Regency is one of my favorite time period.
The nine-year period from 1811-1820 when England was ruled by a “Regent” rather than a “King” is known as the Regency.
Prince George became the Prince Regent. He remained the Regent until his father died nine years later in 1820; he then officially succeeded to the throne, becoming King George the Fourth.
There is another sense in which the word “Regency” is used, however. Historians often refer to the “greater Regency” as a distinct cultural period from about 1790 to 1830. The two historical events used as book-ends to this 40 year span are: the French Revolution (1789), bringing an abrupt halt to the Georgian period, and the accession of Queen Victoria to the British throne in 1837, marking the official start of the Victorian period..
On the contrary to our present dress culture, regency toilette consisted of vagaries of innumerable articles. Hundreds of accessories along with perfect combination and various tryouts of different techniques forming first style of elegance commanded respect in amongst the ton or what they called as the “Polite Circles”.
Updating fashion styles and adapting them became fashion of the month. A person inventing new style, if fortuitously has attracted attention will be worshipped as the uncrowned king or queen of fashion, e.g. Beau Brummel. Regency period was a fashion stimulated period; said to have sowed seeds for our present era. 
Not only had regency influenced fashion but it also played a great part in setting new lifestyle, standard of living, changing the usual pattern or hobbies of the people. Though ideas were apt to being subtle, absurd and dreary, people received the new rules with as much complaisance and gameness. For e.g. men of Tudor and the dynasties before it loved to fence and duel with pistols. They loved hunting and gambling. But it was otherwise with regents. They loved prize-fighting, cock-fighting forsooth! and almost half the men folk dreamed of joining the army or the navy. The infamous regency couldn't get any worse than this
Here are my links to Various sites that will give more on thi beautiful Era called Regency.
http://www.kalenhughes.com/
http://www.emilyhendrickson.com/regency.html
http://candicehern.com/collections/index.htm
http://www.davidparlett.co.uk/histocs/index.html
http://locutus.ucr.edu/~cathy/reg3.html
http://locutus.ucr.edu/~cathy/reg.html
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~awoodley/Regency.html
http://www.georgianindex.net/fd/index.html#TOP
