Linked to History
The inspiration and concept behind the design: Was the idea of promenading along the front in Brighton in 1833 - from The Anthaem to Middle Street, passing by the Chain Pier.
This video shows an illustrated journey along Brighton seafront in1833. The image below shows the front cover of the small book that contains it.
© The Royal Pavilion
The design of this outfit, the third of the three white promenading dresses in The Regency Wardrobe collection, combines the long straight skirts, Spencer jacket and intriguing detailing of Regency era fashion.
This Ackerman fashion plate of a walking dress from La Belle Assemblee, April 1820, inspired the chin high neckline of Linked to History and seemed to suggest the waves and froth of the sea, for example where it hits the pillars of a pier.
Finding this model in Brighton museum of Brighton's Chain Pier, built in 1823 (it was destroyed during a storm in 1896) bought together a happy design partnership in paper of towers, links, chains and waves.
The painting of the Chain Pier is by John Constable, from 1824.
The three all white, walking dresses in The Regency Wardrobe collection are accompanied by audio tracks, in the form of an extract from a Regency broadside ballad. Broadside ballads are best put into the category of street songs, which were very popular during the Regency and Victorian eras. There is even one called brighton Chain Pier. To listen please click the play button:
These images show pictures of the work in progress, the tools involvevd including a sewing machine and a hole punch.
