A reticule was a lady's handbag or purse. They could be of many shapes, materials and sizes but they were most often small. It was usually made to match her gown or bonnet.
What was inside depended much on the lady's personality and habits. You could probably find within a bottle of sal volatile, a handkerchief, calling cards, and perhaps a pencil or even a small slip of paper. They were usually too small to carry much.
For a more detailed post on the subject, I recommend Donna Hatch's post, Regency Reticules.
4 comments:
Fascinating -- do you know this is the first time I've run across the word "reticule?"
You're kicking butt on NaNo! Happy Writing! :-D
Oh, my. They say 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.' I'm terribly flattered! Thanks for the recommendation!!!
My problem with reticules is that they seem to magically appear and disappear in my books. In "The Stranger She Married," Alicia had a reticule in one scene but I never mentioned it later. Sigh. I guess we could assume she had it on her wrist the rest of the time.
Thomma: Thanx for your comment! I think the only place you'll really stumble over "reticules" is in Regency-era novels, possibly Georgian England. And thanx for the NaNo boost! I needed it. :o)
Donna: I hope I didn't overstep myself. I like to recommend your blog to others when I get the chance. I didn't actually intend to do the same subject as you--in fact, I try to do different topics entirely. Alas, reticules are so much a part of the Regency genre that I figured I should at least mention them. I mentioned the cravat, after all, in a previous post.
I don't think Alicia's reticule was important, other than to set the scene, so to speak. I never noticed that you failed to mention it again. I definitely know what you mean, though. I think I've done the same thing in my books. Sigh.
I enjoyed reading about the reticule.
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