Regency costumes are a very popular choice for many customers who visit Farthingale, the specialists in historical clothing. They are a good choice for many period dramas, including re-enactments and TV productions, as well as for anniversary parties and weddings themed around Regency Britain. For example, Pride and Prejudice themed parties are always popular, and this was set in a backdrop of Regency Britain, so Regency costumes are always a good choice for recreating this period of history.
Regency Britain refers to a specific point in British history, specifically the years 1811 to 1820. This was a decade of the Georgian era, which was from 1714 to 1837, when Britain was ruled by Kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The Regency period which is reflected in the Regency costumes available at Farthingale was a particular decade. The ruling King, George III, had become too ill to rule. He had some sort of illness. Historians have debated exactly what the problem was, since it seems that he suffered health difficulties for most of his life, but by 1811 George III was suffering from extreme rheumatic pain, was virtually blind, increasingly deaf, and had developed dementia, which led his doctors to declare him insane. He had little awareness of what was going on – for example, in 1814, he was declared the King of Hanover, and in 1818 his wife died, neither of which he knew or understood. In response, the British Parliament passed the Regency Act of 1811, which made his son, George, Prince of Wales, the Regent of Britain. George ruled as Regent for his father until the death of the King in 1820, at which point the Regent was crowned as King George IV.
This decade of the Regency was one of great change. The Napoleonic Wars continued until 1815, with the famous Battle of Waterloo. In 1812, Spencer Perceval became the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated. During the same decade, Jane Austen published Pride and Prejudice, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, and Walter Scott published Ivanhoe. Mass protests of working-class groups took to the streets to demand political equality, leading to the massacre of peaceful protesters in 1819 Manchester. The first steam ship crossed the Atlantic, and the Royal Astronomical Society was founded. In other words, Regency Britain was a time of great social excitement and change, and this was reflected in Regency costumes.
Men of social standing used their Regency costumes to show their wealth and status, either to show what they had or, to use a modern phrase, to ‘fake it until you make it’ by giving the impression of success to impress creditors. Women of the period wore beautiful dresses, noted for flowing lines and beautiful needlework.
If you are looking for Regency costumes for an event or production, let Farthingale help you find the right items. As well as Regency costumes, they have Georgian, Medieval and Victorian clothes.
For more information, including all enquiries about Regency costumes for sale or rental, contact Farthingale today.
