Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen by Sarah Jane Downing

The broader Regency period 1795-1820 stands alone as an incredible moment in fashion history unlike anything that went before or after. It was the most naked period since Ancient Greece and before the 1960s, and for the first time England became a fashion influence, especially for menswear, and became the toast of Paris. With the ancient regime deposed, court dress became secondary and the season by season flux of fashion as we know it came into being, aided and abetted by the proliferation of new ladies' magazines.

 

Such an age of revolution and innovation inspired a flood of fashions taking influence from everything including the newly discovered treasures of the ancient world, to radical new ideas like democracy. It was an era of contradiction immortalized by Jane Austen, who adeptly used the newfound diversity of fashion to enliven her characters, Wickham's military splendor, Mr. Darcy's understated elegance, and Miss Tilney's romantic fixation with white muslin.

Publisher: Shire Books | Genre: Nonfiction/Fashion | Source: Publisher  | Rating: 4.5 

I found this to be an interesting, if short, history of fashion during the Regency era. It explained the influence that both the French and American revolutions had on fashion and the way the women’s clothing returned to a more classical and freer style rather than the more confining style of previous years. It also touched upon how war heroes brought their own flair to both men and women’s fashion such as Nelson with the Nelson cap.

This book is tiny, just 63 pages, but filled with a mixture of paintings, cartoons, and fashion plates from the era as well as photographs of items belonging to Jane Austen and the Austen family. It was nice to be able to look at the clothing and accessories discussed.  Also included are Jane Austen’s thoughts on fashion.  While there’s little mentioned in her novels, her letters contained quite a bit on the subject and I enjoyed the snippets shared in this book.

While I knew most of the information included, a few things surprised me. I was surprised to learn that Jane Austen and her family embroidered and stitched together their own shoes (slippers) as I always assumed that they came from the shoemaker. I was also surprised just how transparent the muslin gowns were. I knew they were described as diaphanous and I had seen them in museums (with undergarments) but the photos included have the gowns placed on a black background, which allowed their full transparency to show through.

Overall, this was a nice glimpse into the fashion of the Regency era. The writing has a nice flow and doesn’t drone on like a lecture, which I think most people will appreciate.

I think this book will appeal to fans of fashion, Jane Austen, and/or the Regency era.