Monday, February 26, 2007

Regency Ladies and their Finery


The beautiful clothing that upper class ladies wore during the Regency is one of the many things that attract me to the period, even though it must have been a bit of a chore having to change three or four times a day. All those laces, corsets, petticoats and what have you to think about!

When I describe gowns in my books, such as the one illustrated here, I can imagine the feel of the silk whispering about my heroine's ankles, and the soft rustle of her petticoats as she moves. I would have done well in that period myself since the high-waisted fashions would have made a good job of concealing my virtually non-existent waist!

In my latest book, The Social Outcast, my young heroine defies convention at every opportunity. She wears men's breeches in order to ride astride her horse and even climbs trees to rescue kittens in distress. But she also loves her growing collection of dresses, revelling in the feel of her first ball gown, even if she shocks everyone by wearing it without a corset!

Read more in The Social Outcast, published by Robert Hale ISBN 978 0 7090 8239 2

Wendy Soliman

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