"Thank you to all who attended Lorna McKenzie’s Regency fashion parade. The Parade was both highly entertaining and very informative. We were absolutely thrilled to have a full house. The Woodford Academy Management Committee is very grateful for the ongoing support from our creative community which is critical in ensuring that this historic building remains open for all to experience and enjoy. Thanks again to Lorna McKenzie and her wonderful models."Many couldn't attend, so I am giving you a taste of the event through my blog. Enjoy!
War, revolution, lost colonies of the Americas
We start in the early era of budding
Sydney Town, the British claimed Australia as its own and in 1788 Sydney is the
capital of the British colony of New South Wales. Britain was at war with
France on and off throughout the Regency period, so uniforms play a big part in
the clothing for men, but first, let’s look at a sporting costume from 1790s. …
1. Royal Society of British
Bowman
Sir Foster founded the Society of
British Bowmen in 1787. It was an ideal way to socialise with his social equals
around Wrexham in England. The society was open to ladies and gentlemen.
Initially the sport was the top priority. The Society quickly gained the
patronage of George, Prince of Wales. He gave a prize each year to the
gentlemen and the ladies. The Society also had its own poet who wrote suitable
rhymes about the host and the guests.
At So and So's the
other day
The Clouds were in a
passion
His art no archer could
display
Since grape shot came in
fashion
A poetic hint at the drinking.
The meetings were the place to be
seen. It was a dating agency for the upper classes of Wrexham. Archery was not
the only sport at these meetings. Ooooooh, la la!
Dinah's outfit is based on an extant
Royal British Bowmen original jacket circa 1794 in the Manchester City
Galleries. The original uniform is glazed wool trimmed with silk & linen,
but as glazed wool is both hard to find and not suited to our climate, Dinah
used polished cotton. Dinah’s guess of a white skirt has been confirmed in? an
aquatint of the 1794 women's competition in Wales after her uniform was sewn.
To be completely accurate it should have a pink van dyke trim piped with green
on the hem. Dinah wears a style of hat called a Lunardi and is based on a
fashion plates she researched via pinterest. She is carrying an original 19th
century bow and arrow.
As already mentioned, The Royal
British Bowmen was the first archery society to admit women members in 1787,
and although women members had no fees, there were fines of 1 guinea for not
wearing the uniform at meets. The best scoring lady at the first meeting of the
year would be the Lady Paramount for the season, and in charge of all female
members and had the power to fining any for lady for misbehaviour.
2. Baudin era French naval
uniform
In 1800, Baudin set off from France
with battle corvettes refitted for a peaceful expedition to the Great Southern
Land during a lull in the Napoleonic wars. The ships were renamed Géographe and
Naturaliste. Captain Baudin did not get along with the young free thinking
gentlemen on board. He died on the return trip allowing François Péron to write
the official journal of the voyage ruining Baudin's reputation. Péron also
offered a proposal to the governor of Mauritius for how Sydney may be invaded.
There is no evidence that anybody took this seriously.
Philip’s French naval uniform was
worn from late 1793 to 1804 and is based on a portrait of Captain Jean-Jacques
Magendie (painted in 1802). Philip made this uniform in classes with me.
The embroidery primarily indicated
ranks until they were officially abolished in 1800. Many people continued to
wear embroidery on their uniforms regardless. At the time of the Baudin
expedition to Australia (1800-1803) a uniform like this without embroidery
would indicates the naval rank of Lieutenant.
3. Off with their heads!
How to survive, how to cope? The
answer? Be prepared for Madam Guillotine and party like its 1794! The Reign of
Terror and the Directoire period in France is a time of fast and furious change
in everything from who is important, who is dangerous to know, how you wear
your clothes, what's important to survive, the fashion you wear, the music you
listen to, the laws that rule your life, the way you live from day to day, all
is in flux!
The silks and satins of the years
before are replaced by simple but expensive cottons from India. Archeological
discoveries of Roman and Greek statues referring to democracy and republicanism
are the rage and influencing fashion, architecture and furniture. To look like
a Roman senator or Grecian goddess is the height of fashion.
Your wig is old hat, but what do you
do with the short hair under it? Turn it into a fashion statement my dear and
wear your hair 'a la Titus', i.e. like a Roman, fashionable for both men and
woman.
4. The Peninsula Wars, the
Grasshoppers and their wives – Alex and Deanne
Alex is a member of the 95th Rifles
re-enactment group. The 95th is a Napoleonic British Regiment raised in 1800.
Deane is his wife and has been allowed to accompany him on his campaign. This
means he has a better chance of survival, as he has a cook, nurse; help meet
and, hopefully won’t get Syphilis! 
To match Alex's 95th uniform Deanne is
wearing her camp followers out fit which is a dark green woolen skirt, striped yellow and white vest. Tartan
navy and green shawl and white plain bonnet.
The 95ths green uniform dress,
tactics and training was dramatically different from the normal red-coated
British line Infantry of the day. The green uniform aided in their ability to
conceal themselves, and their rifled firearms increased the accuracy of their
fire. Their training allowed them to work in pairs, use marksmanship principles
and actively shoot at human targets.
The Rifle Corps was fundamental in
the success of the British Army and was the basis of the modern Army. The 95th
Rifles still exist in the British Army, now named the 'The Green Jackets'. The
95th Rifles were never deployed to Australia but many veterans of the Napoleonic
War migrated to Australia.
5. A fashion plate from France
Dinah is prettily presenting a
reproduction from a fashion plate from Year 11 of the Directoire period in
France, 1803 in non-French counting. She wore this at the ball for the Jane
Austen Festival in Canberra this year, and my dears, everyone was bowled over
by her beauty and grace, as are we now!
6. French civilian (naturalist)
outfit
The gentleman of the Regency and
Directoire period undertook the study of botany and different animals in their
habitat. Naturalists abounded in Sydney town, clogging the narrow and muddy
streets, exploring out to Parramatta, Botany Bay and Penrith to see the new
world flora and fauna animals of kangaroos, emus, wattle and grevillias. They
were hHoping to find something to claim as new, kill it, stuff it, present a
paper back home on it and name it after themselves.
Phillip is representing a French
civilian naturalist. His Empire style linen coat is typical for 1805-1820. It
has a Republican cockade on a button, as many of the naturalists (especially
Labillardière) were inspired by the egalitarian ideals promised by the Enlightenment.
A Royalist would wear a white cockade and a Bonapartist might wear the Imperial
red, white and blue as seen on the military uniforms.
7. Adventurous women
There is a lot of upheaval at this
time, women’s husbands die in war and they need to support themselves and
Tracey has arrived to do just that,
she can hire skilled convicts to till her land and make her profits for her
while she hobnobs with the gentry of the town. She is dressed for a dinner with
friends; dinner at this time is taken at 4 pm, sometimes earlier. The colony
does not have endless wax candles to burn, the native bees do not provide the
wax required. She is dressed in a Grecian style gown of fine white muslin, with
a trained over gown in scarlet. White and pale colours are all the rage, the
archeological statue finds are all white, so it is believed that they were
always so. White is the height of fashion and it says ‘I’m rich and don’t have
to worry about my laundry’, the red silk says what silk always says, ‘I’m
rich’. I understand there is a gentleman of the party who is keen to make her
acquaintance …
8. Furthering his interests in
the colony
The country fashion of the English
gentleman has changed men’s fashion forever. Where the women have
J-L is at the Rocks waiting for the
mail packet to arrive with letters from home; it’s six months between communications
with his wife and children in England. He sports the long coat of the period;
this is an adaptation of an 18th century man’s ‘around the house’
coat known as a Banyan, the ‘onesie’ of the 18th c man. Well it’s
left the house and is elevated to the dining rooms, saloons and ballrooms all
over Europe and the Colonies. He wears a silk waistcoat, a linen shirt and silk
cravat and is sporting the knee breech and white silk stockings with clocks.
His shoes have buckles as the 18th c still has some influence over
his wardrobe. Gloves and a top hat complete his attire.
9. A glittering ball at
Government House
Kathy, Miriam and Angela are off to
a glittering ball in honour of the victory over Napoleon in 1813. Napolean
kicks his heels in Elba trying to figure out how to escape and the British
party at their success. Their husbands are ex Rum Corp officers transferred
into the 73rd regiment after the Rum Rebellion in 1809. They have remained to
serve the colony and their personal land interest.
As wives of officers whose pay often
doesn’t make ends meet, they have refashioned the bold embroidered silk from
their late 18th c. gowns, Miriam is the exception, she is in
mourning for the death of her child 12 months ago.
All three wear the bib front gown
style popular a few years earlier; their gowns have a smooth column front and
lovely draping with a train at the back. They wear flats like ballet slippers;
heels are very out of fashion and remain so for over 20 years! Hair is in
ringlets, or still short as in Kathy’s case. The hairstyles reflect those as
seen on the ancient statues of Greece and Rome. They wear gloves and carry fans
to keep cool in the warmth of the Australian evening.
10. Trowsers by gad!
John is sporting fashionable
trowsers (sic) of the mid Regency period. Trousers were first worn by sailors and
working men before 1800, and were adopted by the fashionable set around 1810.
Originally known as “slops”, trousers were loose-fitting and ended at the
ankle. As trousers were adopted, long stockings with decorative clocks were
replaced by half-hose, all but destroying the stocking industry, which had
thrived since breeches had become fashionable.
They were fastened with a flap in
front called a fall front, not surprisingly! This flap was held in place by two
or three buttons at the top. No belts were worn. Instead, breeches, pantaloons
and trousers were held up by tight-fitting waists, which were adjusted by
gusset ties in back of the waist. Seats were baggy to allow a man to rise
comfortably from a sitting position. As waists rose to the belly button after
1810, suspenders were used to hold the garment up.
Pantaloons were recommended for men
whose legs were both slim and muscular. The idea was to show off a good leg. If
men possessed deficiencies in musculature, a slight degree of stuffing was
recommended, although padding, it was assumed, would be used with the greatest
care and circumspection. Interestingly, stockings worn under pantaloons were
kept in place by the tightness of the design and fabric.
11. Red coats! Trooper uniform of
the 73rd Regiment of Foot
Philip is representing a “lance
jack” or lance corporal as shown by one rank stripe on the arm in the first
battalion of the 73rd regiment of Foot served in Australia from 1809 to 1815.
These were Governor Macquarie's troops who relieved the NSW (Rum) Corps and
maintained civil order.
They supervised convict work
parties, hunted bush rangers and defended the colony from invasion but their
biggest challenge was boredom and lack of opportunity for military glory.
Australia did not have a dedicated
artillery regiment at this time and one of the duties of the 73rd regiment was to
man a gun battery at Dawes Point, which is now the site of the Sydney Harbour
bridge.
12. Second sons and fortune
hunters
The new colony is a magnet to second
sons who want to leave the confines of England and find a fortune in a
Alex is from Scotland, the second
son, no money, but skilled in sheep rearing, he hopes to secure some land and
learn from Elizabeth MacArthur about sheep breeding to develop a long staple
wool that will change the weaving world! His Kilt and jacket are copies of an
extant suit made in 1800. The fundamental differences from the modern kilt are
the fastening buttons instead of buckles and lack of formal pleating
requirements. The Regency jacket has little resemblance to the formal modern
kilt jacket.
Their daughter is wearing a white cotton
dress with blue flower with bib opening front.Over this she is wearing a full
length apricot woolen Spencer and matching cap.
13. The gothic revival
As the Regency moves on, dress
starts to lose the simple Grecian lines and move into a more structured format
and by the teens the fashion style is influenced by the gothic styles of the
Renaissance. Gowns start to take on aspects of style, such as split sleeves,
many more trims and furbelows, Renaissance style head dresses, etc. Miss Austen
makes fun of the Gothic revival in Northanger Abbey, while others, such as Mrs
Radcliffe, write tales of gothic horror that curl the hair of her Regency
readers.
Alex is wearing a stunning
recreation of Mrs. Hurst’s gothic style full dress (ball gown), as seen in the
BBC’s Pride and Prejudice adaptation in the mid-90s.
Pride and Prejudice and Sense and
Sensibility were written in 1811 but published in 1813. According to a
biography writer, Jane revised her books, and the fashion between their covers,
accordingly before being published.
The original gown was made in green
silk with green velvet contrast. Alex’s is brown with burgundy velvet contrast.
Other than that, the gown is decorated as closely as possible to the original
BBC costume.
Her jewellery and headpiece are also
replicas of the film costume and were created by a good friend.
14. Australia, your standing in
it!
‘Prinny’ The Prince Regent, ascends
the throne of England as George IV on the 29 January 1820, the regency era is
over.
The French Revolution is long over
and with Napoleon safely removed from the scene, in distant St Helena, the
Bourbon king Louis XVIII - who is
restored to the throne now for the second time - attempts to establish the
constitutional monarchy which has been the condition of his dynasty's return.
In 1824, the British Admiralty
officially adopts the name ‘Australia’; we have ‘arrived’ on the map of the
European world.
It’s a decade where the native born
children of first settlers and convicts alike assert themselves and their
rights to what William Wentworth and others toast as ‘the land, boys, on which
we live!’. Sydney has 1,084 buildings – mostly single-storey dwellings – and
12,079 people and 120,000 sheep! We really are ‘living off the sheep’s back’.
Clare and Phoebe are daughters of
freed convict parents who received land grants
and are prospering. News of such
prosperity upsets the English government; transportation should be seen as a
terrifying prospect, a deterrent to crime. During the 1820s, the dreadful penal
settlements of Moreton Bay, Macquarie Harbour, Port Macquarie and Norfolk
Island were established and gained reputations for harsh punishments and severe
cruelty.
Both young women wear gowns designed
by me from extant originals from the early
1820s. They are dressed in the late
Gothic revival style that still holds sway on fashion, their waistlines have
dropped and will continue to the natural waist over the next few years. The
classic and clean lines of revolution and change have departed and we move to
over decorated gowns, rope petticoats appear to give an A-line shape, rather
than a graceful drape. Both these gowns are dress patterns in my ‘Stitch Up
History’ collection and will be published in the near future.
If you've read down this far, thank you, and I hope you've enjoyed a trip the early Sydney Town fashions.
If you've read down this far, thank you, and I hope you've enjoyed a trip the early Sydney Town fashions.
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I'm The Tailor's Apprentice, maker of The Miss Page 1940s reproduction patterns,
gowns developed from pattern pieces found amongst the remnants of Miss
Violet Florence Page’s life and work. Affordable, elegant, and unique
garments from the 1940s war years.
All my patterns are available
on Etsy and my website
where you'll find out more about me as well. This year I am publishing
an 1820s gown wardrobe pattern and have already published the Australian Army Nurses Services WWI uniform pattern.
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