Swagger: Bucks, Beaux & Dandies: Regency Men’s Fashion with Dr Jennifer Kloester

There’s something about the Regency that continues to intrigue modern audiences. From the glories of the 1995 film Pride and Prejudice – with Colin Firth’s swoon-worthy wet shirt moment – and every Austen adaptation since to the hugely successful Bridgerton series with its cavalcade of elegantly-attired men, Regency fashion has continued to enthral and inspire readers and viewers everywhere. But what did men actually wear in that fascinating period of 1811-1820? How and why had well-to-do men’s clothing moved so far from the rich costumery of the previous century to the elegant but plainer attire of the early nineteenth century? This talk will explain these remarkable changes and just what it took to become a Nonpareil – such as that famous ‘arbiter of elegance’ Beau Brummell – and a leader of fashion in the lively, mayfly world of upper-class English Regency men. It will also look at what everyone else wore from the coalheaver to the clergyman and how Regency fashion had its own hierarchy with clues – both subtle and overt – to a man’s wealth, status and aspirations. 

Jennifer Kloester is the bestselling author of Georgette Heyer’s Regency World and Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller and her most recent book, The Novels of Georgette Heyer: A Celebration. She is a Patroness of the International Heyer Society, and a producer of the forthcoming documentary Stephen Fry’s Great Escape. Jennifer is a popular presenter and public speaker and, in 2015, with Stephen Fry, she was delighted to speak at the unveiling of Georgette Heyer’s English Heritage Blue Plaque in Wimbledon. She has given talks, writing workshops and public presentations on Heyer and the Regency in the UK, USA, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. Jennifer also writes fiction. Her most recent novel, Jane Austen’s Ghost, is a contemporary story with a Regency twist, and is available on Amazon and all platforms.

Your ticket includes tea or Market Lane coffee served before the presentation, and time to browse our exclusive range of books, gifts, and homewares at TJC Emporium.

This event is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details. NOTE: Tickets for this event do not include access to our house museum, Fairhall. Guided tours of the current exhibition can be booked separately.

This event is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust.

Image: Regency Buck 1st Australian Edition front cover, 1935.