Object in focus: Georgian Wedding Dress

The Georgian era

The Georgian era of British history is a period which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain who were all named George: George I, George II, George III and George IV.

The era covers the period from 1714 to 1830, with the sub-period of the Regency defined by the Regency of George IV as Prince of Wales during the illness of his father George III. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the short reign of William IV, which ended with his death in 1837.

The last Hanoverian monarch of the Great Britain was William's niece Queen Victoria, who is the namesake of the following historical era, the Victorian, which is usually defined as occurring from the start of her reign, when William died, and continuing until her death.

The style

The style is called a sack back gown (also sacque back) or 'robe à la Française'.

The dress is symmetrical at the back, showing a careful use of the fabric. This was a way wealthy people would show their status.

Pockets

In the eighteenth century pockets were separate bags worn under a dress. Pockets are accessed through slits at the tops of the hips.

The front

The front of this dress has been altered, probably in the nineteenth century to use as fancy dress.

Stomacher

Originally the dress would not have fastened at the centre front. It would have been open at the front, and pinned to a stomacher, a triangle of fabric which covered the stays.

Restrictions

Fashions like this were deliberately restrictive. Impractical fashions showed that their wearers did not need to do physical work.