Gaelen Foley, Historical Romance, History

Influence of Classical Antiquity…
As we discussed in The Lady’s Wardrobe, the craze for Ancient Greece and Rome was going strong at the turn of the 19th century. It was reflected in everything from the Palladian-domed, Ionic-columned mansions coveted by the wealthy to the crisp, clean-lined Sheridan furniture inside, such as the scroll-armed divan on which a fashionable socialite might recover after a night at the ball. Even their plates and teacups were often adorned with frolicking nymphs and satyrs, or other Classical subjects.

So, while the ladies of the ton strove to look like marble Aphrodites and Athenas come to life, the gentlemen embraced the cool reserve of stoic Rome and the athleticism of Spartan Greece. (Sports such as boxing, fencing, hunting, riding, driving, and cricket were essential parts of the young buck’s lifestyle. Sea-bathing and weight-lifting were also popular. Regency clothes tended to show off manly muscles.)

Men’s hairstyles are a particularly good place to note the change in style: in contrast to the Georgian dandy’s white-powdered tye-wig or “queue” tied back with a black velvet ribbon, for example, the Regency buck cropped his hair short and wore it in artfully tousled curls reminiscent of Caesar or Alexander the Great (even if he had to sleep in curlers to achieve the look).

An Interesting Aside: A heavy tax placed on white hair powder in 1775 helped drive the powdered-wig look out of style. The tax simply made the style too expensive for most people, so it fell out of fashion. The style was retained, however, as part of the standard uniform of liveried footmen—a not-too-subtle way for the rich to advertise their wealth!

In this essay, we shall look at dressing the Regency hero, step-by-step. But first, no discussion of Regency male fashion could possibly be complete without a mention of George “Beau” Brummel.

Influence of Beau Brummel…
This uppity commoner of inimitable style made friends with the Prince Regent at school, thus gained access to the highest circles of the fashionable world, and proceeded to tell the aristocracy how to dress. And they listened.

Known for his scathing wit as well as his fashion sense (I can’t help picturing him as Rupert Everett for some reason) both men and women trembled in fear of the Beau’s sartorial disapproval. In the years before his downfall in 1816, when he ruined himself gambling after insulting the Prince Regent to the point of enmity, Beau Brummel led the charge in men’s fashions toward the new style of elegant simplicity.

Before Beau, men judged the excellence of a coat by the richness of its trimmings, such as gold- or silver-thread lace; he set the trend of judging a coat instead based on the quality of the fabric and the perfection of its cut. His influence can still be seen today in the overall conservatism of men’s suits with their focus on excellent tailoring.

Brummel was also known for his fastidious cleanliness. At a time when few people (even lords and ladies) thought it necessary or even very healthy to bathe daily, instead simply dousing themselves with perfume as needed, some people thought his insistence on personal hygiene quite eccentric. Thankfully, the Beau’s mighty influence turned their attitudes around and thanks to him the world became a much better-smelling place.

The Gentleman’s Gentleman…
Another person—or rather class of persons—who must be considered in any discussion of 19th c. male clothing is the all-important “gentleman’s gentleman” or valet. The hero behind the hero, the valet was the male equivalent of the lady’s maid. He dressed and undressed his master, shaved him, likely did his hair, kept his clothes neat and meticulously ironed, blacked his boots, sewed buttons as needed, and kept secret any flaws of his master’s figure that might need correction by means of a male corset, shoulder pads, or false calves. But most importantly of all, the valet had the solemn duty of starching and tying that showpiece of male attire—the cravat.

This being said, however, the Regency dandy was expected to have a certain style or panache all his own. It was a grave insult to say that a man had been “made” by his valet or tailor. Fashion sense was as important a trait for a proper gentleman as wit, gallantry, or “bottom” (courage). Let us now proceed to the various elements of dressing the Regency man!