From AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN, meet Sophie Bridergerton (née Beckett)

Here is a description of the dress from La Belle Assemblée:

"Frock of white tissue gauze over white satin, ornamented round the border in a novel and unique style with white satin flutings. Opera hood surmounted by a full garland of roses and lillies of the valley. Blush colour or pearl grey slippers; and white kid gloves.

"This dress, though very prevalent at the Opera, is also much worn as a home costume, to receive rout company or other dress parties."

From THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME, meet Kate, Lady Bridgerton (née Sheffield)

For Kate, fashion is all about economy.  The Sheffields don't have money to burn, and Kate will need to make her fashion budget go as far as possible.

I like this ensemble for Kate because it's not too frilly and girlish.  Kate might be in her first season "out," but she has always very much seen herself as Edwina's older sister, and she would have felt uncomfortable if she dressed in as youthful a fashion.  Plus, the model here has her hand on her hip, which just seems so Kate.

Here is a description of the dress from La Belle Assemblée:

This elegant spencer is worm over a walking-dress of jaconet muslin; it is made in rich primrose twilled sarsnet, shot with white; the back, which is full, shews the shape to much greater advantage than any spencer we have lately seen, as it is not so unbecomingly broad at the bottom as they have been worn; the front, as our readers will perceive, is tastefully ornamented with small fleurs de lis of chenille, the colour of the spencer, only a shade darker, which has a very striking effect. A full quilling of broad, soft ribband, to correspond, goes round the neck and down the front of the spencer; this trimming round the neck is in the ruff style, but much more becoming; a rich primrose silk girdle and tassels finishes the waist; the sleeve is ornamented at the bottom with a fancy trimming to correspond. The Angouleme bonnet is indisputably the most elegantly appropriate to the promenade costume that we have yet seen; it is composed of an original and novel material, which is put together in a manner equally novel and ingenious; the shape is a happy medium between the simplicity of the cottage and the dashing style of the small walking bonnet; it may be worn with or without strings, but the former is most general; the feather is placed rather on one side. Gloves slippers, and parasol to correspond.

These are two different dresses, but there are enough similarities that a young lady might use the same accessories (doesn’t the bonnet look the same?)  Kate is practical at heart, and I like to think that even after she became the fabulously wealthy Viscountess Bridgerton, she would not have spent lavish sums of money on her wardrobe.  Also, after two blue covers for The Viscount Who Loved Me, I can’t help but see Kate wearing blue clothing.

Here are descriptions of the dresses from Ackermann's Repository of Arts:

October 1814: An evening primrose-coloured French sarsnet petticoat, trimmed round the bottom with a double border of clear muslin, drawn full with narrow ribband of corresponding colour to the petticoat; high body of jaconet muslin, with reversed drawings; long sleeve, drawn to correspond. A silk ruff. A silk net handkerchief-sash, tied in streamers and small bows behind. A Shipton straw bonnet, tied under the chin with a net handkerchief crossing the crown, and trimmed with a band of the same silk net. Sandals of evening primrose-coloured kid. Gloves to correspond.

November 1814: An Italian striped sarsnet lilac-cloured dress, ornemented round the bottom with a double quilling of satin ribband; short full sleeve, trimmed to correspond; the fronts of the dress cross the bosom and form an open stomacher; a Vandyke French ruff, and full bordered cap to correspond. The satin straw hat, tied under the chin with a check or striped Barcelona handkerchief, crossing the crown with a small plume of ostrich feathers in the front. French shawl, a white twill, embroidered with shaded scarlet and green silks, and fancifully disposed on the figure. Gloves, Limerick or York tan, drawn over the elbow. Half-boots of York tan or pale buff kid.

A book makes a great accessory for a serious-minded young lady, but Kate's actually got Lady Whistledown's Society Papers tucked inside.  (She doesn’t like to admit that she loves reading it, but trust me, if she were alive today, she’d be devouring US Weeky at the supermarket checkout line.)  This dress is from 1813, but the Sheffields would not have had enough money to completely redo Kate’s and Edwina’s wardrobes in 1814.  A simple day dress like this would be where they would be most likely to cut corners and economize.  I adore the green, too—it’s one of the colors I chose for my website!

Here is the description of the dress from Ackermann's Repository of Arts:

A white jaconet muslin high dress, with long sleeves and color of needlework; treble flounces of plaited muslin round the bottom; wrist and collar confined with a silk cord and tassel. The hair disposed in the Eastern style, with a fancy flower in front or on one side. A Vittoria cloak, or Pyrennean mantle, of pomona green sarsnet, trimmed with Spanish fringe of a corresponding shade, and confined in gracefulfolds on the left shoulder. A white lace veil thrown over the head-dress. A large Eastern parasol, the colour of the mantle, with deep Chinese awning. Roman show, or Spanish slipper, of pomona green kid, or jean. Gloves of primrose or amber-coloured kid.

From THE DUKE AND I, meet Daphne, the Duchess of Hastings (née Bridgerton)

This evening gown gets its glamour not from frills or flounces, but from the simple drape of the yellow over-dress.  The bows on the side add a nice touch, but without being overbearing.  And something about the hair seems just perfect for Daphne!

Here is a description of the dress from La Belle Assemblée:

"Evening Dress. Plain white satin, with a demi train made extremely low and quite square in the bosom. Epaulet short sleeve, which is set without a shoulder strap. Over this dress is a short one of white lace, in the form of a drapery, which is one of the most elegant and becoming things that we have seen for some time; it comes nearly to the knee in front and is sloped to a point behind, where it is about a quarter of a yard shorter than the under dress. It is fastened down in front by rosettes of pearl, and trimmed round with a rich but not very broad lace; a very light and elegant trimming, of either real or mock pearl, goes round the bosom and sleeves, and as our Readers will see by the Plate, is so contrived as to trim both without being divided; a band of the same goes round the waist. The hair is dressed in the same manner in front as last month, only rather more full, but the whole of the hind hair, which is fastened up behind, falls in light ringlets from the top of the head to the neck. A bandeau of small flowers, which is formed of pearls, goes twice round the head. Pearl necklace and earrings; white satin slippers, and white kid gloves; crape spangled fan. A rich tissue mantlet is thrown loosely over the shoulders by some of our elegantes."

"Carriage Costume" La Belle Assemblée December 1813 Click on image to see a larger version in another window.

I'm not sure why this carriage costume, on the right, seems so perfect for Daphne.  I think it might be the color, which reminds me so much of the cover of The Duke and I.  I can see her wearing this after she is married, in her new life as a young duchess.

Here is a description of from La Belle Assemblée:

"Kutusoff Mantle. Pink or scarlet cloth mantle, trimmed with a broad velvet ribband to correspond, a spenser of the same materials, one sleeve of which is concealed by the folds of the mantle; the collar, which is high and puckered, fastened at the throat with a broach; and a long lappel, which ends in a point, falls considerably over the left shoulder. A Kutusoff hat of pink or scarlet cloth, turned up in front, with a little corner to the right side, ties under the chin, and is finished with a pink or scarlet feather; a full puffing of lace or net is seen underneath. Plain cambric high dress, and pink or scarlet leather half boots. Our readers will be able to form a much better idea of this very elegant mantle from our Plate than from description; its effect upon a tall and graceful figure is amazingly striking, and it is, for the carriage costume, decidely the most elegant cloak that we have seen for some seasons back, and does the greatest credit to the tasteful fancy of its inventress, Miss Powell, successor to Mrs. Franklin, Piccadilly."

 

 

 

 

Where would you like to go now?

Visit Julia Quinn's bookshelf, where you can find excerpts from the books cited above.

Take a peek into Lottie's Closet, from Elizabeth Boyle's His Mistress By Morning.

See more fashion prints and other items from Candice's Collections.

Visit Candice's Regency World.

Join Candice on Facebook.

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