Lady Cas has a Tiger

"The ladies & dandies have taken to ride in the Mall in St James’s Park in such numbers as to be quite a nuisance."

James Purefoy in Beau Brummell: This Charming Man

“To be truly elegant, one should not be noticed.”

Brummell invented modern man’s sartorial fashion and famously polished his boots with champagne. Lord Byron’s famous quip states, “There are but three great men in the nineteenth century, Brummell, Napoleon, and myself.” The grandson of a valet and son of Lord North’s private secretary, Beau Brummell was thoroughly middle-class by birth, but through his eccentricities, charm, and above all his fashion sense, he managed to ensconce himself in the highest circles of Regency society for nearly 15 years — the Prince of Wales was an avid fan and supporter.

Basically, he had the brainwave to starch muslin cravats, which had previously been pathetically limp and made a statement only by great volume, and to advocate simplicity tinged with elegance in dress. “If John Bull turns round to look after you, you are not well dressed; but either too stiff, too tight, or too fashionable.” He emphasized tailoring and demonstrated that fashion was not about fine textures and showy accessories and loud colours, but precise cut and cleanliness. If anything, your clothes should only startle by how well they fit. Men of Fashion, including that slave of fashion himself, Prinny, considered it a privilege to be allowed into Brummell’s dressing room to learn how to dress from the best. It was said that “A smile of approval from Brummell was thought to be worth more to a débutante than the most expensive ball, and his quizzing glass was said to be the deadliest weapon in London” (An Elegant Madness, 30). Prinny once burst into tears when the Beau disapproved of the cut of a new coat. He is considered the father of dandyism, a faddish form of individualism that was often displayed by eccentric narcissism — turning one’s self into a work of art. 

He actually met the Prince of Wales in Green Park when he was an attractive boy of 15; when the Prince asked him what wanted to do after Oxford, Brummell wisely replied that he wanted to join the army, at which point the Prince promised him a commission in his own regiment, the 10th Hussars — only the most fashionable of course. He left the regiment at age 20 and was determined to live a life of leisure upon his commission’s profit and a £30,000 inheritance; unsurprisingly, he managed to burn through this rather quickly and lived off credit and money from his friends for most of his life, before finally fleeing to France to escape creditors when he was 38. Had he managed to stay in the Prince’s good favour, he would have likely ruled society till he died — but as it stood, there was only so much vanity that could coincide peacefully for a decade before both men began to irritate the other; Brummell publicly wounded the Prince’s by calling him fat at a gathering at Lord Alvanley’s, and that was that. 

9 months ago

  1. msfehrwight reblogged this from ladycashasatiger
  2. royalrory reblogged this from the-morning-and-the-evening-star
  3. hawthornetaylor reblogged this from ladycashasatiger
  4. peet-b-shelley reblogged this from ladycashasatiger
  5. koochielala reblogged this from ladycashasatiger
  6. saltsilverandblood reblogged this from my-ear-trumpet
  7. everydaycreateyourhistory reblogged this from doodlingbreaktime
  8. filis-mustache-baubles reblogged this from my-ear-trumpet
  9. andayardwide reblogged this from my-ear-trumpet
  10. morganafae-unseeliesidhe reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale and added:
    James Purefoy in Beau Brummell: This Charming Man “To be truly elegant, one should not be noticed.”
  11. doodlingbreaktime reblogged this from ladycashasatiger
  12. malignantillustrator reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale
  13. enamel-eyes reblogged this from ladycashasatiger
  14. sneaksiefeet reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale
  15. aminamithri reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale
  16. thismissluvshistoryblogspot reblogged this from my-ear-trumpet
  17. bespectacledbibliophile reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale
  18. toseeyourstarshine reblogged this from my-ear-trumpet

1 ⁄ 1

- Inkhorn theme powered by Tumblr -