] Even in this modern age of automatic washing machines and synthetic fabrics, white can still be an extremely impractical color. I can't help but think how much more impractical it must have been in Regency times, even for people who had houses full of servants.

] Any thoughts on this?

Wearing white was done often precisely because it was so impractical to wash and care for. It signified that servants were on hand to clean to the owner's content. Status-ey.