Men’s Fashion: Georgian or Regency?
The term Georgian refers to time when the first four King Georges reigned in England, from 1714 to 1820.
The term Regency refers to the time when King George IV was declared unfit to rule and England was ruled by the Prince Regent, or roughly 1811-1820.
In terms of fashion, it is simplest to call the 1700s Georgian and the early 1800s Regency.
The three dolls on the rights are all wearing Georgian clothing. The single doll on the left is Regency.
The easiest way to differentiate between Georgian and Regency men’s fashion is by the length of the waistcoats and coats. Georgians wore them longer, covering the hip, while Regency men wore them short, exposing all of their breeches.
Breeches were worn for centuries in men’s fashion, from the early 1500s to the early 1800s, finally being replaced with long trousers by the Victorians in the mid 1800s.
A second way to differentiate between Georgian and Regency men is by the length of their hair and the wearing of wigs. Regency men cut their hair short, with styles such as the Brutus and the Byron. Georgian men had long hair, usually held back in a queue, or hair tie. They also could shave their head completely and wear a powdered wig.
A third way to differentiate is in the prevalence of lace in men’s Georgian fashion, particularly in formalwear. In the Regency period, lace collars gave way to long neckcloths tied in elaborate knots and bows.
The doll on the right is dressed in silk and holds a silk cape. His lace collar indicates that he is from the first half of the eighteenth century, likely from France. The other two Georgian dolls look like they are dressed for the American Colonial period in the second half of the eighteenth century.
The Regency doll was made by Beverly Dahl. I don’t have sources for the others.