BBC Recreates the Netherfield Ball

To celebrate the bicentennial of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, BBC decided to recreate one of the pivotal moments in the book, the Netherfield ball. The ball, held by Mr. Bingley, becomes the venue for our Lizzy Bennet's many embarrassments and misunderstandings.

Every savage can dance. Source: BBC News

The hour and a half Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball documentary with Amanda Vickery and Alastair Sooke is a wonderfully detailed recreation of the food, fashions, manners and dances of the Regency. While a lot of this is not ground breaking material,  for anyone who wants a crash-course in Regency fine living or looking to understand the nuances of Jane Austen's writing, this program is the perfect place to start.    

Food 
The food at a 1813 ball would have been highly ornate and grand. But to our modern sensibilities it would have also looked slightly disgusting. My favorite weird food was the whole chicken with legs and head, beak and all, still in place and a jello with about six little crayfish inside.

Whole chicken was quite a delicacy. Source: BBC News 

Fashion     
Regency fashion, unlike our contemporary duds, was not mass produced. Most dresses were made at home or with the help of a seamstress. That would have meant that at a ball one would see a much broader range of fabrics, patterns, flounces and styles than one could possibly find at any modern party. The individual style of the wearer would be that much more visible. And so good or bad taste would be that much more important.

All  dressed up and ready to party. Source: BBC News

Lighting 
Fun fact about candles during the time is that they were sold by length. There were four hour or six hour candles. So just by looking at the candles the guests would know how long the party was going to last. The rich could afford beeswax candles that gave off more light, while the poor had to be content with tallow candles that were made of animal fat and smelled foul.

Beeswax candles - a real status symbol. Source: BBC News

Dance 
Balls in period films often look like stately affairs, with lots of slow, pristine gliding around the rooms. But most English country dances actually involved a lot of complicated steps and quite a bit of jumping and prancing that would leave even modern professional dancers slightly out of breath. What's more, some dances were so complicated that special paper fans were available with little cheat-sheets on the back, that showed the music and the steps that one had to follow.

Are they feeling warm or trying to memorize dance steps? Source: BBC News 

You can watch the the whole documentary here. Or visit the BBC website for more fun facts and mini-documentaries.

How Many Dresses Does a Regency Lady Need?

We all aspire to be fashionable Regency ladies, do we not? But how does one accomplish such a task?

First, you must consider your wardrobe. Do you have enough gowns? Are they elegant or vulgar? Whatever shall you wear on your trip to Bath? All important questions, which I will attempt to help you answer.

Let's start from the basics.

Underwear
Unless you are a very fast lady, drawers are a no-no. Start with a shift, a long sack-like gown worn underneath all your other clothes. Linen is best - it is light and easy to wash. Gone are the days of the conical stays that your grandmother wore with such pride. Your stays are longer to flatten out the stomach and smooth out the silhouette.  Last comes your petticoat. Stocking are essential. Wool for winter and cotton for summer. And go glam with silk for a ball.

Stays, 1819, Source: Jane Austen Centre 

Morning Dress
Between the hours of rising and sitting down to dinner, you may wear a morning dress. It is a simple, practical gown made of muslin, calico or wool. Your arms, neck and bosom must be covered. But just because this is your at-home dress does not mean it should be shabby. Remember, lace can make any gown elegant. But all in moderation, you do not want to appear vulgar.  

Morning dress, France, 1818-1820. Source:  Les Arts Décoratifs

Day Dress / Afternoon Dress
For at-home visits and family time change into a day dress. But remember, modesty is everything. The French may suffer to wear deep decolletes, but as a proper English lady you better cover it up. Chemisette or fichu should do the trick.
   

Dress (open robe), 1795. Source: Met Museum  

Walking Dress / Promenade Dress
When out shopping or making formal calls, wear a walking dress. And out in a public place, go for a promenade dress. The two are often considered to be the same, but a promenade dress is usually a little more fine. Fabrics are light in the summer and heavier in the winter. Choose appropriate outwear for the season: shawl or warp for warmer weather, a spencer or pelisse for a colder day. You don't want to catch 'the muslin disease'.

Pelisse-coat, 1823. Source: Museum of London

Evening dress
Dinners at home or abroad are grand occasions. And you must show off all your finery. The neckline is lower and you may bare your arms. However, watch the fashion magazines. Sometimes long sleeves are in vogue, at others, short ones are popular. Fabrics can be rich: silk and satin. And if you are sick and tired of the dull 'classical' style, go for more recent history as Medieval, Renaissance and Gothic elements are very 'in' for both morning and evening wear.      

Evening Dress, 1823, Ackerman's Repository

Ball Dress
Some ladies are content with one fine evening gown for balls and dinners, but you should consider having a ball gown made especially. Fabrics are light, as you will be dancing, but rich. Popular choices are fine muslin, silk satin, duchesse silk and light taffeta. For a risqué look go with velvet. You may show your bosom, it is all right. A débutante ought to wear white and light pastels; married or older women may go with darker shades. To truly stand out in the candlelight adorn your dress with metallic trims, nets and beads. Gloves are a must for dancing and a fanciful turban will show your excellent taste.

Ball dress, 1812, Ackerman's Repository

Ridding Habit
A lady must ride; if only to accompany her husband. The dress for this activity is naturally darker, sturdier and heavier than your other gowns. Male fashions are de regulier with many masculine and military elements. The skirt is fuller than on a regular dress - you do not wish to show the world more than they ought to see.  

Ridding habit, 1817, Ackerman's Repository

Mourning Dress
When that disagreeable relation with a very large estate falls ill, start preparing a mourning dress. Black is for full mourning. For half mourning you may wear lilac, purple, grey or lavender. Avoid any shiny fabrics or jewellery. During half mourning a few black trinkets are acceptable.  

Mourning dress, 1823-1825. Source: Victoria & Albert Museum

Thus concludes our look at a wardrobe of a fashionable lady. Of course, one must not forget the dresses you will need for seaside resorts or evenings at the opera and numerous lovely accessories that a lady of quality simply must have at hand to be truly elegant. But that is a post for another day.    

Jewel Beetles in 19th Century Fashion

Evening Dress, 1850, India? Source: The Kyoto Costume Institute

What a beautiful dress! Mid-19th century white mull with silk satin bodice, a floral pattern and a matching shawl. So elegant!

But look closer. Can you see it? The floral embroidery on the skirt and shawl is made of thousands of beetle wings!

Evening Dress, detail, 1850, India? Source: The Kyoto Costume Institute

Jewel beetles or buprestidae have iridescent blue-green elytra (the hard case covering the wings) that reflect light very much like sequins and have been traditionally used for beetle wing jewelry and decorations. The elytra are lightweight and very durable. They retain color for a very long time and often remain intact when the surrounding fabric has practically disappeared.  

Jewel beetle embroidery came to England from India, where Madras and Clacutta were the centers of beetle wing art. The exquisitely beautiful elytra had been used since the beginning of the Mughal Empire to decorate turbans, wedding dresses and ceremonial robes as well as for jewelry and even paintings.

Dress piece, muslin, Madras (Chennai), India, about 1880. Source: V&A Museum

Though the technique came from India, Europeans often used the wing cases of South American jewel beetles. They must have looked quite dazzling in candlelight. This style of embroidery was not only fashionable, it was also considered a suitable pastime for ladies of leisure, who were advised to use Walker's number 8 needle and green thread.

Once the vogue for beetle wings on ball gowns had passed, they were often altered for fancy dress parties and masquerades. Beetle wings also found a home on the stage. Probably one of the most famous instance of jewel beetles in fashion is the stunning green dress worn by Ellen Terry in the role of Lady Macbeth at the London Lyceum Theater in 1888.

Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent, 1888

Ellen Terry's Lady Macbeth dress © Zenzie Tinker Conservation Ltd

The gorgeous emerald and sea green gown is crocheted and composed of 1,000 jewel beetle wings. It has recently been restored and it took artists 1,300 hours to return the tattered dress to its former glory. It is currently on display at Smallhythe Place.

While using bugs for decoration may seem like a strange Victorian caprice, some modern designers still use jewel beetles for dresses and jewelry.

Take for instance the young designer Holly Russell who created this sheer fantasy in 2009.

The Blue Jewel Beetle dress by Holly Russell, 2009

The dress is from Russell's Animals & Minerals collection and uses jewel beetle wing cases and human hair to create that slightly surreal effect.

And if you have seen the recent Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), you may recognize this gorgeous gown worn by Queen Ravenna.

Evil Queen dress by Colleen Atwood, 2012 

The dress was designed for Charlize Theron's Evil Queen by Colleen Atwood. It is made of turquoise and gold chiffon with jewel beetle detailing.

Jewel beetle embroidery is truly beautiful and it is a shame that it has been relegated to the world of high fashion and film costumes. I suppose people are just too squeamish about wearing insects; but maybe we should consider adding some nature's own iridescence to our everyday style.    

Dress of the Week: Court Dress

It is Friday night and I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go. And nothing says 'party' quite like an early-Victorian silk court dress.

Court dress, 1828, Germany. Source: Met Museum

Court dress, back, 1828, Germany. Source: Met Museum

Court dress,  bodice detail, 1828, Germany. Source: Met Museum 

Court dress, skirt detail, 1828, Germany. Source: Met Museum 

Date: 1828
Culture: German (probably)
Medium: silk, metal
Dimensions: Length at CB: 52 in. (132.1 cm) 

As Regency fashion for antiquity-inspired simple white garments began to wane, the early-Victorians developed a taste for lower waists, more bell-shaped skirts and much poofier sleeves, which ultimately resulted in leg o'mutton sleeve fashion, which I am sure people in the early 20th century regarded with as much horror as we do our own '90s.

While I do not much care for early-Victorian style (I think those huge sleeves make one's head look disproportionately tiny), I adore the metal embroidery on the skirt, sleeves and bodice. It makes me think of a dress of a fairy tale princess. It would be great fun to cosplay as Snow White in this lovely gown.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art