Regency Gowns in the Victorian Era!

These photos technically belong in the Victorian category, since they were taken in 1897, but the fashions are pure Regency, so I decided to share them in both categories. The woman on the left is Florence, Lady Delamere, neé Cole (1878-1914), the fourth daughter of the 4th Earl of Enniskillen. She is modeling a late 1790s costume which she wore for the Devonshire (England) House Masquerade Ball, 2 July 1897. The woman on the right is Maud (Frederica Elizabeth), Viscountess Milton, later Countess Fitzwilliam (1877-1967), née Dundas, the second daughter of the 1st Marquis of Zetland. She models an early 1800s costume, which she wore to the same ball. Her costume was described in The Court Circular, 10 July 1897: "Empire dress of cream satin, finished at the waist with a jewelled belt, and worn with a long coat, made in golden gauze over mauve satin, and fitting in quite closely to the waist at the back. With this she wore a turban-like headdress or hat of gold gauze and cream satin, with long mauve ostrich feathers drooping over the hair at the back." Wow! These photographs are from the Lafayette Project, which you can view in its entirety at this link.