Waltzing to Waterloo: How the Napoleonic Wars Wove Wardrobes

Waltzing to Waterloo: How the Napoleonic Wars Wove Wardrobes

Join us on 16 & 17 October at 18:30 in the Copper Tree Gallery for a fascinating journey from the opulent ballrooms of Brussels to the muddy battlefields of Waterloo, as we explore the gripping intersection of style and warfare through garments in the Birr Castle Textile Collection.

We will uncover how the turbulence of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars completely reshaped society’s wardrobe. Discover how naval blockades unexpectedly democratised everyday dress, how soldiers’ uniforms inspired lasting fashion staples like the Wellington boot, and how Empress Joséphine used her power to defy wartime restrictions and become a 19th-century fashion maven.

The talk culminates with an exclusive first look at a stunning newly conserved gown in the Birr Collection, worn by the Duchess of Newcastle to the Duchess of Richmond’s Ball in Brussels, on the very eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Book your tickets now to reveal how conflict, politics, and patriotism were woven into the very fabric of 19th-century fashion!

Please note: No food or drink is permitted. Not suitable for children.