I went to see the movie "The Duchess" with Kiera Knightly about the life of Georgiana Cavendish, The Duchess of Devonshire. It was a fascinating portrayal of eighteenth century aristocratic life in England, where one's value as a wife was ultimately measured by whether or not a son was born.
Georgiana was an English fashion icon and the costumes in the movie are faithful to the trends of the period. It was like eye candy for me and I cannot wait for the dvd to come out so that I can see the movie again.
One curious tidbit of information about The Duchess of Devonshire (that is not portrayed in the movie) is that Georgiana and Marie Antoinette were acquaintances. Apparently in 1784, Georgiana "went to a concert in one of the muslin chemises with fine lace that the Queen of France gave me". This demonstrates the extensive sphere of influence that Marie Antoinette had across Europe.
