Costuming In "The Duchess (2008)"

(Written per request of Carolynmorticiaaddamsstyles on tumblr. I hope this is what she was expecting)

So, Georgian fashion.

I guess it only makes sense that I should be writing about Georgian fashion now since I last wrote about Tudors-era fashion although admittedly, my knowledge of the fashions of that era was kind of . . . nonexistent. Of course, it was only after I had finished writing those posts that I felt compelled to actually go forth and learn anything about the intricacies of the fashion of the time but I maintain that I did not actually need that knowledge prior to writing those entries. I was writing about the reasons behind the outfits and not whether or not they were historically accurate. It is inconsequential whether or not red was a popular clothing color in those times because what is important is that every time Mary Tudor wore it, it meant the same general idea was being conveyed.

This is why I am nervous about this analysis. I will admit that I already have prior knowledge of the patterns of Georgian fashion which puts me at a slight advantage here but the medium of film is so very different from the medium of television when one is talking about fashion. First of all, the form is so much shorter and must convey a lot of emotions without much subtly or time to really develop changes in character, particularly when you are dealing with a movie that is more of a biography than anything. Secondly, clothes are rarely ever reused in film because generally there is a large budget to make a short form. This makes patterns a lot harder to distinguish.

Before getting into the specific outfits I figured I would talk a bit about what makes Georgian fashion unique from say, the Tudor fashions I am now familiar with and the Victorian fashions that follow. I am going to skip the Regency fashions of the early 19th century for two reasons: it is kind of an oddity in fashion history and because I may do a post on Pride and Prejudice (2005) which would allow me to talk about the fashions more fully (and I personally am not a fan of Regency fashion, probably because it would look terrible on me).

Call me simplistic but to my eyes the most basic essence of the shape of women's clothing remains generally the same throughout all three periods: bodice that is often square-necked, sleeves that can usually get shorter as time goes on, and a large skirt that brushes the floor. I know I am reducing the differences down so far but look at it this way: how I am currently dressed as I write this article (sweats, Led Zeppelin t-shirt) would look utterly ridiculous to an Edwardian girl 100 years ago, practically alien, especially on a girl, but this is common attire now. I'm talking about roughly the 16th century, 18th century, and mid to late 19th century having the same basic idea for daily clothing that would look strange to each other but nowhere near alien.

The most prominent differences between these eras I like to break down into two categories:
1.) Foundation garments
2.) Details

So lets talk about underwear. In some way, underwear from these time periods has a lot of similarities but as the shapes change, so do the names. What we would call the corset, the girls of the early 1500s would call a "pair of bodies" which created a specific bodice shape popular at the time that I personally call "the trunk". The trunk shape generally served the purpose of making the torso more cylindrical or slightly conical and would push the breasts up as you can see to the left with my girl Mary Tudor. In terms of what we would call crinolines, the garment worn was called a farthingale. The farthingale came in two general types: the conical Spanish farthingale which is what you see on The Tudors and the great farthingale which was more of a wheel shaped deal that Queen Elizabeth I was known for (think of her huge skirts). Elizabethan fashion is a lot more complex and strange than the earlier Tudor fashions and I confess I don't know much about it. There are also the undergarments known as "undersleeves" worn under trumpet sleeves (i.e. those really long drooping sleeves) but that fashion trend faded after the middle of the 1500s.
In terms of details, I think of this as a time for interesting sleeves (fur-lined trumpet sleeves in the early 1500s and those crazy poofy sleeves as time goes on), patterned fabrics for clothes, and dresses that have a split skirt in the front so that the patterned farthingale is visible underneath and sometimes a split front that can be filled with a stomacher. In the beginning of the era, women covered their heads with English-style gable hoods or French hoods which came into fashion because of Anne Boleyn and later Catherine Howard gradually fazing out the gable hood. Also, women had these little purses or prayer books handing down the front of their skirts. Seems convenient to me.

The "corset" of the Georgian era was called "stays" and had a different effect on the body than the "pair of bodies." Stays gave the torso more of a slightly inverted cone shape and were much more comfortable than the Victorian corsets. They often had shoulder straps and flaps at the bottom in order to allow more movement and accommodate a large skirt (also breathing!). Apparently they also did wonders for posture and gave more shape to breasts than their predecessor. Instead of the farthingale, for skirt shape the Georgian women wore panniers which were essentially side hoops that made the sides of the skirt very wide but made the front and back of the skirt flat. The picture to the right is me rocking some panniers (with some kind of crappy greenish petticoat over them) at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They feel kind of odd but are definitely easier to sit in than a hoop skirt that I also tried on there.
For Georgian details, I always think of the Georgian period as a time for white and pastel to be really prominent colors in dresses, wigs, and make-up. Even in the architecture, lighter colors seem to dominate. Sleeves were either long or half and I always think of this as the time for frilly detail, especially around necklines and sleeves. Also, this is the time for wigs, especially the ridiculous tall ones.

The Victorian era, as you probably know, was dominated by corsets with tons of boning that were tightened like crazy to create an hourglass figure. This didn't really change until the Edwardian corsets. This was also the era of the crinoline which was a ridiculous leg cage that shaped a skirt in a round style and replaced layers of petticoats as the skirt-shaper. In the later 1800s the crinoline was replaced with a bustle which was kind of a half crinoline for just the back of the skirt, shaping it without restricting movement. Overall, if you want comfort, the Georgian era or the Edwardian era is more your place (I should write about the Edwardian era at some point; maybe if I ever start watching Downton Abbey).
It's actually kind of hard to nail down the details of Victorian dresses because there's actually quite a lot of variety in style since it is a long period. There's all kinds of detail possible, any sleeve length including off-the-shoulder sleeves, patterns, ruffles, lace, anything really. The shape is the most important detail here.

I hope any of that was interesting or enlightening. I will stop stalling now and get to trying to say something poignant about Georgiana Cavendish's clothes outside of, "Ooo, poofy!"
(You can click on the pictures to make them larger and I suggest you do to see the detail.)

The opening scene of "The Duchess" is actually a scene that drips in foreshadowing (of both her gambling issues and her future affair with Charles Grey) as much as the clothes are trying to send a message about who she is at this point in her life, an important establishing moment for a film that is about someone's life. Georgiana is organizing a betting game where the men are racehorses (I see no downside here) when she is called away to be told by her mother that she is to be married to the Duke of Devonshire a.k.a. Lord Voldemort.

When she is first introduced with her friends, she is meant to blend in somewhat. They are all wearing very similarly designed dresses in those incredibly light pastel Georgian shades that all turn into an off-white when you stop paying enough attention. While the color was common at the time, in such large amounts, it is hard not to imagine that the light color speaks to the innocence of the girls who are all unmarried at this time. Also, if you look again at Georgiana's dress, you will notice that the underskirt and bow on hers are a very light blue that allows her to stick out ever so slightly more than her companions. Blue also becomes a repeating color for her. She also is the only one not wearing a hat which allows her to look more carefree than her friends who look a bit more proper in their simple but elegant hats. She still has on a cap but we are mostly focusing on her hair when we look at her face which is actually important to note. Georgiana's hair is an ever-changing element of her wardrobe as wigs were part of the fashion at the time and in this opening scene her hair is at its most subtle and contained. She has yet to start experimenting with her look as we will see later. Her hair and the simplicity of her clothes and jewelry also show that her station is good but nothing extravagant yet.

Georgiana is married to the Duke of Devonshire and enters her new home for the first time. She is unsure but hopeful.

Her clothes and jewels have gotten significantly more expensive looking, as to be expected, but it is notable that this is her first outfit as Duchess of Devonshire. This is actually the most elaborately detailed dress that she wears which obviously distinguishes it as her wedding dress, often the most extravagant dress any woman wears whether in the Georgian period or today. Her wig is also much more mature than her hair from before as it is swept up with a smooth front and curls in the back, flowers, and an almost heart-shaped looking top that is covered in the cap like the one in the first scene. Otherwise, this dress doesn't say too much aside from all these expected things.

This scene is awkwardness incarnate but I love how scene shows the full breakdown of the Georgian undergarments: underskirt, panniers, stays, chemise, and stockings.

I can't help but see so many contrasts in this scene. The stays are black contrasted with the white chemise. The metal panniers are contrasted with the cushions on top of them. The detail on the front of the stays (a stomacher?) contrasts with the plainness of the chemise. And underneath all the grown-up foundation garments? Childish pink bows.
What am I saying? Georgiana has no idea what to expect. Is this a sweet thing or a scary one? Will it be romantic or clinical? Well, clinical. Like all unhappy arranged marriage sex.

The important of the clothing in this scene is actually in comparison. Georgiana is having her first real conversation with her mother as a married woman and they discuss her problems with her relationship with her husband. Her hair is a smooth contrast to the curls of her youth and the color of her dress compliments her mother's dress. It is practically a lighter shade of hers showing that they are now in an equal position as married women but that she is still the child in the situation. There are also little details to show their station difference like how Georgiana has on a flower choker while her mother wears a shawl, making her look more youthful and her mother more matronly.

This more somber (but beautiful) dress has a couple different meanings. First of all, it is the first dress we see that is pointed out as being one of her designs which makes one think about it even more because it is a very direct representation of the character. The shades of black and grey (or is that purple-ish grey? I have failed colorblindness tests before in spite of the fact that I never seem to identify colors particularly wrong) show either that she is trying to look professional and mature or that she is subtly expressing her inner unhappiness about her marriage. Both ideas are presented while she wears this dress actually: first she discovers an interesting in conversing with politicians and enjoys fitting into their world and then she is still wearing it when she discovers that her husband has been cheating on her. Sad or dignified? You judge.

Georgiana meets Charlotte, the Duke's illegitimate daughter, over a meal and then approaches her later to comfort her about her mother's death. We also obviously see that she is pregnant.

The string front of the bodice is very clever particularly because we don't see that she is pregnant until the end of the meal scene and when we see that she is, such a dress front makes sense. I would also say that if Georgiana has a look that represents her as a mother it would be floral prints. The print on this one is more subtle than some of the others we see but it is definitely there. The wig strongly resembles the one from the previous scene which allows for this transition from the scene that presumably represented the child's conception to this scene of her pregnant. Also, I should note that Georgiana wears a lot of fake flowers, often in her hair but sometimes on a necklace or on her dress. I don't know if it always means something but it's an interesting little quirk that pops up.

A very pregnant Georgiana attends a party with her politician friends, gambles, and goes into labor.
A floral print again for her motherhood but this is definitely a party dress with the blue which is a very social color for her and comes up at lot when she is hanging with her crew. Obviously the most interesting thing here is the fur crossed on the front and on the sleeves. It's a winter pregnancy party dress (and we clearly do see falling snow in the establishing shot)!

Georgiana spends time with her newborn daughter in a floral printed dress that is very simple for her. She is just hanging around the house, getting over her pregnancy, and caring for her daughter so no extravagance is needed. There's not much to say about this dress now but I will use it for a comparison later.

Georgiana rides with a full cart of children to Bath. Unfortunately, this is all we see of this outfit so I can't say much but check out that hat. Six years have passed so Georgiana is supposed to looked aged somehow and I think that's what the hat is doing. It's more mature than most of what we have seen her in so we are now supposed to see her as a middle aged woman (at 22 if my math is correct; damn, I'm a year older than she is).

This is a new side of Georgiana, now a big figure in society who entertains crowds of people and sets fashion trends. She has found her place in this world. This is also where she meets her friend Bess for the first time.
It doesn't take a genius to decode this. Blue is her social color and she is the center of attention with her wig plumage. Her jewelry is also some of the finest since her wedding jewels showing a kind of build up in her plethora of fine things.

Although Georgiana is playing with her children in the beginning, this scene is about her friendship with Bess which is why they are both wearing stripes. There are a bunch of contrast with the specifics of how they are accessorized that keep them from being too similar (like Georgiana's umbrella versus Bess' Asian influenced one). Similar but different. The hat feather also kind of calls back to her wig feathers from the scene where she met Bess.

Georgiana gets the Duke to let Bess stay with them while making him feel like it's his idea. We don't see much of this dress either but look how much cheerier the color is than a lot of the things she has worn. Life is good for her in this moment.

Like with the other scene, Georgiana and Bess are dressed similarly but in different colors. They both have hats with feathers, they both of dresses with the same shape and a lot of the same design, and they are both carrying those wraps. At this point one must wonder if we are supposed to be seeing them as being dressed alike to show how well they get along and how they are such good friends or are we supposed to be thinking that perhaps Bess is imitating Georgiana. Georgiana is a trend setter after all although as we see later there might actually be an even worse reason why Bess is imitating her.

Again, similar jewels and now they are in the same color although not to be outdone, Georgiana has the taller hair. Usually when Georgiana is in dark colors it's a bad thing but here the black is metallic and almost more grey looking like when she at dinner with the Whig party so it's actually positive. Aside from seeing a farce that is clearly based on Georgiana's marriage, she also encounters Charles Grey again who subtly expresses his pity for her marriage situation and we see a sign that Bess may actually be a little bitter about Georgiana's popularity which may actually support the idea that she is imitating her with a devious purpose.

Georgiana and Bess have a sleepover chat where Bess tells Georgiana that Charles Grey is in love with her and tells her that sex can be fun. Then she touches her in an impersonation of Grey. I swear that part doesn't happen at sleepovers no matter how much guys want to believe it.
This nightgown doesn't have any meaning now but oh, it will.

At the opera (I think, maybe a party), Georgiana meets Grey and tells him that she could help with his campaign. This looks like a casual summer dress to me but what this really reminds me of is the dress she wore in the opening scene when Grey was her "horse" in the footrace. This officially marks them getting involved in each others lives again. Also, a blue sash for her social interactions.

This might actually be my favorite dress of hers. Georgiana attends a rally in support of Grey. After the rally, she asks him if he thinks of her often and he confesses that he does. She walks away happily but ends up discovering the Duke is cheating on her with Bess which makes for one of her lowest points.

Georgiana has not worn curls since the opening scene and I think it's no coincidence that a return to curls correlations with her affection for Charles. He brings her back to the joy of her youth. Also, this dress is fantastic. It is very clearly what the men are wearing but in a dress form: cravat, vest, and jacket. Although because she is who she is she has to add in some kind of dead animal in both her hat, which is a collection of fur and feather, and in her matching muff which, of course, gathers the attention they are trying to attain. That gigantic hat is actually a style coined by the real Duchess of Devonshire so it was great that they added it in the movie. Aside from "dressing like a women with her political cohorts" aspect, I said dark colors are bad for her and she ends up in what will be one of the two worst moments she ends up experiencing in this film.

Like with the other scene where Georgiana met with her mother to talk about a conflict, there is an element of their outfits calling to each other without matching because they difference in age is still apparent. While the last time it was a matter of color, here the pattern of her mother's shawl is reflected in her dress. The differences separate them here, however. Georgiana does not want to take her mother's advice this time.

Have some more dark colors of turmoil as she is confronted by Bess on why she did it saying that it was for the sake of getting her children back. Georgiana is unsympathetic but watches as Bess' sons arrive at the house and the Duke shows them how to handle a hunting rifle.

My favorite thing here is how both Georgiana and Bess are wearing these neck scarfs but Bess' matronly one looks like a parody of Georgiana's cute and youthful one. It's like her ability to follow in Georgiana's footsteps is unraveling with their friendship. Their wigs are still pretty similar though so I guess not all hope is lost.

Georgiana meets Grey to unwind and he makes observations about her character that are completely accurate. She confides in him and they make out.

There's not much to say about a cloak but this is definitely a cloak of depression. It screams, "Don't look at me. I am not in the mood." It actually manages to stay up for most of them time but when she starts talking about her problems, the flower in her hair is visible like it is this little symbol of hope and understanding.

Georgiana proposes the deal that she will accept the Duke and Bess' feelings if he accepts her feelings for Grey. The Duke yells at her (although Bess thinks it's fair), chases her down, and rapes her telling her to give him a son and that he is in control.

I think here the mood is supposed to be that she is vulnerable which is actually kind of a new concept as she has always handled everything very strongly including proposing this deal. The thing is that this outfit and her hair look kind of delicate and doll like and for the first time she is really put in a position that she cannot get out of or make the most of. The lack of rights of women here is something she can't get around and although pink as a girl's color is a modern concept, it is difficult not to let your brain wander to that comparison as a modern audience.

The Whigs have their victory but Georgiana can't even stick around to enjoy it. She's just going through the motions while feeling dead inside.
She's got on her blue but apparently could only get halfway there like how she could only stay halfway through the speech before running off. Also, this is a much less powerful and masculine look than the last time she attended a rally because her strength has been stolen from her. It's Georgiana-lite.

Georgiana has a full on public meltdown as she attends a party drunk and accidentally lights her hair on fire.
This dress is the same shape as the one from the scene before tying them together but now she has abandoned her social blue entirely in favor of a color is not a far cry from the color she was wearing when she convinced the Duke to let Bess stay with them. It's the end of an era here. Also, look at how sloppy that wig is. This is a drunk wig before you even realize she's drunk. Everything's up in flames (but so are phoenixes so...).

Georgiana has finally given birth to a son and gets a check in return. She is sarcastic and the Duke says that he abhors this whole thing too. Yeah, like that helps.

Same wig as from the rape scene. That's the most important thing but also note that she is a mother again but has no floral print. This birth was a business arrangement for him and traumatizing for her.

Grey comes to Georgiana's and they make awkward small talk about the French Revolution and her birth and she tries to convey to him that she has missed him and shares his feelings.

We are in a slew of white outfits. It's the Georgian era so it's not that surprising but I don't really know why. Again, it could be the callbacks to the other two scenes involving grey or it could just be the summer. I don't have much to say on this one.

Or this one really. Again, white possibly calling back to the other scenes with Grey and the color white and youth and joy and whatnot. I like her necklace but the barrette thing looks silly. *twiddles thumbs*

Okay! Here we go! This is the only time there is an outfit repeat in this movie and damn is it important. Sure, maybe Georgiana only has one nightgown but she's the damn Duchess of Devonshire so I highly doubt it. When she first wore this nightgown, Bess introduced the idea of getting pleasure from sex to her, specifically with Charles Grey. So, here's a question for you: what is going to happen in this scene?
(It was super weird to watch this scene for me because without the silly wig Dominic Cooper resembles my boyfriend like, a lot. The voice too. Makes me kind of uncomfortable but I digress.)

Georgiana asks the Duke if she can go away to Bath (to meet Grey more).

Have a happier color!

The Duke shows up with Georgiana's mother to confront her on her affair. They are unsympathetic and Georgiana is pissed. The Duke threatens Grey's political career and her ability to see her children. She tells him to leave and they trade insults (with Georgiana winning).

This dress is so close to the one she wore when the Duke gave her the check for having a son, white with stripes, a dark sash, and a round curly wig. Like the birth of her son, the topic of their marriage is treated like a business arrangement and she is on the losing side.

Georgiana returns to her children, happy to see them but so bitter about how this came about.

Now THIS is not a happy grey like all the others before it. This also looks like a traveling dress, of course, since she has been traveling. This is also the same bodice shape that she had on during the two scenes after the Duke had raped her when she was losing herself in grief.

During dinner, Grey busts into the house asking her to run away and marry him and she says that although her feelings remain the same, she cannot abandon her children.

"Losing self in grief" bodice shape: check. Flower in her hair in the same way she had it when she and Grey first kissed: check. The rest doesn't really matter because I think that's a strong enough message. Loves him but cannot.

Georgiana and Bess go away to the country so Georgiana can have Grey's child in secret.

This is a short and hard to see scene but it has everything. The dress is in a dark color and in the "grief" shape so she's in double depression right now I guess but the underskirt has a floral print. She really cares about this child but is already in sadness because she can't be with its father and because she knows she will have to give it up.

Georgiana gives birth and has to give the child, Eliza, over to Charles Grey's parents, breaking down finally when they leave.

This floral dress calls back to the floral dress she wore with her first child and that alone shows that she really wants to keep this child. She is putting it before her own sadness.

Georgiana returns home and the Duke tells her that he wants their lives to go back to normal and that there will be a party in her honor. She asks who will be there and he says, "Everybody."

We have what is definitely a black mourning sash of which she usually wears whenever the Duke treats life like a business arrangement but the dress is different from the other two dresses that she wore in similar scenes which were both white with thin stripes. I couldn't really describe this color as anything but, "meh." Perhaps that is her present mood. She feels numb. I can't imagine her feeling anything other than numbness or sadness in this moment. The hope has been stamped out of her but she can only go on.

Georgiana attends the party for her as her reintroduction to society and sees Grey there. She tells fake stories about her fake vacation and he tells her that he's engaged and that she should meet his "niece" Eliza in a little while.

Two words: MOURNING DRESS. This may be her reintroduction into the society but for her it is actually the end.

In the final shot of Georgiana we see her with Bess and their children and learn that they all lived together until she died and Bess married the Duke and that Georgiana visited Eliza a lot in secret.

So how did Georgiana's life go? It was "meh" like the color of this dress. I can't not interpret the choice to end in a dress of this color as a way of saying that she never fully recovered and lived a kind of numb, uneventful existence after all of this. Considering she gambled her way into immense debt, this is probably true.

But alas, better to have had an interesting but sad life than to have lived an entirely dull existence, I say.

And I must say this was easier to write than I thought.

Now I really want to do the 2005 Pride and Prejudice.

Regency fashion next!