"Wickedly witty!" ~ Booklist |
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Courtesan Closet
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Women who sold their favors were known by many names, some complimentary, some decidedly not! Here are a few:
courtesan bird of paradise fille de joie woman of pleasure mistress scarlet woman tart Magdalen strumpet barques of frailty paramour vixen kept woman wanton fancy woman prime article high flyer Cyprian trollop Lady of the Night cocotte fallen woman lady of easy virtue temptress harlot sporting woman bawd demimondaine jade voluptuary Delilah odalisque concubine comfort woman doxy
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The Age of Deception
Eighteenth century fashion required conformation to unrealistic ideals. Lest you think only women fell prey to the urge to be more or less than they naturally were, let me assure you men indulged in deceptive fashion, too. Both sexes wore wigs and face paint. Men and women wore 'beauty spots' to cover small-pox scars or evidence of sexually transmitted disease. Well-developed calves were prized in men, so spindly-legged fellows wore wooden 'falsies' in their stockings. Women's figures were manipulated into the shape favored by fashion through tight binding in some instances and heavy padding in others.
I probably wouldn't have believed this startling fact if I hadn't seen a Georgian miniature in a schloss (castle) the last time I visited Germany. Sure enough, the lady was depicted with two little pink dots peeping above her gown's low neckline.
Next, the panniers would be attached to a lady's hips. This contraption of wire and horse-hair might expand the width of the woman's hips so much, she'd be forced to turn sideways to fit through doorways. If the lady needed additional derrière enhancement, she'd wear a "bumroll" made of carved cork. It was said a woman wearing one could never drown.
Stockings of silk or cotton were gartered at the knee. This completed the undergarments of the Georgian woman. I know what you're thinking. What? No undies? That's right. No undies. This was probably handy for quickie trysts in the garden, but with the yards of a woman's skirts held out with panniers, I expect a lady would feel naked from the waist down most of the time.
Lady's gowns were tightly fitted in the bodice, but might be loosely flowing in the back. This draped style was known as a sack dress.
The stomacher on the front of the gown was frequently ornamented with bows of descending size from the bosom to the waist.
In Vexing the Viscount, Daisy Drake wears 6 inch high Venetian platform shoes as part of her courtesan disguise. These were actually quite conservative. Some women tottered along on 22 inch chopines until a maximum height of 11 inches was mandated by law. In a time when streets frequently doubled as sewers, platform shoes made imminent sense.
For you purists out there, let me assure you that I'm aware the costumes on the VEXING THE VISCOUNT cover are not accurate to 1731, the year in which the story takes place. Daisy's gown looks more Victorian than Georgian and Lucian's suit of clothing might even pass as Edwardian. But when you read my stories, I invite you to bring you imaginations along for the ride. The cover captures Daisy and Lucian's suppressed longing for each other and IMHO, that's more important than fashion.
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| Copyright © 2007 «Emily Bryan». All rights reserved. | ||||||
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