Georgette Heyer's Freddy Standen

2011-10-21T16:02:00.005+01:00

Georgette Heyer was the english writer who in the 1920's established the sub-genre we today call Regency romance: idyllic novels mostly set in England shortly before and after 1800, depicting chiefly the young and wealthy bourgeois up and about the marriage market.

Famous for her minutiae of description, Heyer's books could almost be described as a social study of the english aristocracy during the regent years, portraying in thorough detail their behavior, habits, morals and values as well as the scrupulous dress and particular vocabulary.

With plots full of bird-witted young ladies, gamesters, rakes and dandies getting themselves in dashed awkward situations, defying the code of behavior of the bon ton with their shrewd jests and cork-brained adventures, her novels are not only great escapism, but also an interesting historical analysis of british society.

Among her vast array of intriguing characters is Freddy Standen, from the novel Cotillion (1953): a typical upper class beau, soft in character, but decidedly meticulous in attire - what makes him a particularly interesting to those interested in historical coolness.

Here is his very introduction into the story, which already says so much about what is to come:

"The young gentleman who alighted from the chaise must have been recognized at sight by discerning as a Pink of the Ton, for although his judgement, which in all matters of Fashion, was extremely nice, had forbidden him to travel into the country arrayed in the long-tailed coat of blue superfine, the pantaloons of delicate yellow, and the tasseled Hessian boots which marked him in the Metropolis as a veritable Tulip, or Bond Street Beau, none but a regular Dash, patronizing the most exclusive of tailors , could have presented himself in so exquisitely moulded a riding-coat, such peerless breeches, or such effulgent top-boots. The white tops of these, which incontrovertibly proclaimed his dandyism, were hidden by the folds of a very long and voluminous driving-coat, lined with silk, embellished with several shoulder-capes, and secured across his chest by a double row of very large buttons of mother of pearl. Upon his brown locks, carefully anointed with Russian oil, and cropped a la Titus, he wore a high-crowned beaver-hat, set at an exact angle between the rakish and the precise; on his hands were gloves of York tan; under one arm he carried a malacca cane. When he strolled into the inn, and shed the somewhat deceptive driving-coat, he was seen to be a slender young gentleman, of average height and graceful carriage. His countenance was unarresting, but amiable; and a certain vagueness characterized his demeanor. When he relinquished his coat, his hat, his cain and his gloves into the landlord's hands, a slight look of anxiety was in his face, but as soon as a penetrating glance at the mirror had satisfied him that the points of his shirt-collar were uncrumpled, and the intricacies of a virgin cravat no more disarranged than a touch would set to rights, the anxious look disappeared, and he was able to turn his attention to other matters."

His brilliancy lies on his blunt honesty, naive straight forwardness, exceeding attention to dress and humble admission of a certain "lack of brains", which grant his role hilarious quotes and a truly endearing personality.

Here are some of his memorables:

"I wouldn't have Hugh, if I were you, Kit. You'd find him a dead bore. Handsome fellow, of course, but too mackerel-backed if you asked me. Never saw anyone make a worse bow. Offered to teach him once, but all he did was to look down his nose, and say it was very obliging of me, but he wouldn't trouble me. As a matter of fact, it wasn't. Only did it because everyone knows he's a cousin of mine."

"Freddy, who had been surveying her with an expression on his face of strong disapproval, said despairingly: 'Pink! Dashed if I know why it is, but a female's only got to have a yaller head, and nothing will do for her but to wear pink! Can't be surprised Buckahaven's gone to China, can you?'"

"'Seems a good enough sort of a fellow,' Freddy said cautiously. 'Mind, I didn't like his waistcoat, but then, I don't like yours either, coz, so I daresay it don't signify.'"

What makes the story so enthralling, though, is how Heyer uses excessive sartorial elements to mask Freddy's character in frivolity to distract the other personage, astonishing them with the slow disclosure of his reason and understanding as the story evolves.

So, for anyone looking to know more about Regent England, fashion history or just fancying a few moments of reverie, Georgette Heyer is my best advice.

PS: The masterpiece above was painted by Jacques Louis David in 1795, portraying his brother in law Pierre Seriziat, like Freddy, the very image and posture of the Regent Gentleman.

The non-blog

2011-10-12T13:00:00.002+01:00

Essentially, I don't like blogs. In my opinion they're mostly badly written essays on uninterestingly personal topics or misinformed opinions on this or that subject.

Of course there's always the odd one, sensibly written by someone with the least knowledge of the issue with the goal of information or expression of an engrossing idea,other than just an amateurish blabber with the sole purpose of calling attention to itself.

But these, the good ones, are rare and even if they're compelling enough to tempt me to read it, I'd rather just buy the paper or read a printed book. But that's just old-fashion me.

So my problem is not only with content and quality, but the format too, bothers me.

So when Jas, my tutor at BIAD, suggested I started a blog, in order to register the development of my research and later my project, I wasn't very happy.

Blog for me is a kind of online diary where my school friends used to post pictures and gossip publicly. Of course almost ten years are past and things evolved quite a bit and there are even professional bloggers and etcetera, but it just doesn't appeal to me. Maybe it's just one of those things that you have to get used to before you like it. Or maybe I'll never learn to like it. Like onions or black coffee.

As an open minded person, though, I decided to give it a go, hoping that it might turn out to be something interesting as well as a mean to be evaluated. I will try and write about amusing things with (hopefully) unexpected point of views or new perspectives. It's a very ambitious project, I know, but if you don't aim higher than the average, what's the point?

So...good luck to me!

the naked banana

Georgette Heyer's Freddy Standen

The non-blog