Snowmen During the Regency–Fact or Fiction?

Donna Hatch
Recently on one of my writers groups had a lively discussion regarding whether or not people built snowmen during the Regency. After all, it seems such a natural thing to do with a practically limitless source of building materials. Surely people had as strong a desire then as they do now to build snowmen, forts, animals, and simple snowballs to throw at one another using the nature’s art supplies. However, often our assumptions about what…

Nine bestselling Authors Present Nine Regency Romances in a New Collection

Donna Hatch
Presenting a new boxed set of nine Historical Romances just in time for the holidays!  Nine Ladies Dancing Nine bestselling authors present nine Regency romance novellas — some traditionally sweet, some clean, some mildly sensuous — in a boxed set you won’t want to miss! Mistletoe Magic by Donna Hatch — Can the mistletoe work its magic and open Evelyn’s eyes to true love at the Christmas ball? Teach Me Under the Mistletoe by Kay…

Fall or autumn–which reveals your poetic side?

Donna Hatch
As an American, I learned to call the season between summer and winter “fall.” Later, when I discovered the term “Autumn,” I thought it sounded so much more romantic and had a historical flair that has always appealed to me. However, both are modern terms. Anciently, the season had no name at all. It was merely a transition between summer and winter. Later, people starting calling that time of year simply “harvest,” a name that…

Condemn Me Not

Donna Hatch
*** Giveaway Closed***Congratulations to the winner, Kim Nogier! Since my last post was all about the Salem Witch Trials, I thought it fitting to give away a copy of a fantastic novel closely based on the true story of a real victim of the Salem Witch Trials, Susannah North Martin, in this award-winning novel, Condemn Me Not, Accused of Witchcraft. This gripping tale follows the story of how the witch trials started, the plot behind…

Lies Jane Austen Never Told Me

Donna Hatch
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single young lady desiring to secure a husband, must wear white.” Okay, I confess, that’s not a Jane Austen quote. However, a common belief is that Regency London debutantes had to wear white. It’s also wrong. First of all, the term debutante was not used in Regency England. Yes, the word existed but not in the context that we think of it now. Debutante, as it applies…

Coach Travel in Regency England: Stage and Mail Coaches

Donna Hatch
Travel in Regency England took many forms. While journeying to the nearest village, one usually walked or rode horseback, or, if wealthy, took the family coach. Travel to distant destinations, however, was different. Walking and horseback were impractical, and most family coaches had to travel slowly so as not to over-tire the horses. Wealthy people might send extra teams of horses ahead several days in advance to wait for them at various posting inns so…

Dressing the Regency Lady

Donna Hatch
If you’ve been following all my scandalous (gasp!) posts about all the underpinnings a Regency lady wore, but wished for a quick overall in one place, this post is for you. The first layer is the shift or chemise. Notice how plain and unadorned it is as well as being very shapeless. A chemise/shift provided a barrier between a woman’s body and the other layers of clothing, so the shift absorbed perspiration. I had my…

The Hierarchy of Servants

Donna Hatch
A few days ago, a friend commented that our appliances and small machines–washers, dryers, dishwashers, lawnmowers, garbage disposals–even cars–are the modern-day equivalent to servants. I had never thought of it that way, but she’s right.  In Regency England, however, people relied on manpower to run their households. Many people comment on the division of classes in those days–specifically the differences between the upper classes and the working class. However, what a lot of people don’t…

Regency Stays: facts and myths

Donna Hatch
During the Regency, Corsets were called Stays. This style of stays is called long stays. This is the kind of stays nearly every women, rich or poor, wore.  The material we used to make my stays was cotton twill. Later, I discovered that another good choice for stays or corsets is Coutil (or Coutille), a woven cloth created specifically for making corsets. I don’t know how authentic it is, but it has a nice, stiff…

More scandalous talk about Regency underwear

Donna Hatch
Getting dressed during the Regency seems to be quite an ordeal compared to today’s practices, but it really isn’t all that complicated. As I sit in my air conditioned office, glaring at the heat outside, it’s hard to imagine ladies would have been willing to do it. However, keep in mind that the weather in Regency England was much cooler tan it is today because they were near the end of a mini Ice Age.…