Thursday, August 20, 2009

Seaside Fashion, Regency Style

A delightful post from Jane Austen's World.
The lady in the illustration is dressed for the evening, perhaps for a fete on a public pier, who knows? Either way, she is dressed to be seen in high style, even if the tiered lacy hems of her bloomers are showing....
Famed illustrator James Gillray showed seaside fashion in all its glory. From the high tide hem of the lady in the center, to the completely covered up garb of the women sitting on the beach. This lovely illustration from 1810, “The Calm,” shows the seashore on a calm day, with our fashionable miss as exposed as she can decently be – her arms and neck bare, her head covered by a small straw bonnet, and her tiny parasol barely protecting her delicate skin from Sol’s harmful rays.


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1 comment:

Reference Services said...

Your blog is amazing!

Here is a link to the blog from the archives of the Sandusky Library if you would like to take a look:

http://sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com