Some amusing observations on the fashion of the late 18th century

20^th June 1769 The King’s Birthday Party at the Presence Chamber

– as described in a letter from Mrs Waddington

‘The Duchess of Queensbury had on a pea green and purple striped lustring (glossy silk) with a long black lace hood and and silk white stockings with green clocks. She always has her stockings to match her gowns.

The Duchess of Kingstone in green and gold brocade and the Duchess of Marlborough in straw colour and silver with silver net flounces and tied with lilac ribbon. She wore a diamond cap and a diamond nosegay in her bosom.

Lady Almenia Carpenter in a clouded lustring green purple and white.

Lady Walgrave in white and gold and still looking very handsome etc etc.

All the beaux when they danced had their coats buttoned and white feathers in their hats.

There were 60 minuets on the dance list!’

In a letter from my cousin Greenly to my mother written Winter 1775 she says:

‘The fashionable head-dresses are very curious. Gooseberry and currant bushes, cherry trees and full blown roses grow in the ladies ‘heads.

An elegant cap is not to be bought under 5 guineas-nor a tolerable one for less than four and a half.

And then in Bath 1785

‘Mrs Sharpe the mantua maker informed me that young ladies wear gauze tails with different coloured bodies and straw petticoats or bustles (commonly called pads) are worn more than hoops.

Tell your mama she must have five or six ringlets on each side of her head and her hind hair must hang down in ringlets –the more false she adds the better, and if long enough to sit upon the appearance will be more fashionable.

On the top of her head she must place a wreath of poppies or six or eight feathers of different colours. On her neck she must put some wires to support her handkerchief.

Her bustles cannot be too large, in short it is impossible to stick out too much before or behind.’

Letter from my cousin in Bath - Miss Elizabeth Greenly in 1786

We were invited to a ball and supper at Mrs Roffey’s.

I was frizzled, pommandered and powdered and after sitting about an hour under my hairdressers hands a thing appeared in the form of a toupee on the top of which I stuck my white hat with a black gown a large bouquet and a white sash made me tolerably smart.

February 10^th1788 in a letter from Miss Weston

I have seen Romney’s picture of Colonel and Mrs Johnes which has been much talked about in Herefordshire.

The likeness of the former is striking - the latter is presented as a perfect beauty.

No 1 Belmont, Bath 27^th January 1789

You may inform your mother that she or you may wear a body of blue and a tail of yellow but nothing is more genteel than a white train or petticoat with a coloured body.

Gauze and muslin gowns are also much worn. Rumps are entirely abandoned but straw petticoats still worn.

There is really no general fashion the only rule is to observe a medium and not to be outré in any respect.

A Mrs Evans, an Irish widow, was last night in a very laughable embarrassment at the ball. She is immensely fat -her head was a direct full- bottomed wig turned before with flowing ringlets far below her rump, a body of green and a tail of white, a handkerchief pinned entirely off the shoulders with the stays and tucker so prominent that far below the stomach was visible.

One of the aforesaid ringlets unfortunately caught on the button of an old man’s coat which he not perceiving resulted in him dragged her after him.