5 REASONS WHY THE TEA GOWN CHANGED WOMEN'S LIVES | Baroness Bolsover
Welcome to my Victorian world.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A TEA GOWN
A gown one would wear for entertaining at home, including, of course, an AFTERNOON TEA.
All the well-to-do ladies were hosting Tea Parties by the 1870’s and our Tea Gowns, as we called them, were all the rage.
Our Tea Gowns featured simple shapes, similar to the earlier Georgian dresses with the long empress line or the style of a Japanese Kimono.
They were light and floaty and we loved them!
But let me make myself perfectly clear, you could ONLY WEAR A TEA GOWN AT HOME.
HOW DID THE TEA GOWN CHANGE WOMEN’S LIVES -
FIRSTLY, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO WEAR A HAT
We had a love hate relationship with our hats. They looked amazing and certainly made a statement, which was all that mattered, but they were utterly cumbersome.
The bigger they were, the heavier they got, and my goodness were they hot!
We were already suffering in silence in our heavy corsetry, a hat only added insult to injury, and in public YOU HAD TO KEEP YOUR HAT ON, that was the etiquette. This included keeping it on in someone’s house.
Mind you, if you wore a hat and took it off an hour later you might live to regret it. One’s hair was a flattened mess. Keeping your hat on was the more flattering option, but as I say, hats were hot and heavy, especially my Flower Pot Hat!
The freedom of not having to wear a hat was the perfect reason to host your own Tea Party!
YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO WEAR GLOVES
I know this may come as a surprise to you, but wearing gloves all the time in public was most tiresome. And I detested wearing gloves in the warm seasons, it meant getting even less fresh air to my body than was already the case! Warm gloves in winter, yes, but in summer, even the most delicate lace gloves left your palms a little moist.
The wonderful thing about Afternoon Tea Parties were they provided us with a little respite. One would always remove one’s gloves to eat food and WE ATE WITH OUR FINGERS AT AN AFTERNOON TEA. You didn't want crumbs getting into the delicate weave of your expensive Italian lace gloves so off they came!
However, some ladies preferred to keep their gloves on at a Tea Party. This meant they would be declining any food. I think they felt a little vulnerable without their gloves on... exposed, which is sad really. Or maybe they weren’t hungry, which I find hard to believe. We were all starving by 4pm, dinner wasn't until at least 8pm.
YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO CARRY A HANDBAG
Reticules, as we called them back then, were our little handbags containing everything we needed for walkabouts and an Afternoon Tea. Our essential reticule items included smelling salts, calling cards, handkerchief and pencil.
Please note a reticule is NOT ALLOWED ON THE TEA TABLE. You placed it on the floor or at the side of your seat which could prove a little awkward in a crowded room.
When wearing your Tea Gown however, you didn’t have such concerns. YOU SIMPLY HAD A POCKET. Discretely stitched into the gown, your pocket was large enough for all your essential items. Your hands were perfectly free!
YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO CHANGE FOR DINNER
Can you imagine the relief! After a busy Tea Party wearing our oh so comfy Tea Gown, and after all the guests have gone of course, the last thing we wanted to do was change for dinner... into a tight dress! And the wonderful thing was, in your own home it was PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO WEAR A TEA GOWN AT DINNER!!
For the first time, a lady could be comfortable all day long.
Now that was progress!
YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO WEAR A CORSET!!!
Hooray, hoorah!!! LIBERATION! Freedom to move almost naturally! I say almost, because of course we still wore one or two light petticoats and a chemise with a Tea Gown, but nothing as constraining as the tight corset.
No wonder we were all clamouring to host our own Tea Party.
I must repeat THE TEA GOWN CAN ONLY BE WORN IN THE COMFORT OF ONE’S HOME. The reason being, it was considered a rather flimsy, casual outfit, and heaven forbid us doing anything remotely casual in Victorian times!
I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I’d taken to the streets in my Tea Gown. I’d have probably been carried off to bedlam.
A MOST WELCOME ADDITION
However, I realise I am now in the 21st century, where apparently anything goes, and I've decided it's time to do something I've always wanted to do. Not only am I venturing out into the big wide world wearing my Tea Gown, I've also added a rather impressive headdress to my outfit.
My fabulous fascinator which is as light as a feather was designed by talented milliner, Sherry Richardson.
Sherry listened carefully to my needs, that of keeping cool and being seen from afar at my Afternoon Tea Etiquette presentation! Blending a variety of feathers, textures, beading and colours she's created this stunning headdress to compliment my elaborate Tea Gown.
The sheer delight of not wearing a hat in the heat and still looking splendid is truly liberating.
ON A FINAL NOTE...
I admit the Tea Gown wasn't quite a Onesie, which I'm told are very comfy and perhaps should put it on my Christmas list, they were however, without a shadow of a doubt, a jolly good start.
We were finally, beginning to feel... COMFORTABLE!
Thank you for joining me my dears.
Until next time.
Yours Truly
Her ladyship
