ON go the cravats, double-breasted frock coats, top hats and tails as Barley Hall prepares to “dress Mr Darcy” with an audience on Sunday.

York Archaeological Trust’s Dressing Mr Darcy event shows the intricacies of dressing a Regency gentleman while looking at the historical context of clothing through the decades.

The hour-long demonstration will be delivered by Dawn Wood from History’s Maid, a Yorkshire historical interpretation and research company. “The dressing of a Regency gentleman was often an event in itself with one well-known Regency gent, Beau Brummell, actually holding audiences and charging people to watch him,” says Dawn.

“Between 1811 and 1820, often visitors were ‘received’ and business conducted while gentlemen were dressed in their finery.”

The talk will cover the skills of dressing in that era, such as how to tie a cravat, while Andrew Clark, from History’s Maid, will demonstrate the art of dressing a Regency gentleman, beginning the session in a banyan and nightshirt, surrounded by the trappings of the Regency gent: hot chocolate, tea and cakes.

Four sessions will run during the course of the day, each tailored to the time of day, from dressing for the day through to dressing for an evening at the opera. Women’s clothing, toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes will be discussed too.

The talk ties in with the forthcoming Barley Hall exhibition, From Hamlet To Hollywood, which from tomorrow explores the history of fashion through film.

Visitors should pre-book their tickets for Sunday’s sessions by calling York Archaeological Trust on 01904 615505.