Swagger: Bucks, Beaux and Dandies with Dr Jennifer Kloester

From the glories of the 1995 film Pride and Prejudice – with Colin Firth’s swoon-worthy wet shirt moment – and every Austen adaptation since to the hugely successful Bridgerton series with its cavalcade of elegantly-attired men, Regency fashion has continued to enthral and inspire readers and viewers everywhere. But what did men actually wear in that fascinating period of 1811-1820? How and why had well-to-do men’s clothing moved so far from the rich costumery of the previous century to the elegant but plainer attire of the early 19th century?

This talk will explain these remarkable changes and just what it took to become a Nonpareil – such as that famous ‘arbiter of elegance’ Beau Brummell – and a leader of fashion in the lively, mayfly world of upper-class English Regency men. It will also look at what everyone else wore from the coalheaver to the clergyman and how Regency fashion had its own hierarchy with clues – both subtle and overt – to a man’s wealth, status and aspirations.