I first learned of the existence of that small lady's handbag, the reticule, from the novels of Georgette Heyer. Later, as a museum curator, I had the opportunity to see a number of actual Regency-era reticules, both in person and in museum photographs. As I continued to research these often exquisite little bags, I discovered they had their origins in the late eighteenth century. Prior to that time, ladies carried their personal essentials in pockets under their skirts. Not in their skirts, under their skirts.

So, when and how did the lady's pocket come out from under her skirt and make its debut as the reticule?

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Or not. But authors, if your Regency hero does take off his shirt, or, even more enjoyable, if your heroine chooses to help him, please be sure they take off a Regency-era shirt, not a modern one. It does so ruin the mood to have a present-day garment appear in a delicious Regency seduction.

What precisely are the salient features of a man's shirt from the time of the Regency?

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