1811 Evening Dress, French. Red cashmere dress over white under shirt with short puffed sleeves, carrying a white shawl, long white gloves, earrings and white evening shoes. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Though this is a French fashion plate, the outfit is typical of the dresses worn by Jane Austen and her contemporaries. An Empire style, or high-waisted, dress with a white underdress and for warmth there is an extra layer with the shawl.
Definition Cashmere: Soft, fine wool, historically used for costly dress fabric, usually in twill weave. Originally made of yarn handspun from the wool of Cashmere goats but later from other soft wools. Used for dresses, infants’ coats.
1816 January Blue Carriage Dress, English. High neck but no collar, front is fitted but back has slight fullness and very short bodice. Puffed roll to decorate the hem, trimmed in bias cut blue satin, long sleeves finished at wrists with satin, gloves of white kid and ‘sandals’ or shoes of blue kid leather. Head-dress à la mode de Paris is an unusual cap of white lace and decorated with two rolls of ribbon. “We are indebted to the tasteful fancy of Mrs. Bean, of Albemarle Street, for both our dresses this month.” Fashion Plate via Rudolph Ackermann’s ‘The Repository of Arts’.
Jane Austen and her contemporaries would have worn this style of outdoor, or carriage ensemble with a coat over a dress. These outdoor dresses were labelled a variety of names. In England, this might also have been called a Walking Or Promenade dress, or Pelisse. In Europe, it would be called a Redingote.
Definition: Pelisse, Walking Dress, Carriage dress, Promenade Dress, Redingote. Long, fitted coat sometimes cut away in front to show off the dress underneath. Originally made for men with several capes and trimmed with large buttons, they were adapted to add an additional, and warmer, layer to the typical white muslin dresses worn in the early 1800s. Those light weight dresses were good in summer but not suited to harsh winters. Over the carriage dress, a shawl could be added as well as a muff to give a warm and comfortable outfit for traveling by carriage.
1860 Corset, American. Cotton, metal, and bone. Manufacturer: Langdon Batcheller and Company, A1851-1860 ca. Blue Ribbed Silk Corset, English. Front and Back. Front hooks and back lacing. via Museum of London, UK. museumoflondon.org.uk
As some of my historical romance books are set in a house in Grosvenor Square, its history fascinates me. How about you? Do you love the history associated with Grosvenor Square? The Jamison family in Embracing Scandal and Scenting Scandal live in Grosvenor Square.
Grosvenor Square - Pronounced ˈɡrovna’, is a large garden square in the exclusive Mayfair district and the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster and takes its name from their surname, “Grosvenor”.
In 1710, Sir Richard Grosvenor obtained a licence to develop Grosvenor Square and the surrounding streets and development started around 1721. Grosvenor Square became one of the most fashionable residential addresses in London from its construction until the Second World War, with numerous leading members of the aristocracy in residence. The early houses had five or seven bays, basement, three main stories, and an attic. Colen Campbell produced a design for a palatial east side to the square featuring thirty Corinthian columns but this was not carried out and in the end most of the houses were built to individual designs. There were mews behind all four sides. Many houses were rebuilt later and acquired an extra storey. Number 23 (later 26) was rebuilt in 1773–74 for the 11th Earl of Derby by Robert Adam and shows how grandeur of effect and sophisticated planning might be achieved on a confined site. It was demolished and rebuilt again in the 1860s.
1761 – Sir Richard Grosvenor, the 7th Baronet, was created Baron Grosvenor of Eaton in the County of Chester
1784 – Became Viscount Belgrave and Earl Grosvenor under George III.
1831- At coronation of William IV, Robert Grosvenor, the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, became Marquess of Westminster
1874 – Queen Victoria created the title Duke of Westminster and bestowed it upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster.
Current title holder is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster and his seat is at Eaton Hall, Cheshire The Dukedom and Marquessate are in the Peerage of the United Kingdom The rest are in the Peerage of Great Britain. The courtesy title of the eldest son and heir to the Duke is Earl Grosvenor.
Nearly all of the older houses were demolished during the 20th century and replaced with blocks of flats in a neo-Georgian style, hotels and embassies. The central garden was originally reserved for the occupants of the houses but is now a public park managed by The Royal Parks. Grosvenor Square. Grosvenor Square has been the traditional home of the official American presence in London since John Adams established the first American mission to the Court of St. James’s in 1785. Adams lived, from 1785 to 1788, in the house which still stands on the corner of Brook and Duke Streets. During World War II, Eisenhower established a military headquarters at 20 Grosvenor Square, and during this time the square was nicknamed “Eisenhower Platz”.
The former American Embassy of 1938–1960 on the square was purchased by the Canadian government and renamed Macdonald House. In 1960, a modern USA Embassy was built on the western side of Grosvenor Square and caused controversy in the mainly Georgian and neo-Georgian area. In 2008, the United States Government chose a site for a new embassy in the Nine Elms area, south of the River Thames with with relocation completed by 2016 or 2017. In October, 2009, English Heritage granted Grade II listed status to the building which means new owners will not be allowed to change the facade.
Grosvenor Square in Literature In Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens the Barnacles are said to live at “four Mews Street Grosvenor” which “was not absolutely Grosvenor Square itself but it was very near it”. Caroline Bingley makes a comment regarding the local dance in Pride and Prejudice ”We are a long way from Grosvenor Square, are we not, Mr Darcy”. It appears in the title of several novels including The Lonely Lady of Grosvenor Square by Mrs. Henry De La Pasture (1907) and The House in Grosvenor Square by Linore Rose Burkard (2009) In Oscar Wilde’s play Lady Windermere’s Fan, the Duchess of Berwick says, “I think on the whole that Grosvenor Square would be a more healthy place to reside in. There are lots of vulgar people live in Grosvenor Square, but at any rate there are no horrid kangaroos crawling about.”
1800s A Young Lady Riding and Carriage Driving, England. #Riding #Regency #Victorian #Cartoon From: 1860 Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by Robert Smith Surtees. via Google Books (PD-100)
A Lady On The Hunt Riding Side-Saddle. From: 1860 Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by Robert Smith Surtees. via Google Books (PD-100) suzilove.comA bold young man kissing a young lady at the hunt. via 1860 Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour By Robert Smith Surtees. via Google Books (PD-150) suzilove.com1860 Rebellious Lady driving and smoking a cigar.via 1860 Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour by Robert Smith Surtees via Google Books (PD-100)1860 A Day at the Turf. Lady riding side-saddle with gentleman. From- 1860 Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour by Robert Smith Surtees. via Google Books (PD-100) suzilove.comA lady and a gentleman in a carriage. Lady driving and smoking. via 1860 Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour by Robert Smith Surtees. via Google Books (PD-100) suzilove.com
1807 Cotton Linen Shirt, British. Non-regulation shirt worn under uniform. High collar to allow room for a stock, fullness and pleated sleeves enable wearer to fit into tight arms popular in coats. The men in Jane Austen’s life would have worn a shirt like this, especially if they were in the military as many men were during the Napoleonic Wars. via Royal Museums Greenwich collections.rmg.co.uk
1804–1805 ca. Evening Dress, French. Narrow white dress of sheer cotton mull, probably from India, and with sheer short sleeves, extra wide neckline, vertical white embroidery which was very fashionable at the time. The cotton fabric was probably imported from India already embroidered with heavy white cotton thread in transparent mull. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, this sort of dress was considered shocking and immodest after the wider hooped dresses of the eighteenth century. This style of dress was worn by most women in Jane Austen’s time, but only the wealthy could afford the best quality mull. Vertical white embroidery was very fashionable in the early 1800s, with the sheer cotton mull probably imported from India already embroidered with this heavy white cotton thread. These daring items of clothing copied the Grecian idea of loosely draped clothing and were the first of many changes to women’s outfits. Heavy fabrics were abandoned, especially in summer, in favor of lighter materials that allowed women to move about easier.
From the museum curator: “On December 24, 1803, Jerome Bonaparte (1784—1860), brother of Napoleon, wed Elizabeth Patterson (1785—1879) of Baltimore. The beautiful and fashionable young American was married in a dress of muslin and lace that, according to a contemporary, “would fit easily into a gentleman’s pocket.” Although originally thought to have been Patterson’s wedding dress, the formal gown illustrated here probably dates from 1804, when this type of vertical white embroidery became fashionable. Napoleon had the marriage annulled in 1805. Jerome was made king of Westphalia in 1807 and he married the princess of Wurttemberg. Elizabeth, banned from France by the emperor, remained in Baltimore with her son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte (1805—1870). Metropolitan Museum, New York City, USA.
Scenting Scandal: Lady Laura Jamison: “For the sake of propriety, I was ensuring your garments were intact.” #HistoricalMystery #VictorianRomance #RomCom https://books2read.com/suziloveSS
1805 Women’s Dresses and Fashion Accessories. Fashion plates from Fashions of London and Paris. Gorgeous Regency Era clothing came in a wide range of styles to suit every season and occasion. Ladies in Jane Austen’s times wore Empire style dresses which were usually of light fabric and floaty in style so accessories were essential to keep women warm. Accessory: item which contributes to the overall effect but is of secondary importance is the dictionary definition of an accessory, but the term has only been applied in relation to personal appearance since the 19th century. As defined by dress historians, accessories usually complete an outfit and are chosen to complement it. Accessories fall into two groups: Those worn, such as bonnets, caps and hats, boots and shoes, cravats and ties, gloves, mittens and muffs, jewellery, scarves and shawls, socks and stockings. Those that are carried, such as bags, canes, fans, parasols and umbrellas, and swords.
