Through the Early 1810's: Starting with Bridgerton

On the streaming series, Bridgerton, starting in 1813, Great Britain was under the reign of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and King George III (also known as Mad King George). In the series, Queen Charlotte was the face of the crown, she was the one who debutantes presented to, and Her Majesty was presented at various events for the royal family.

They King and Queen had 15 children in total, 13 of whom survived to adulthood, two of whom were future British monarchs, George IV, and William IV; as well as Charlotte, Princess Royal, who became Queen of Württemberg; Prince Edward, the father of Queen Victoria; and Prince Ernest Augustus, who became King of Hanover. Early in King George's reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War, becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. Further wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 concluded in the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Fashions of the Period

The fashion style between 1813 and 1815 was inspired by the classical antiquity, modeled into the high-waisted neoclassical silhouette, increasingly broken by trim, colors, and a new angularity as the tubular skirts were gradually replaced by triangular versions. I focus on the women, because I am a woman, and their clothes always fascinate me.

First was the shifts, or chemises, that were meant to protect the rest of the undergarments from the body’s perspiration. Corsets were necessary, yet unbelievably uncomfortable, made with whale bone, and tightened to give women a more feminine figure. And then a petticoat, which was a layer between the women’s clothing and underwear.

Clothes worn inside the home was called the morning dress, and lacked a whole lot of decoration, and was modest, simple, and hopefully comfortable. While, evening gowns were meant to be seen at parties, and were styled with more colors, accessories, and embellishments.

The classical influence extended to hairstyles. Often masses of curls were worn over the forehead and ears, with the longer back hair drawn up into loose buns or Psyche knots influenced by Greek and Roman styles. Here are some videos of modern versions of the styles I’ve been inspired by. This is just a small sample of the period, and culture in the early 1810’s.

First Month of the New Year 2021

This January, there has been so much going on, I’m just now getting caught up, and posting. A lot of new seasons, and even some new series on streaming channels, have begun, and I’ve even got caught up in plenty of older series, so now I would like to share so much.

For starters, I’ve been discovering a lot of interesting period dramas, going back to Bridgerton, and finding other series connecting to that time frame. Belgravia takes place in 1815 which is two years after, right around the Battle of Waterloo. Queen Charlotte and King George’s reign was during the Napoleon wars, and their descendants including Queen Victoria, who along side Prince Alfred were mentioned in Belgravia, twenty years after the first scenes.

The CW, along with a few other channels, have released new seasons of their series. Starting with a brand new Batwoman. Kate Kane has been presumed dead after a plane crash, she was on. Now, Ryan Wilder has found the suit, and wants to take up the mantle to give justice to those in Gotham. On Netflix, the rebirth of interesting story, Fate: Winx Saga; Bloom and her friends reimagined in an interesting tale.

All of these and more, there is so much starting with this new year, I hope to keep writing and sharing, without fall behind.