Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians

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This exciting new exhibition includes 200 works from the Royal Collection by artists such as Gainsborough, Zoffany and Hogarth, as well as rare surviving examples of clothing and accessories, helping you explore what the Georgians wore, from the practical dress of laundry maids to the glittering gowns worn at court. Visit Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians to explore what clothing can tell us about all areas of life in the rapidly changing world of 18th-century Britain. I was so pleased to have this press image as the snuffbox is very small (under 2 inches wide). Again, it was dark in the side room where it was displayed so it wasn’t easy to see this level of detail. German, Snuffbox, c.1770.

On display for the first time will be Queen Charlotte’s book of psalms, covered in the only silk fabric known to survive from one of her dresses. The expensive fabric, decorated with metal threads to glimmer in candlelight, was most likely repurposed after the dress had passed out of fashion. As textiles were highly prized, Georgian clothing was constantly recycled, even by the royal family, and there was a thriving market for second-hand clothes. The fashions of this era are quite familiar to us, as these are the styles of dress portrayed in the popular TV adaptations and films of Jane Austen novels, such as the 1995 Andrew Davies adaptation of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ for the BBC. ITV’s Sharpe is based in this era too, during the Peninsular and Napoleonic Wars. The portrait is shown alongside a roll of Chinese hand-painted silk from the 1760s covered with an almost identical pattern, on loan from The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. Chinese, Roll of hand-painted silk, c.1760s (detail). By the time of this portrait, George Washington only had one tooth, and his ivory false teeth were painful, which may account for the closed mouth expression. After Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)

You’ll discover what fashion can tell us about life in the 18th century, a revolutionary period when trade, travel and technological innovations fuelled fashion trends across all levels of society. But the future George IV and Lord Byron were early adopters of the new slim-fit long style, as shown in a portrait of Lord Byron by George Sanders, c.1807–8. George Sanders, George Gordon, 6th Lord Byron, c.1807–8. As well as influences from abroad, fashionable society increasingly looked to the lower classes for style inspiration, adopting previously working-class garments such as aprons and trousers. Knee breeches were worn by men for most of the 18th century; examples on display will include those depicted in Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of the famed musician Johann Christian Fischer , 1774–80, and a red silk-velvet court suit from the 1760s, remarkably like that worn by Fischer, loaned by the Fashion Museum Bath. However, by the end of the Georgian period, upper-class men adopted trousers for the first time, a legacy continued today. The future George IV and Lord Byron were early adopters of the new style, as shown in a portrait of Lord Byron by George Sanders, c.1807–8. The painting St James’s Park and the Mall (British School, c.1745) brings to life the hustle and bustle of 18th-century London’s most fashionable meeting place and provides a fascinating snapshot of Georgian society.

Welcome to part three of our Fashion Through the Ages series. Starting from medieval fashion ending at the swinging sixties, this section covers British fashion during the Georgian period. Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians brings together over 200 works from the Royal Collection, including paintings, prints and drawings by artists such as Gainsborough, Zoffany and Hogarth, as well as rare surviving examples of clothing and accessories. About 10% of the exhibits are on loan so we can see three-dimensional additions from the Fashion Museum Bath and others. Possibly French, Court suit of coat, waistcoat and breeches, c.1760s. The Georgians are known for many things, from courtly spectacle and political change to the birth of the Industrial Revolution. But one thing really set the era apart in history: the fashion. If there was one thing Georgian society did well, it was dress up. But rather than just look pretty, many of these garments tell a much bigger story. ‘Dress is so much more than just what we see on the surface,’ says curator Anna Reynolds. ‘I t’s fascinating what we can learn about a period when looking at it through a fashion history lens. Visitors might be surprised to learn how much the Georgian period has in common with the fashion landscape we know today, from influencers and fashion magazines to ideas about the value of clothes and how they can be recycled and repurposed.’ You can find out all about this and more at The Queen’s Gallery’s latest exhibition, Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians. Here’s seven things not to miss on your next visit. 7 Things Not To Miss At Style & Society: Dressing The Georgians 1. The Earliest Surviving British Royal Wedding DressAs well as influences from abroad, fashionable society increasingly looked to the lower classes for style inspiration, adopting previously working-class garments such as aprons and trousers. Knee breeches were worn by men for most of the 18th century; examples on display will include those depicted in Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of the famed musician, Johann Christian Fischer , and a red silk-velvet court suit from the 1760s, remarkably like that worn by Fischer, loaned by the Fashion Museum Bath. However, by the end of the Georgian period, upper-class men adopted trousers for the first time, a legacy continued today. The future George IV and Lord Byron were early adopters of the new style, as shown in a portrait of Lord Byron by George Sanders. Within a year of his accession, George I was faced with a challenge to his legitimacy from Jacobites who aimed to restore the Stuart bloodline to the throne.Tartan became a conspicuous feature of Charles Stuart’s attire during his early military campaigns, and he encouraged its widespread use among his army. Although forbidden from active service by his father, the Prince of Wales adored the glamour of military dress. The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts fought between France under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte and a number of European nations, including Great Britain, between 1799 and 1815.

Immensely tall and wide hairstyles became fashionable for women in the latter half of the century, resulting in the development of an entirely new trade: the hairdresser. Quirky items on display include a set of miniature bellows and a sprinkler used for applying hair powder, loaned by The School of Historical Dress. Miniature bellows for applying hair powder, The exhibition will include items of jewellery from Queen Charlotte’s famed collection, such as a diamond ring featuring a miniature of her husband George III, given to her on her wedding day. Other accessories on display will include beautiful English and French fans, which reached their fashionable zenith during this period, some representing topical events such as the first hot air balloon flight, and jewel-encrusted snuffboxes, reflecting the craze amongst both men and women for taking snuff throughout the 18th century. The painting is shown alongside a beautifully preserved gown of a similar style, worn at Queen Charlotte’s court in the 1760s, on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath. British, Court dress (gown, petticoat, stomacher and shoes), c.1740–60. The lady’s dress assumes a new outline. The waist has dropped to natural level and the sleeves and skirt are wide and full. The colours are bright, trimmings elaborate and much jewellery is worn. Accessories are varied, the most noticeable being the vast hat trimmed with many ribbon bows.

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In the same year of his appointment as colonel of the 10th Light Dragoons, the Prince of Wales commissioned George Stubbs to record the uniform of the regiment, showing (from left to right) the ranks of mounted sergeant, trumpeter, sergeant and trooper. George Stubbs (1724-1806) The exaggerated fashions of the period were a gift for caricaturists, coinciding with what has become known as the golden age of the satirical print. In the never-before-displayed New Invented Elastic Breeches, 1784, Thomas Rowlandson depicts a large man being manhandled into an optimistically small pair of leather breeches by two tailors. Thomas Rowlandson, New Invented Elastic Breeches, 1784. The exaggerated fashions of the period were a gift for caricaturists, coinciding with what has become known as the golden age of the satirical print. In the never-before-displayed New Invented Elastic Breeches, 1784, Thomas Rowlandson depicts a large man being manhandled into an optimistically small pair of leather breeches by two tailors. The eighteenth century was a great period of innovation for optical aids, including the development of spectacles with side arms. Before this, they were generally of the pince-nez type (balancing on the nose) or a single eyeglass on a chain. The circular frame was most common because round lenses were easiest to grind. After Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92).

From the practical everyday dress of laundry maids to the spectacular glittering costumes worn on formal court occasions, the clothing of the Georgian era reveals much about this revolutionary period of British history. Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians explores the ways in which fashion trends reflected the era’s cultural and political upheavals and how trade, travel, technological advances and influences from abroad all fed into the flourishing of diverse contemporary styles. A jewel-encrusted snuffbox reflects the craze amongst both men and women for taking snuff throughout the 18th century.Visitors will learn how the Georgians ushered in many of the cultural trends we know today, including the first stylists and influencers, the birth of a specialised fashion press and the development of shopping as a leisure activity. From the popularity of fancy-dress and the evolution of childrenswear, to the introduction of military uniforms and the role of clothing in showing support for revolutions at home and abroad, Style & Society will explore what clothing can tell us about all areas of life in the rapidly changing world of 18th-century Britain. At the heart of the exhibition will be a rarely displayed, full-length portrait of Queen Charlotte by Thomas Gainsborough, c.1781, which usually hangs in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. Painted by candlelight, it depicts the Queen in a magnificent gown, worn over a wide hoop and covered with gold spangles and tassels. The painting will be shown alongside a beautifully preserved gown of a similar style, worn at Queen Charlotte’s court in the 1760s, on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath. Discover Salvador Dali like never before in this first ever virtual reality metaverse art immersive experience. You’ll get to discover the masterpieces of surrealism’s most famous artist using state-of-the-art technology including projection mapping, visual effects, sound effects and more All the Georgian monarchs took a great interest in military clothing even when they were not particularly interested in fashion, and instigated various projects designed to systematise and record military dress. In Britain, the first official pattern uniforms were formalised for both the army and navy during the reign of George II and subsequently revised under George Ill and George IV. Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians will bring together over 200 works from the Royal Collection, including paintings, prints and drawings by artists such as Gainsborough, Zoffany and Hogarth, as well as rare surviving examples of clothing and accessories. The exhibition will build up a layer-by-layer picture of what the Georgians wore – from the practical dress of laundry maids to the glittering gowns worn at court – and chart the transformation of clothing and silhouettes from the accession of George I in 1714 to the death of George IV in 1830.