Wackadoo song in the truck. That is such a great show.
Remember "If your eyes ain't bleeding it ain't historically accurate" Abby Cox 2020.
Turns out, I really like these Regency Court Dresses. they're silly, but in a fun way that plays with and focuses on fabric texture, pattern and colour. Plus, it seems that the hoop placed higher to the bust would allow some forgiveness after feasting.
Some? You could be 6 months pregnant and not show anything at all. Let alone simple overeating.
I love the style and would love to make doll dress in that style. I'm way too curvey for that style.
Early regency said: pretty dress... NO torso
I feel like this was such a missed opportunity. Bridgerton was very stylized in its costuming and going for a historically accurate court silhouette would have added to the feel they were going for I think
The wonderful thing about costuming an alternative world fantasy is that you can ignore this kind of butt ugly crap.
Agreed! Though people probably wouldn't have believed it was real!
Bridgerton was such a hoot, the series was so full of what I think as deliberate mistakes, not a minute passed without yet another goof. I especially liked the pre-invented 1950s cocktail frocks worn by Lady Portia Featherington. But yes, the British Regency Court etiquette should have featured, it certainly would have been a highlight in the series.
This is a great video Rebecca. Often when explaining to people how Bridgerton got it horribly wrong, these cupcake style court dresses are my go-to example, and wow are they strange. Transitional styles throughout dress history are always so fascinating.
Based on that narration of the English court writing, you'd be a great audiobook reader!
Thank you! That would be super fun. :)
Agreed
You and me both hun... tempted to make one because they are so... Unique!
Umm yes. Please make one. You might even convince me to make one if you do. ;)
They look like cakes with legs 😂
What an interesting facsimile of fashion history! It’s a little odd, but still cute...much like a cupcake 😂
Yes, it reminds me of those Barbie cakes where the little upper half of the doll is stuck to a enormous skirt-dome of carved cake.
Lmao Queen Charlotte. The original Chaotic neutral.
Lol
English regency court dress: is being discussed.
My brain: Pineapples, there must be pineapples somewhere.
I really appreciate you sympathizing with the modern audience, but also giving a very positive contemporary reflection of the English court gowns so that we ALL can be sympathetic with how they saw them back then!
The silhouette doesn't look that strange to me, maybe because I've been watching a lot of Korean historical dramas? It is kind of reminiscent of the hanbok silhouette
I had never thought of that before, but it's so true!
These look like th modern two piece convertible wedding dresses. Big and pouty for the ceremony, drop the skirt to reveal a tight miniskirt for partying...
Hanbok has rounded skirts created by stiffened petticoats on an empire waist, this one is... flat to the sides.
I hope that you do. I have to think that the truly outrageous volumes would make the garment its own thing, I can not imagine the size of the person wearing it would matter so much unless they were too frail to carry such a frame.
I really might. Not this year, but maybe if I have a ball to go to in the future. ;)
They look like fancily decorated handbells. Give them a swing and hear them ding. Thanks for a lovely look into such a unique fashion period. Take care
Thank you! I'd imaged searched these after reading about it in a Regency romance, and I have wanted to see them on screen ever since! They are so odd to my eyes.
I hadn't any idea of how it might be seen at the time!
I hadn't considered that it was a peak of conspicuous consumption, nor did I look beyond the individual dress and the odd silhouette. The expense of rich fabric and trimming on display, the forest of feather, the glittering of jewels, my, the effet of a crowd of thus attired ladies *must* have been truly magnificent! Not sexy, mind you, but now I *have* to see that on screen!
Thanks for the wonderful quote!
I think the only way I can imagine it is like a picnmix sweet counter exploded artfully onto expensive fabric.
Even at the time it was considered very odd. There are plenty of primary sources of the young women complaining about it and of how hard it was to move in them or even just sit in a carriage. People observing the parade of women made fun of them. They cost an enormous sum of money, and could only be worn once, so most got remade over as soon as the court presentation was over with. By the mid teens, in the France court they openly mocked the English court for the outlandish style, so I wouldnt be surprised if that quote she read was in response to the mockery the English women were getting.
@@cincocats320, well, were they complaining about the paniers, that were out of fashion and cumbersome and that they weren't used to? Or about the incongruity of wearing them with the high waist?
The french court dress of the 18th century was also from a previous time, with its covered stays worn as a bodice, with of the shoulder straps and the chemise visible through the lacing gap in the back, with its train. And débutantes presented at court for the first time had to wear it black with gold lace. Their was little opportunity to wear it again and there are primary sources critiquing them (like the marquise de la Tour du Pin in her memoirs, to mention one). It doesn't seem less magnificent to us...
@@cincocats320 I mean, reading that list of complaints all I can think of is the Met Gala and the number of stories about celebrities who attend that who laid down or stood up in their cars because they couldn't sit in their red carpet dresses and got changed the second they got inside for the actual dinner. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme!
That was a beautiful reading about the English Regency Court Gowns! Thank you!
I love the way you read the excerpt!
Regency court dress was a matter of Charlotte never updating the rules from the 1760’s. When panniers were The Thing.
Your manner of speaking is very whimsical and delightful.
I know from Georgette Heyer that Regency Court Dress required hoops and was very different than contemporary fashion, but I couldn't have imagined anything that weird. Thanks for this info!
Also, I now know why Heyer almost never bothered to include scenes of court presentations in her romance novels...
As always, your videos are such a delight, and as someone still tentatively planning to make my own historical clothes (to eventually be worn as everyday clothes), I feel a little braver with each video I watch.
I love that description you read! This is definitely one of those times that form won out over function.
Thanks - I thought it was such a great quote! And yeah, totally not functional (though I guess at least they probably had pockets?)
That was beautiful! As a short woman with short waist and short legs I somehow imagine this style could elongate the legs a lot???
Oh probably! Or at least make your lower half look really long (but also square?)
Lovely piece of information. These dresses were extremely whacky! I love your reading 💖
Woohoo! All caught up! I’m loving your channel. Thanks for keeping it real 🖤🖤🖤
The 1807 queen Charlotte painting looks absolutely nothing like her other ones I’m wheezing.
Yeah, aging can really sneak up on you sometimes! ;)
Okay I need Richard to hype me the hell up before I go out next. He can make anything sound good.
I loved your delivery of that quote! And also the quote itself is so nicely positive of those delightfully ridiculous cupcakes.
Thank you! When I came across it, I thought it was so beautifully written.
Love your research here and the reading of the historical witness account. And so hoping you go ahead with making this in 2024 as you discuss… which brought me to this older video of yours. Please do it if you possibly can!
Well done! I missed seeing kitty though 😊 I love all the education you provide. Thank you.
I really want to see some more regency court dress recreations like whole productions, this style is wild
That was fascinating. I sort of want to try these dresses on and really don't. Funny, I've been to the fashion museum in Bath, England and, as far as I remember, they didn't have any of these strange concoctions. It would be perfect for that museum!
Thank you! And to be honest, I don't know of any extants. I have a feeling, since they were such specialized dresses and used so much expensive fabric, that they were all cut up and used to make more fashionable dresses instead.
Honestly I always thought the French regency court dress lacked something and today I found out it’s hoops. I really like the look of these gowns better haha
I have to say, those were some very interesting Court dresses. That's for the great info!
You could tell me stories any time. I enjoyed that
“Silvery texture.” My dude.... 🤣 That sounds like synesthesia to me! 😅
I liked! Thumbs up! That shared quote created such images in my mind, what a little treasure!
As a connoisseur of the offbeat but beautiful, I totally am for this and now I really want to see this represented!
Lady Rebecca is professional in her delivery; articulate and lively. She should be a press secretary for someone important.
I love your sewing blogs and I love these costuming history lessons💜💜
I hope, hope, hope, some fashion director will be given the chance to show off English Regency Court dress in a movie or show. Bridgeton totally missed a great opportunity for a lot of fun!
Very strange indeed, but as stunning as the dress looks it just reminds me of Nan 's loo roll covers. 😂
Regency court gowns made women look like bizarre, inflated cake toppers. Either that, or if you could pick them up by their hair and shake them, they'd ring out like bells.
ok but the tassels on the bows on the dress at 3:09 ? those are very cool. The bows look like flowers, and the tassels like the pollen things (forgive my lack of proper terms lol) in the center. the spiraling diagonal direction of the ribbons is really cool
I do Viking reenactment but these videos are *chef’s kiss* inspiration for something way later than my comfort time period 😂 💕 thank you for all your awesome videos
I never thought that I would ever see something as odd yet gorgeous ensemble as an English Regency Court gown. Quite a charming dress but probably wouldnt wear one since I might just look a bit off.
Wow. I had never really looked into court dress. The things you didn’t realize you needed to know
I low key want to make one just for laughs 😅
Please do! And let me know if you do!
Me thinks, though beautifully descriptive, said ambassador was embellishing his court encounter as those dresses do look odd.
He might have been. Though it probably was quite an impressive sight for an American visitor seeing it for the first time!
@@LadyRebeccaFashions I think they would've been quite the sight for ANY visitor seeing them for the first time! XD
wonderful video! i had so many questions when i saw these dresses and i wondered when they were from
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!
1. Your sleeves on this gown are gorgeous. I'm sure you know, but I wanted to say it :)
2. I have been so tempted and interested in making a regency court dress! It's so kooky. I just have to figure out how to get my panniers to hang just under my bust.
I haven't tried it yet myself, but I think when/if I eventually make one, I'm just going to try adding shoulder straps to my existing grand pannier.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions I was thinking about adding hooks, but straps might be an easier idea!
The royal court of Dresden in Saxony required the style of the past century including powdered faces and wigs right into the 1820ies. To visitors from Berlin, (where the Prussian court had adopted the french fashion very early on), the king, princes and princesses appeared like ghosts from the past. (Max von Böhm in his highly recommendable book "die Mode" (fashion)).
I love the royal blue dress behind you
That really needs to represented on screen. If need be, have a character make a remark about only wearing their hoops in Her Majesty’s presence at court.
What influenced Queen Charlotte’s fashion sense?
As in, why did she decide to require hoops? I think it was probably a matter of seeing Regency style as very informal/casual compared to what she had grown up with most of her life, and wanting that formality to remain at court. So requiring hoops be worn was probably, in her eyes, a compromise.
What a wonderful discovery on TH-cam! Love your videos and presentation style! The absurdity of regency court dresses made me laugh. I wonder if there were any similarly ridiculous rules about male ceremonial costumes at the time.
Thank you! I don't know a ton about menswear, but I do know that court dress for men required wigs be worn (way past when men were wearing wigs). I'm not sure what else was required.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions www.susannedietze.com/fashion-for-the-regency-gentleman.html Susanne has the description for this time period... And when the comment on women's court dress included "but thankfully the men's court dress of the time was nearly as bad"...
"Court Dress
A coat of embroidered velvet, with knee-breeches to match, would have been worn when at Court. These ensembles were generally a bright color like green, red, blue, or even purple, like the suit at right. Oftentimes, they were embellished with up to six pounds of metallic thread.
White silk stockings and black slippers would be worn. A gentleman would also carry a chapeau-bras and a dress sword."
This over a waistcoat, shirt and shorts combo, of course.
I get why Bridgerton didn’t use English Court dress because, um, wow. 😬
Even though they’re extra as hell and I kind of love it.
Besides, they wouldn't have been able to do that whole corset scene anyway. These dresses do not care about your corset anyway. 18 inch waist... I'm sorry it's more like a 36 in. Or maybe they simply made the hoops as part of the corset... That would actually be fun to try. Like hooks midway up the torso on the corset for linking your hoop skirt. Useful for when you absolutely must hide the winter bulge.
Many of the biggest dresses resemble tents that were assembled by people who had never read the instructions.
Have to admit I kinda love them. Who doesn't want to be a little over the top from time to time.
I wish there was a Bridgerton show set in the French court, with the beautiful empress Marie Louise. Ugh I love Napoleonic history so much.
How much yardage would that use?
To be honest, I feel like as much as you could. They seem to mix different fabrics, but I feel like you'd want at least 10 yds total to attempt it.
Am I the only one who actually is kinda fond of the regency court dress? I think they're so fun, they look like they'd be so fun to wear and maybe even make
I'm still tempted to make one!
Having a hoop at waist height is the ultimate power flex against fat shaming tbh. Oh you wanna judge me on my figure? Joke's on you, we all look like majestic castles perched on top of hills of luxurious fabric. Is it a butt or a hump? You'll never know, gaze on my jewels and frills.
I love this comment so much. ♥️♥️♥️
I've been interested in doing an English court dress because it is just to weird. My question is how to do the hoops not slide down? It's not like you have the curve of your waist to help it stay in place.
I would imagine that they must have shoulder straps, like Regency petticoats. Otherwise, they would definitely fall!
What was the rationale behind hoops? That's one thing I've always wondered.
As in, how did they come about originally, or why did Queen Charlotte decide to require them when they weren't part of modern fashion anymore?
If it's the first question, speaking to panniers as opposed to the cage crinolines of the 1850s, I have no idea. My guess is they liked the side swags of the mantua era, and basically were like, "how can we make this hip emphasis bigger?"
If it's the second, my guess is that Queen Charlotte, being older, found that regular Regency dress just seemed too casual for court, and therefore tried to find a happy medium between 18th c court dress and Regency fashion, creating this oddity.
This is why we have ball gown wedding dresses today ❤❤❤
love this thank you for the knowledge!
That was so interesting, thank you!
It was the marriage between Rococo and Regency fashion, lol.
Fantastic as always!!
Dear Lady Rebecca! I have been trying for years to find information on how those circular dresses were constructed -- alas, without success! Therefore, I depend on your expertise: Did those ladies wear panniers like their predecessors during the 18th century, were their underpinnings constructed like a Spanish farthingale from way back, or did British courtiers invent something entirely new, i.e. a kind of flexible hoop construction that anticipated the crinoline by more than four decades? And did the British court dress have any impact on early Victorian fashions, when women all over Europe started to sport much wider gowns with an almost natural waist (i.e. just a few after the hoop-dress court style was abolished at the discretion George IV)?
To be honest, I'm not sure! I'm inclined to say that most of them would have been constructed like the grand panniers of the 18th c (but probably with shoulder straps to hold them up), but there are certainly some plates that look a lot more round than those. I wish I knew for certain!
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thanks for your kind reply! Please keep us updated on this interesting topic!
Regency court dress looks almost exactly like the the toilet paper cover dolls my grandma used in her bathroom. No thank you.
You have a typographic error in the description below the video. You have "Brigerton" instead of Bridgerton.
Thank you! Fixed!
Oh my God- those _curls_ !
Court dress is so underrated!
Even the men's fashion seemed to be stuck on rococoo styles
I don't recall ever seeing it represented on screen, but it has been on Broadway. I first encountered it in The Scarlet Pimpernel, and was sure the costume designer was smoking something until I looked into it more and discovered it really was a thing, and well beyond the transitional period in which Pimpernel is set!
I saw the show before the production was retooled about a year into the run, so I don't know if those costumes were retained, but they certain made an impression on me back in 1998! :-D Here's a scan from someone's blog review: 1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3BUIyeHL4k/TyDDiTqfsCI/AAAAAAAABrk/ElcXBTC79i4/s1600/img115.jpg
Oh my gosh, that is so cool to see! I love that they did that!
@@LadyRebeccaFashions It was such a fun moment in context - Percy's exaggeratedly silly and useless public persona certainly fit right in!
Is your tiara/diadem an original piece or new made item
I made it!
Great video and even greater speech. Very well done. I want to ask you a question if I may. I am starting to look for a serger. I have never used one but I've been sewing a lot of dresses and some gowns and a serger would make my clothes look more professional and it would be a lot easier than making French seams. Where do I look and what exactly am I looking for? Any advice will be of great use to me. I understand this may be a hard subject to be specific on but I would appreciate any advice you could give me. Thanks so much.
Thanks! There are two sergers I recommend, depending on your price point. The first one is the Brother 1034D, which is a good basic machine at an intro price point, but it still has manual tensions, and can take about 10 mins to rethread:www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CBK1L?tag=onamzrebecc08-20&linkCode=ic5&ascsubtag=amzn1.infl.us.product&creativeASIN=B0000CBK1L&ref=exp_ladyrebeccafashions_dp_vv_d
The one I really love is the Babylock Imagine (which I think they now call the Babylock Victory). The price point is waaay higher, but it has jet air threading and automatic tensions. It takes about 1-2 mins to change all your threads. That one has to be purchased from a Babylock dealer.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thank you so much. I will check into the ones you said. The brother sounds good except for the rethread but, I'm not in a hurry so it may be a good machine for me. I will look in these. Again, many thanks.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thank you so much for your referrals. I was interested in the Brother since I saw it on a demo. I had no idea and was a little confused but you saying that one gives me a point in the right direction. It's hard when you really don't know much about sergers. As for the ten minutes, I think that would be ok since I am in retired and really don't have much else to do. Again, thank you so much for your opinion because I respect you and do wonderful work and I know you would give me the best advice.
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thank you so much for your suggestions. I was looking at the Brother and had a big interest in that one, also I can afford that one. I don't mind the 10min. threading time,( I didn't know that) since I am retired and don't really have much else to do. I was also looking at the singer but wasn't too thrilled about it and the baby lock is too pricey for my budget. I am so glad you recommended the Brother machine. I can afford that one and if I find I can't live without the Babylock I can always upgrade when I win the lotto. LOL I am so thankful for your opinion because I respect you and I knew you would give me good solid opinions. Again, thank you very much!
How do you sit in them?
Since they're side panniers, I would think that you'd be fine sitting as long as your chair doesn't have arms. Though I do feel like your elbows might bang into them a bit!
Your hair is super cute. 👍
I thought the description interpretation was awkward. But I do like your content
Fascinating. Thanks!
Fascinating, thank you
Are there any existent garments?
Unfortunately, none that I've come across. I think they were probably remade into something more fashionable, since these were kind of one time use dresses.
I think the fashion plates are a little confusing. The descriptions of court dress usually state they were we worn over hoops. In art they look more flat fronted like they were worn over paniers. I haven't found any photos of extant court gowns of this period to compare to. I guess the gowns were so silly and expensive that the owners were in a hurry to have them remade in a more flattering style.
Yeah, in all my research, I couldn't find any extant ones. I honestly wonder if both shapes existed - the pannier shape makes more sense, since that is where they had just been, style-wise, but there certainly are some plates and drawings that look decidedly round.
This fashion reminds me of toilet paper cover dolls 😂