Bluestocking circle

From the early 1750s, the rich socialite Elizabeth Montagu began to play host, along with others, to a new kind of cultural society. The Blue Stockings, or Blues as they where first called were a group of privileged women, determined to discuss matters such as Art, Language and Literature, topics which had previously been a male only domain. It is thought the term Blue Stocking came from one of the society's invited male guests, Benjamin Stillingfleet, who wore the less formal blue leg attire to attend a meeting, instead of the highly fashionable and expensive black style. In this way the name came to stand for substance over style, and female intellectuals were proud to associate themselves with the group and its values. However their pride in opening the field of education to women was not widely shared, and by the 19th century, the label of Blue Stocking had become one of a dowdy, unmarriable woman, ridiculed in society and the press.