Talk of the ton

During the golden age of gossip, the fashion choices of the Regency elite were frequently the scintillating subject of the scandal sheets, finds Susan Jenkins

- Susan Jenkins

DESPITE, or perhaps because of, the threat of Napoleonic invasion, French fashions were in high demand in Regency England at the turn of the 19th century. Fantastical as the scenes, gowns and hairdos in Netflix's bodice-ripping Bridgerton may be, the series does accurately represent the ton's obsession with new dresses, secured by visits to the modiste.

This period in fashion, from about 1795, extended into the Regency of 1811-21, when Prince George deputised for his father, and was enthusiastically encouraged by the extravagant and corpulent royal. Crowned King in 1821, he famously invented his own tartan outfit for his first state visit to Edinburgh in 1822, where he was described by a contemporary as resembling a trussed-up sausage.

The luxury-loving Prince led the fashion pack known as 'macaronis'-in stark contrast to Beau Brummell's elegant followers-satirised in prints of the day for their constricting corsets, tight breeches and richly brocaded waistcoats, their long-tailed coats cut away in front and collars so high they grazed their cheekbones, topped off with powdered wigs.

Female fashion exhibited a lack of structure that counterbalanced the perfectly fitted male tailoring of the period. The new, informal 'undress' style drew its inspiration from classical statuary, marking the abandonment of stiffly boned corsets in favour of simple, modern lines that focused on natural body shapes and light fabrics. A low-cut 'Empire' neckline prevailed, with the waistline high under the bust, above a straight, full skirt.