I know! These corsets – they remind me of Scarlett O’Hara telling Mammy she wanted a – was it a 19″ waist? Something ludicrous, anyway! I guess back then women were only educated to play instruments, sing, and perhaps speak a little of a foreign language (their brains were clearly too small to cope with anything else – like in The Yellow Wallpaper, where she is expected to lie doing nothing all day, which would obviously exacerbate depression, not cure it! I’m sure you’ve read it but for anyone who hasn’t, you can get a free e-book.) So they had nothing to do all day but dream up insane hairstyles and outfits. I wonder how much they spent a year, in today’s money? I bet it’s obscene! I’ve actually got the Georgiana book here; I must read it again. The courtesans, especially the French ones, also make great reading material. There’s a great book called Courtesans by Katie Hickman that’s well worth a read. They were the first women who actually owned their own possessions, rather than being a husband’s chattel, so even if you don’t approve of how they got it, they were ground-breaking for women, in their own way. And when it comes to men, Beau Brummell is a fascinating character – he invented the dandy’s way of dress, getting rid of wigs and makeup for men, and advised the Prince Regent and hung out with Byron. Young men allegedly paid to watch him do his “toilette” regime and dress. It all ended in financial disaster (gambling) – his is a very sad story, but worth reading. Ian Kelly’s biography is really good but pretty massive!

Too funny- I was way worse at 18 than I was at 15!

I have seen The Duchess and you are exactly right! While I love it visually all I can think is ‘how did they breathe?’

You’re not alone- my husband won’t watch period dramas. Period. They’re my weekend treat while he’s out being a guy.

Spy stuff is great, very intriguing!