… in the Regency Era. Indian words related to fabrics: calico, pajama, gingham, dungaree, chintz, & khaki – are still used with original meanings. (photo: a village cotton harvest in modern India. Note the gorgeous dyed fabrics the women are wearing that caught the world market in the 18th century, …

… worldwide in late Georgian & Regency fashion eras (1790-1820), because Indian cotton was beautifully dyed, of high quality, & was inexpensive. (photo: Left: Lovely 1817 Indian print cotton Regency gown)

…around the world, but the King of England was worried. With fast ships & improved communication, cotton from India was undercutting the market for English cottons & fabrics. The King imposed an 85% tariff in 1819 (85 cents out of every dollar!) on all cotton imported from India, & hired …

…on Regency fashion. Prior to 1800, most cotton used by Europe & the new United States came from England. Development of the cotton gin in the U.S. in 1794 plus new spinning methods changed the whole balance of trade, and therefore fashion, worldwide. (photo: Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in a …

…woman! Message us for information on building your project. Deep discounts for all 2017 projects in exchange for use in marketing! March 2017 commission available. (photo: You can be a happy Regency model too! Portrait of an every day woman 1810)

Free from tight corsets for this brief time in women’s fashion, the Regency Era got a “wild” reputation. You’ll see why, as we discuss what was going on in the world at the time in upcoming posts. (photos: 1790-1800 Regency still had traces of Georgian/Colonial restraint, but by 1805 (right), …

are merrily coordinated in 1800-1820). Notice – regardless of decoration or accessory, the dress is always of very thin white cotton with a high waist (we’ll talk about that later).

…Regency (1800-1820)  fashions. (photos: Regency men with their women in coordinated “couple ensembles” from England and the US.)

…in the 1800-1818 period. They wanted the “freedom to ride (a horse)” that men had, & some even dared wear boots (only when riding)! One wonders though why they kept those darn skirts… (photos: Marie Antoinette, Queen of France 1776 (setting the military trend BEFORE it hit in the 1800’s), …

… it is said in about 1790, singed his fashionable military coat tails by standing too close to the fire, thus setting a fashion trend called a “Spencer”: a military coat with “frogging” (braid & decoration) but no “tails”. (photo: A man’s “Spencer” coat of 1800 – this one cut …