Regency Trivia – Pantaloons

Pantaloons were extremely popular for wear during the day and for some evening entertainments. They were not considered as formal for evening wear as were breeches.

Pantaloons were made from linen and a knitted material. When the knitted material was used they were cut 2” smaller than the gentleman’s measurements. They covered the ankle and were held down by a strap that went under the foot. They could also be worn with boots or dress pumps.

After they went out of style there is a story about two older ladies bemoaning that they were no longer worn because you could immediately see a man’s interest when he wore pantaloons.

 

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Regency Trivia – Men’s Breeches

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During the Regency there were three types of unmentionables men wore. The oldest—and the only one accept at Almack’s—were breeches. Breeches could be made in a variety of different fabrics, such as silk, wool, leather, and nankeen.  Breeches ended just below the knee and could be worn with either boots or dress pumps. They were essential wear for evening events until around the late 1840’s. Only gentlemen dressed in breeches were allowed in Almack’s. Buckskin breeches were de rigueur for riding, around Town, and in the country.

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Regency Trivia – Ubiquitous Words – Check

As we’ve seen before, some words have been around for hundreds of years, but their meanings have evolved over time. ‘Check’ used as a verb is one of those words. Up until the around 1911 in the US, ‘check’ meant to stop someone from doing something, or to stop yourself from doing something, or to slow your horses. It applied to dogs losing a scent. To lose one’s wages, in short, there were many meanings.

However, around the time of WWI in the US ‘check’ began to be used to look in on something or to arrive and depart from a place such as checking into a hotel.

Therefore, during the Regency, ‘check’ was not used to look in one someone or something or to ensure something.

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Regency Trivia – Men’s Underclothing

During the Regency, underclothing was the term for underwear. Unmentionables were actually breeches or trousers, not underclothing. The meaning changed to mean underclothing during the Victorian era. Interestingly, a man’s shirt was also considered to be underwear. Ergo, if a man is running around wearing only his shirt, he’s running around in this underclothing. This was probably the reason banyans were so popular. One man even had his portrait wearing one. For their nether parts, gentlemen either wore their shirt tails tucked around their groin or drawers.

 

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Regency Trivia – Women’s Drawers

There is an on-going (and unresolved) debate about whether ladies wore drawers. Advertisements have been found for drawers. I tend to think ladies, especially young ladies, did not wear them. It’s more than possible that women in the demi-mode did wear them. They were considered scandalous because they had legs and only men were supposed to wear clothing items with legs. They were also notorious for falling down. At least one lady was embarrassed when she was at an evening entertainment and they did just that. But whether you believe they did or not, it’s helpful to know just what Regency era drawers looked like.

Drawers were two pieces of cloth made into legs and held together by a string at the waist, very much like chaps. There was no slit.

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Regency Trivia – Hall or Foyer?

A hall originally referred to the large main room of an old castle or house. It was the place that the family showed its wealth. They were often quite elaborate because it was the first impression a visitor got. When I lived in England in the late 1990’s and early 2000 the first room one entered was still called a hall.

However, it’s quite common in the US to call the first room one comes to after entering the house a foyer from the French foyer. But what did the word ‘foyer’ mean in England during the early to middle part of the 19^th century? According to the OED foyer first came into use around 1859 and was the green room or large room in the theater as this quote shows. “1859   G. A. Sala Twice round Clock (1861) 263  “This model foyer is to have something of the Haymarket and something of the Adelphi.””

Gradually, it came to mean any large room in a theater, restaurant, or other public building.

1882   Harper’s Mag. Feb. 327  Twice a year it is held in the foyer of the Academy of Music.

1910   Bradshaw’s Railway Guide Apr. 1116  The Restaurant with Foyer is one of the prettiest Dining Rooms in London.

1915   ‘Bartimeus’ Tall Ship iv. 77  There were at least half a dozen mothers in the foyer of the big..hotel.

The OED still does not define the word as an entrance to a house. However, Merriam-Webster defines the word as an entrance hall or vestibule and dates its use in North America to 1833. Thus, clearly making it a word Americans have used for almost 200 years.

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Regency Trivia – The Dos and Don’ts of Being in the Company of Men for an Unmarried Lady

A lady cannot be alone with a gentleman who is not either a very close relative (father, grandfather, brother, uncle) or guardian in a closed room or a closed carriage, or a carriage that either the lady or the gentleman is not driving.

A lady must have a chaperone of some sort (friend, maid, footman) when she is walking with a gentleman.

A lady may not speak with a gentleman if he has not been properly introduced to her.

A lady who must accept a dance offer from a gentleman if she has an open set left. If she does not, she cannot dance that set with another gentleman. Unless, of course, a gentleman strolls up and says, “My dance I believe.” Thus saving her from the man she doesn’t wish to stand up with.

A lady may not dance more than twice in one evening with a gentleman. This could get interesting as there could be as many as four entertainments in one evening.

A lady may ride in a sporting carriage with a gentleman without a chaperone to some place like the Park. She may not take off to Richmond (for example) alone with him.

A lady may not accept jewelry or clothing from a gentleman. She may accept trifles such as flowers, poems, a fan, etc.

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Regency Trivia – Towels (Fluffy ones were not a thing)

During the Regency towels were either linen, cotton, or flannel. The weaving technique was first developed in France in 1841. This video shows how terry cloth was first woven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d5gwvUzAlI At the time it was used for clothing.

The technique was used on cotton in 1848, and in 1850 an industrial method for weaving terry cloth was developed. Once terry cloth was machine made, it began to be sold to be sold in lengths as toweling, and as pre-made towels. The industrial process made terry cloths affordable.

I haven’t been able to find anything concerning when fluffy towels were first made. From my own memory, I think it was sometime in the later part of the 20^th century.

My thanks to Doreen for this idea.

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Regency Trivia – University or College

During the Regency as well as today the words university and college are not interchangeable. In England college comes before university. For example, Eton College is the equivalent of US and Canadian high school. A university a place of higher education such as Oxford and Cambridge. This is true in Europe as well.

Although it’s customary now for students at university to graduate with degrees, during the Regency that was not necessarily the case. In only a few areas, legal studies (to be a barrister) and studies for the clergy required that one completed a course of study. Most young gentlemen went to university to make contacts and have fun.

The first two images are of Eton. The second two are of Oxford.

 

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Regency Trivia – Strange Things in the Lords

I’ve gotten to a part in the book I’m writing (The Most Eligible Bride in London) where I needed to know whether the Lords has assigned seating. Well, I never did find the answer on Google, but I did find this which I thought might interest you.

https://www.comedycentral.co.uk/news/21-things-about-the-houses-of-parliament-which-are-completely-mental

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