Prince Regent

As writers of Jane Austen fiction, those of us who write historically set our novels somewhere during the first two decades of the 1800s when Jane lived and set her books. That era is roughly referred to as the “Regency” due to the nine-year rule of the Prince of Wales as Regent while his father King George III was incapacitated from mental illness. Technically the Regency Era began in 1811 and ended in 1820 when George III died and the Prince Regent became King George IV, and was a mere sliver in the broader Georgian Period spanning 1714 to 1830. Taking the looser interpretation of the Regency, the era refers more to the tone, style, and philosophy of those early decades, all of which were starkly different than the decades before 1800.

Wikipedia has a nice, albeit basic overview of the Georgian Era, and a nice summary of the Regency Era.

Available everywhere! Click image for more info.

My latest novel, The Passions of Dr. Darcy, opens in 1789 and although George Darcy spends the bulk of his time in India rather than England, the influences were from a period well before the Regency. So what was different? A ton! But since fashion is the most fun, let’s talk about that today.

I am going to focus on men’s clothing. Images of period portraits or preserved garments from the day are the best way to get the visual across. What I share in this post are a mere handful of what I have in my Regency and Georgian fashion albums in my Portrait Gallery, and on boards in Pinterest, for both men and women.

The man chosen to grace the cover of The Passions of Dr. Darcy is not only a near-perfect vision of George Darcy, he is an excellent example of 1818 style. A little off-the-mark for a young George in late-1780s, but a fine contrast in men’s fashion for this post.

Leon Cogniet, self portrait from 1818.
My Dr. George Darcy

A late 17th century men’s suit consisted of the same three basic pieces as in the Regency, and still today for that matter: waistcoat (vest), jacket, and breeches (pants). Rarely were the three pieces not matching in color and style. Vivid, bold colors were normal, but whether colorful or a subdued brown or cream, jackets and waistcoats were highly embellished. The over-the-top braiding of the mid-1700s had fallen out of fashion, but compared to the minimalist Regency, the 1780 man’s suit was far from plain. Simplicity was beginning to creep in as 1800 approached, but primarily for casual, county-wear only. Formal, city style remained ornate until well into late 1800s to 1810.

Jackets, sometimes called “frockcoats” especially when worn for hunting or other casual pursuits, exhibited a tighter cut than previously seen. The tails of the jacket fell to the knees, and the front edge curved toward the back in a smooth line. Buttons were large and either fabric covered or fancily designed, as were the buttonholes too. Only the buttons across the chest were functional, those along the waist and further down for decoration.

Waistcoats were starting to shorten in length, but typically fell well below the waist with the V-angle right at the groin region. Keeping the jacket buttoned was standard, hence the longer waistcoats so that all the pretty details would be seen! Not until the very late 1790s did the jackets sharply cut horizontally above the waist, sometimes at mid-chest, with the straight coattails hanging from the sides. This is when waistcoats really took a turn and shortened to the breeches waistband level.

Although breeches with white stockings were the standard leg coverings, pantaloons existed and were worn by some. Again, the color matched the jacket and waistcoat. Suits were made to be a single ensemble, and not necessarily to mix and match.

Neckcloths were a must, of course. Strangely, during the elaborate clothing periods up to 1785 or so, frilly jabots, folded stocks, and colored solitaires – all which tended to be small and simply tied – were the norm. Then, as the main garments slowly veered toward a restrained appearance, the cravat again took over, the twisting, draping, and tying reaching increasingly ridiculous levels as the century neared the end. White was the most common color, but not exclusively.

Men’s shoes had heels, low heels, but heels just the same. Big buckles and other decor were common, and the shoes were often as brightly colored as the suit.

Men’s shoes: L-1800, R-1790

Most men wore wigs, especially of the older generation or when in a formal setting. However, the style for younger men was waning. This was a direct effect of the French Revolution condemning them as a symbol of the nobility. Some still powdered their natural hair, but the trend was for a loose, tousled appearance. Length was long and worn tied into a pigtail with often quite colorful ribbons.

1780 portrait

1775 ensemble, detailing close up

Yes, I could go on and on about men’s fashion! And I didn’t even touch on the ladies. I’ll save that for another post. I hope you enjoyed this eye-catching blog. What did you think? We love Regency style, no doubt, but there is something special about the incredible detailing and unique colors of the earlier Georgian period that is appealing. Agree? Disagree? I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject!

For more images to drool over—

Gallery of Georgian Fashion

Gallery of Regency Fashion

Gallery of Indian Clothing

Sharon’s Pinterest Boards

Sharon Lathan

Sharon Lathan is the author of The Darcy Saga sequel series to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Her published novels include: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Loving Mr. Darcy, My Dearest Mr. Darcy, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, The Trouble With Mr. Darcy, A Darcy Christmas, Miss Darcy Falls in Love, and The Passions of Dr. Darcy.

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