Category Archives: Regency Life
Advice on Good Taste from A Lady of Distinction
Most are not born with good taste, they must learn it from someone like A Lady of Distinction. If you missed the first part of this series, you can find links at the bottom of this post. Given the very negative impact dressing improperly could have on a young lady in society, one could hardly blame said young ladies and their mothers for seeking advice from those who might know better than themselves. Enter ‘A … Continue reading →
Undress, Half Dress, Full dress? What’s a Girl to do?
Undress, Half Dress or Full Dress. What’s the difference and why did it matter? This month the focus is all about the Netherfield Ball. And what are a young lady’s first thoughts about when invited to a ball? What to wear of course! Not surprisingly, the sort of ball being held would determine appropriate dress for the evening. An event like the Meryton Assembly, a public ball, might only call for ‘half dress’, nice by … Continue reading →
Public Schools in Jane Austen’s Day
Most gentlemen were sent to public boarding schools to prepare them for university. These schools bore little resemblance to public schools today. Public schools were public in the sense that boys were taught in groups outside of their private homes, not in the sense that these institutions were funded by public funds. A number of public schools existed, but the landed elite in particular chose to send their sons to a select number of these … Continue reading →
A Gentleman’s Education: the early years
A gentleman’s education set him apart from lesser men, even in his early life. What did that education look like? In all well-regulated states, the two principal points in view in the education of youth, ought to be, first, to make them good men, good members of the universal society of mankind; and in the next place to frame their minds in such a manner, as to make them most useful to that society to … Continue reading →