Lena Hills

Kanan wears breeches and socks. He would also wear a cotton or linen ruffled shirt (seen in the "at home" page) beneath his daily clothing. ‬

Gloves would be worn throughout the majority of the day, except when eating, and could be a wide variety of materials and colors

‪Hera wears a short-sleeved chemise (underdress\shirt), made of linen or cotton and trimmed with bobbin lace, along with sewn or knitted stockings. Her nightcap is made of gathered linen with bobbin lace.‬

Over the course of the Regency period, supportive undergarments shifted from predominantly stays to corsets. These early corsets did not much reduce the waist as in later eras, and are mostly gently stiffened with soft cording and stitching rather than whalebone.

Sources:

Chemise, 1800-1824. Accession No. CIRC.10-1946. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Corset, 1811. Object No. C.I.44.8.31. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Cap, 1820. Object No. X.51.4.2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Trousers, 1810-1820. Accession No. T.41-1986. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Pair of Stockings, 1800-1822. Accession No. 371O & P-1908. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

At the Ball

‪Kanan wears the same layers still seen in men’s formal wear today: a green coat (equivalent to a modern suit jacket, not a winter coat), a gold silk waistcoat (a longer, fuller vest), with a buttoned white cotton or linen shirt underneath (shown in the At Home set, a looser version of the modern button-up collared shirt). Just the ruffle and bits of the collar of the shirt can be seen at the edges of the cravat - a long and wide piece of white linen wrapped, creased, and tied into various decorative patterns, a more ornate version of the modern tie.‬

Below, Kanan wears silk breeches that button below the knee, paired with long socks and low shoes.

Hera wears a gown based on one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, made of an especially thin, airy cotton - a luxury fabric imported from India and greatly fashionable during this period, similar to silk. The straight lines down the gown and at the bust favored in earlier years of the Regency shifted to add more fullness to the skirt and incorporated more curves and options in the bust. Embroidery decorates the cotton net, with floral patterns at the hem. On her head, she wears a turban of silk, decorated with several tall feathers.

Sources:

Evening Dress, 1810. Object Number: 1976.137.1 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Turban à Bandeau,” Costume Parisien (fashion plate), 1810. Accession No. E.1118-1974. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Coat, 1815–20. Object No. C.I.39.13.24. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Print,” Costume Parisien (fashion plate), French, 1810. Accession No. E.22396:88-1957. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Out Riding

Kanan’s outfit for riding is similar to what is worn for a ball, but the tails of the reddish-brown coat are more defined in the split at the back for ease when on top of a horse, and his breeches are wool instead of silk for greater durability.

His boots, styled after ones worn by soldiers in the Napoleonic Wars, are designed to fit easily into stirrups. The modern Wellington boot style is named for a famous general from the era, the Duke of Wellington, who had his shoemaker modify these boots to better fit his preferences.

Kanan wears a dark wool top hat, which were popular in various shapes and colors throughout both the Regency period and much of the entire 19th century.

Hera’s teal riding habit still keeps the high waistline of the era, but the skirts for a lady needed to be full enough to allow her to sit her legs properly into a side saddle to be able to ride a horse. The bodice is based on men’s military fashion - note the same collar and style of buttons we see worn by Kanan - which became very popular with some ladies during this period and seemed to be the style Hera would choose for herself.

Likewise, her hat is clearly inspired by a man’s top hat, though with the addition of a small veil.

Sources:

“Ladies Riding Dress,” La Belle Assemblee, June, 1812. Accession No. E.2454-1888. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

“Amazonel,” 1810 (fashion plate). Accession No. 29874:2. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

“Redingote à Boutons de Métal,” Costume Parisien (fashion plate), 1814. Accession No. E.1138-1974. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

At Home

When about the house, especially in the morning or evening, a gentleman like Kanan would often wear a banyan, the early version of a modern robe (stolen here by Hera), sometimes made with matching breeches as he wears here in green silk brocade.

The white shirt (still cut primarily from rectangles and squares and therefore looser than the modern more shaped and tailored button-up) is made of white cotton or linen and closed at the neck and wrists with buttons. A ruffle is often seen attached to the opening at the neck, which may be pulled out when fully dressed to show next to the cravat.

A nightcap is usually worn to bed, and can be plain or ornate. When not fully dressed but before going to sleep, another version with a folded brim as seen here may be worn about the house. These can be plain, or decorated with wool, silk, or even gold threads.

Hera wears Kanan’s banyan over her chemise. These were inspired by Japanese kimonos and Chinese robes and made originally of silk, and popular as loose, T-shaped robes in the 18th century. In this era, they have shifted to become more fitted and shaped, especially in the sleeves, and are made from a wider variety of materials.

While the silk versions in a mix of more vibrant colors are primarily worn by men, with women usually wearing lighter-colored gowns in wool or cotton, the Victoria & Albert Museum does have one silk banyan in the masculine style from the 18th century but cut specifically for a woman.

Sources:

Wrapping Gown or Banyan, 1810-1820s. Daughters of the American Revolution Museum.

Banyan, Dress for Excess: Fashion in Regency England (exhibit), 2011. Brighton Museum.

Nightgown, 1815-1822. Accession No. 371T-1908. The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Shirt, 1800-1810. Accession No. T.16-2019. The Victoria and Albert Museum.