Bridgerton is all the rage these days, and that leads us to the accuracy of the series. Debutante balls, upscale society, etc.... Without further adieu, let's go into it.
Every series is not without historical inaccuracies unless it is a documentary. Historical fiction is not exact, but close enough. I am not going to compare my research to Bridgerton because of the sheer amount of articles already published on that topic. I'll let you compare my research to the drama on Netflix yourselves.
Where the tradition comes from
England is the start of our research journey. The idea was that at a certain age women were presented to society to find a husband of similar or higher social standing. They were often accompanied by a large dowry. The debutantes were debuted in seasons, like when the families were all in the same area. The end goal is to have a ring on your hand and a husband. If you failed to catch a man after 3 seasons and you were 30 you'd be considered a spinster. There was shame connected with this. The season was referred to as marriage marts.
If you have noticed that debutante balls in movies have women announced with a relative you are seeing an accuracy. The formal entrance is held and dinner is served. There might be speeches. Then there is dancing. Family members of the debutante may give gifts, but guests aren't expected to.
The thing is that social rules are abundant here, tiny ones that we consider a tad over-polite. Personal compliments, for example, can be made by only personal friends, unless someone was quite old. Aquaintances would comment on dresses and be in bad taste. "Coming out" parties were not associated with homosexuals or bisexuals here, nor would these people have been accepted by anyone. In this case, the young women get flowers at their "coming out" in society. Some parks were good places to get attention and run into the opposite sex. Brothers or fathers would accompany them while riding.
The age of maturity was not a number. If you completed your education and were emotionally ready to come out in society it was allowed. An accomplished woman here could speak several languages, do several art forms like embroidery or musical talents, memorized the members of the monarchy, learned history and geography, learn to host parties, and still give birth to multiple children. Yes, that much, and somehow not go insane. None of these women could be air-heads and get far in life.
Court Gowns and Dresses
The wedding gowns of white silk look similar to the white silk court gowns that were worn in this period of time when presenting to the Queen. Some women converted these into wedding dresses. Some also were married in darker dresses that could be used another day. The white silk dresses were a requirement - and no cream would do! You had to have gloves and properly heeled shoes.
Short version - black tie standards for guests.
Dresses in general started with undergarments. If you thought bras were a pain in the butt you ought to hop in your time machine and put on these! Firstly, drawers (capri-like pants) followed by a slip, corset, petticoat, camisole, bustle, underskirt, and skirt/jacket. In this way, the undergarments were the only dirty things to wash.
Who Could Participate
Alright, so here's the fun part - you had to be elite. In this way, some bachelors married common women who came out at smaller balls and debuted in small parties. They understood all the criteria were nearly impossible to meet and many women carried themselves better, but couldn't meet it.
Debutantes of aristocracy were expected to be here. Daughters of clergy, military or naval officers, physicians, and barristers were also eligible for the honor of being presented to the Queen for the season. Lots of women came out in smaller parties and tea parties, but were never presented to the queen. Only a handful of women were presented to the Queen and attended court functions.
Callers and Courting
To call on someone you could do as little as leaving your card, as well as take turns on the dance floor with a lady, invite her guardian or father to visit, have dinner with the family, or have a chaperoned walk. Courting could take years or months. Some women started the season with a match lined up.
Courting has a long list of rules that developed, some of them that weren't established in 1813 and others that were. These crushing social rules weren't all there in 1800s and some were added in 1900s. Keep in mind that not all these were 1800s and I'm not sure what year the rules were established.
1. Never go out alone with a gentleman, especially at night
2. Never address a gentleman without an introduction
3.Never receive a man alone - be chaperoned
4. No physical contact
5. Courting men could only offer their hand if the road was rough
6. flirting was done with a fan
7. no night dates, and men can't stay long
8. no walks with gentleman - even in courtship
9. only male relatives in a closed carriage
10. men can't invite women over
11. engaged men kept their eyes only to their ladies
12. no sexual behavior before engagement
13. no politics or intelligence required
Marriage began with courtship, which began with conversation, walks, and company. Next was engagement, which meant walks alone, holding hands in public, and unchaperoned rides. Still no night dates, though. Marriage was last, but it had to be the same or higher status. If we dated like this I suspect divorces would be lessened, yet I don't suggest it for the modern man or woman.
Courting women couldn't accept luxurious gifts from men, but it was acceptable to give books, sugary candies, flowers, and sheet music (my kind of gifts). It was bribery to give expensive gifts to a woman not engaged to or related to you. Men and women had different standards, clearly, so that might be another day's topic, but you get the point. Courting is not a light matter.
Language of Fanning
Fans were flirting. Believe it or not, Tim Burton used this in Alice In Wonderland. It was a language of women and it was acceptable flirting, unlike the ways we flirt today.
The list below is how to communicate without words.
fan fast: I'm independent
fan slow: I'm engaged
fan with right hand in front of face: come on
fan with left hand in front of face: leave me
fan open and shut: kiss me
fan open wide: love
fan half open: friendship
fan shut: hate
fan swinging: can I see you home?
I imagine lots of signals were sent in one ball and we wouldn't notice in our society. Watch time period dramas again and look at the fans. What are the women saying?
Sources:
http://www.katetattersall.com/coming-out-during-the-early-victorian-era-debutantes/
http://www.angelpig.net/victorian/debutante.html
https://www.doulike.com/article-an-online-dating-guide-to-courting-in-the-victorian-era
http://nitsas.com/blog/debutante-season-rules-and-rituals/
Pictures:
Decider
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