13. High-Class Men Were Absurdly Vain
Quite a bit of time and energy is spent analyzing the female beauty standards of past eras. The makeup, fashion, and hairstyles are all, and it’s easy to find information on how the styles have changed throughout the years. Less attention is paid to men’s styles, perhaps due to the perception that men care less about hair and fashion, and how men’s wardrobes have evolved through the ages. The opinion of men not caring about image could not be more incorrect for the men of Regency England. The men of the era not only valued their appearance, but some were vain to the point of being rather ludicrous.
Beau Brummel was the male socialite of the Regency Era. He set the trends of the era and was always immaculately dressed. It is said that it took him five hours to get dressed each day. He invented the starched cravat, which featured a high, stiff collar with numerous complicated knots. He reportedly washed his leather boots with champagne and refused to walk anywhere for fear of getting them muddy or dirty. He epitomized the Regency image of a dandy and ran in the social circle of fellow fashionable Regency dandies including Lord Byron.