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Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion
This lively book reveals the clothing and fashion of the world depicted in Jane Austen’s beloved books, focusing on the long Regency between the years 1795 and 1825. During this period, accelerated change saw Britain’s turbulent entry into the modern age, and clothing reflected these transformations. Starting with the intimate perspective of clothing the self, Dress in the Age of Jane Austen moves outward through the social and cultural spheres of home, village, countryside, and cities, and into the wider national and global realms, exploring the varied ways people dressed to inhabit these environments. Jane Austen’s famously observant fictional writings, as well as her letters, provide the entry point for examining the Regency age’s rich complexity of fashion, dress, and textiles for men and women in their contemporary contexts.
Lavishly illustrated with paintings, drawings, historic garments, and fashion plates—including many previously unpublished images—this authoritative yet accessible book will help readers visualize the external selves of Austen’s immortal characters as clearly as she wrote of their internal ones. The result is an enhanced understanding of Austen’s work and time, and also of the history of one of Britain’s most distinctive fashion eras.
Lavishly illustrated with paintings, drawings, historic garments, and fashion plates—including many previously unpublished images—this authoritative yet accessible book will help readers visualize the external selves of Austen’s immortal characters as clearly as she wrote of their internal ones. The result is an enhanced understanding of Austen’s work and time, and also of the history of one of Britain’s most distinctive fashion eras.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2019
23 people are currently reading
1038 people want to read
About the author
Hilary Davidson
3 books48 followersHilary Davidson is a dress, textiles and fashion historian and curator. Her work encompasses making and knowing, things and theory, with an extraordinary understanding of how historic clothing objects come to be and how they function in culture.
After dropping out of high school to pursue her interests through global travel, Hilary trained as a bespoke shoemaker in her native Australia before completing a Masters in the History of Textiles and Dress at Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton) in 2004. Since graduating, Hilary’s practice has concerned the relationship between theoretical and highly material approaches
to dress history, especially in the early modern and medieval periods. As a skilled and meticulous handsewer, she has created replica clothing projects for a number of museums, including a ground-breaking replication of Jane Austen’s pelisse.At the same time she lectured extensively on fashion history, theory and culture, on semiotics, and cultural mythologies, especially red shoes.
In 2007 Hilary became curator of fashion and decorative arts at the Museum of London. She contributed to the £20 million permanent gallery redevelopment opening in 2010, and curated an exhibition on pirates, while continuing to publish, teach and lecture in the UK and internationally. In collaboration with Museum of London Archaeology, Hilary began analysing archaeological textiles and continues to cross disciplines by consulting for in this area in England and Australia. She also worked on the AHRC 5-star rated Early Modern Dress and Textiles Network (2007-2009) and from 2011 has appeared as an expert on a number of BBC historical television programmes.
Since 2012 Hilary has worked between Sydney and London as a freelance curator, historian, broadcaster, teacher, lecturer, consultant and designer. In addition to historical studies she has been a jewellery designer, graphic designer, photographer, gallerist, and worked in retail fashion and vintage clothing. Current projects include Dress in the Age of Jane Austen (Yale, 2019), and completing a PhD by publication at La Trobe University, Melbourne, on knowledge making and materiality in pre-modern dress (2020).
Hilary has taught and lectured extensively, including at the University of Southampton, Central St Martins, the University of Cambridge, the University of Glasgow, New York University London, The American University Paris, Fashion Design Studio TAFE Sydney and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Sydney. She speaks regularly at academic conferences and to the public.
Hilary is an Honorary Associate, School of Arts, Letters and Media, at the University of Sydney, a consultant in historic textiles for the Oxford English Dictionary, a Freeman of the City of London and member of the Company of Arts Scholars, Dealers and Collectors. As Hilary Gilmore, she is a published poet.
After dropping out of high school to pursue her interests through global travel, Hilary trained as a bespoke shoemaker in her native Australia before completing a Masters in the History of Textiles and Dress at Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton) in 2004. Since graduating, Hilary’s practice has concerned the relationship between theoretical and highly material approaches
to dress history, especially in the early modern and medieval periods. As a skilled and meticulous handsewer, she has created replica clothing projects for a number of museums, including a ground-breaking replication of Jane Austen’s pelisse.At the same time she lectured extensively on fashion history, theory and culture, on semiotics, and cultural mythologies, especially red shoes.
In 2007 Hilary became curator of fashion and decorative arts at the Museum of London. She contributed to the £20 million permanent gallery redevelopment opening in 2010, and curated an exhibition on pirates, while continuing to publish, teach and lecture in the UK and internationally. In collaboration with Museum of London Archaeology, Hilary began analysing archaeological textiles and continues to cross disciplines by consulting for in this area in England and Australia. She also worked on the AHRC 5-star rated Early Modern Dress and Textiles Network (2007-2009) and from 2011 has appeared as an expert on a number of BBC historical television programmes.
Since 2012 Hilary has worked between Sydney and London as a freelance curator, historian, broadcaster, teacher, lecturer, consultant and designer. In addition to historical studies she has been a jewellery designer, graphic designer, photographer, gallerist, and worked in retail fashion and vintage clothing. Current projects include Dress in the Age of Jane Austen (Yale, 2019), and completing a PhD by publication at La Trobe University, Melbourne, on knowledge making and materiality in pre-modern dress (2020).
Hilary has taught and lectured extensively, including at the University of Southampton, Central St Martins, the University of Cambridge, the University of Glasgow, New York University London, The American University Paris, Fashion Design Studio TAFE Sydney and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Sydney. She speaks regularly at academic conferences and to the public.
Hilary is an Honorary Associate, School of Arts, Letters and Media, at the University of Sydney, a consultant in historic textiles for the Oxford English Dictionary, a Freeman of the City of London and member of the Company of Arts Scholars, Dealers and Collectors. As Hilary Gilmore, she is a published poet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 22, 2025
Qué vestían las personas durante la época en que vivió Jane Austen en todos los ámbitos de la vida social: el hogar, el trabajo, en exteriores, en fiestas, el ejército... El comercio, los materiales, la moda, un libro muy completo y bien documentado, con hermosas imágenes.
May 29, 2025
This comprehensive look at clothing and British gentry culture from London to the country, the West Indies to Australia, is a must-read for Regency scholars and enthusiasts. Hilary Davidson claims this book is meant to be scholarly but it's so enjoyable and easy to read. The book has many, many gorgeous full color photos of period clothing, as well as fashion plates and satirical prints. Even if you don't read the whole book word for word, at least you can enjoy the images.
This book specifically focuses on the gentry, which is nice because usually only the nobility get attention. There are a few nobles quoted, but mostly this book covers clothing specifically for Jane Austen's world-her characters, her family and neighbors. However, one thing that's very interesting many people don't realize, is that Jane's world was far more expansive than three or four families in a country village. Her cousin Eliza came from France probably in the latest fashions. Women sewed men's "body linen" (shirts, cravats, etc.) and two of Jane's brothers sailed the globe with the Royal Navy. Imagine, a shirt made by Jane's own hands traveling across the globe! I especially liked that last section explaining how British fashion spread British values to the colonies and how colonials adapted and used British goods to suit their own ideas of what was fashionable.
This book describes the changing fashions in the Regency period (Chapter 1), from the long trains and conical shaped figures of the late 18th century to the under the bosom waists of the early 19th-century and the frills of the 1820s. If you've seen the new adaptation of Emma, Emma., the costumes are exquisite. There's even a visit to the haberdashery to buy all those ribbons and trims. I learned here that women sewed those on themselves. I was under the impression that one purchased custom made clothing sewn from start to finish by someone else but this isn't true at all for gentrywomen like the Austens. They did a fair amount of sewing. Women made shifts, shirts, and even gowns. An old gown could be taken apart and used to construct a pattern for a new one. I learned how women would sometimes send these pattern gowns with a friend or family member to a market town in order to have a new gown made up. Women stitched ribbons and trimmings on their own gowns in the second decade of the 19th-century. I would completely fail gentrywoman 101!
Did you know that waistlines rose and fell during the 19th-century and different styles were popular at different times? The nuances of who wore what, where and when are so subtle. Modern day costumers don't seem to get this right at all. Looking through offerings of Jane Austen dresses for sale on Etsy, the waistlines and are too low and necklines too high! My own figure was meant for Georgian styles when false rumps and wide hoops were fashionable. What should I wear in the Regency period? The section on undergarments was especially interesting. Contrary to what the sellers are offering (and some DO offer period correct stays and corsets), women experimented a lot with different types of foundation garments in the last decade of the 18th-century and first decade of the 19th. You can wear whatever is best for your own figure. If you're tall and slender like Jane, perhaps you do not have much of a bosom and can get away with something small and light. If you have a more matronly Georgian figure, you might want to try long stays or a corset! I'd love to see an expanded section on this subject.
I would have liked a little more about the Industrial Revolution and domestic cotton cloth, mostly because I have a personal interest in that subject. Davidson does provide details about muslin and the difference between true India muslin and machine-made. The devil is in the details. India muslin, woven by hand, contains imperfections and subtleties. It also smells heavenly because it was packed in with spices from Asia. There's also an analysis of shawls and real Indian shawls vs. the knock-offs made in Paisley, Scotland. (Now there's the knock-offs of those too. Anyone heard of a bandanna?)
Research nerds like me will delight in the quotations from primary sources, not just Austen family letters but letters and diaries from those whose voices are not heard because they didn't have the good fortune of becoming a famous writer.
Davidson also includes an Austen family tree, a list of characters in Austen novels, a timeline of changing clothing construction details, a glossary, notes section, a bibliography, a lengthy section on sources, picture credits, and an index. Whew!
My little review is not enough to do justice to this book. This is a MUST BUY for Regency scholars, writers and costumers. Writers and movie costume designers be on guard because I WILL provide a scathing review if you don't read this book!
This book specifically focuses on the gentry, which is nice because usually only the nobility get attention. There are a few nobles quoted, but mostly this book covers clothing specifically for Jane Austen's world-her characters, her family and neighbors. However, one thing that's very interesting many people don't realize, is that Jane's world was far more expansive than three or four families in a country village. Her cousin Eliza came from France probably in the latest fashions. Women sewed men's "body linen" (shirts, cravats, etc.) and two of Jane's brothers sailed the globe with the Royal Navy. Imagine, a shirt made by Jane's own hands traveling across the globe! I especially liked that last section explaining how British fashion spread British values to the colonies and how colonials adapted and used British goods to suit their own ideas of what was fashionable.
This book describes the changing fashions in the Regency period (Chapter 1), from the long trains and conical shaped figures of the late 18th century to the under the bosom waists of the early 19th-century and the frills of the 1820s. If you've seen the new adaptation of Emma, Emma., the costumes are exquisite. There's even a visit to the haberdashery to buy all those ribbons and trims. I learned here that women sewed those on themselves. I was under the impression that one purchased custom made clothing sewn from start to finish by someone else but this isn't true at all for gentrywomen like the Austens. They did a fair amount of sewing. Women made shifts, shirts, and even gowns. An old gown could be taken apart and used to construct a pattern for a new one. I learned how women would sometimes send these pattern gowns with a friend or family member to a market town in order to have a new gown made up. Women stitched ribbons and trimmings on their own gowns in the second decade of the 19th-century. I would completely fail gentrywoman 101!
Did you know that waistlines rose and fell during the 19th-century and different styles were popular at different times? The nuances of who wore what, where and when are so subtle. Modern day costumers don't seem to get this right at all. Looking through offerings of Jane Austen dresses for sale on Etsy, the waistlines and are too low and necklines too high! My own figure was meant for Georgian styles when false rumps and wide hoops were fashionable. What should I wear in the Regency period? The section on undergarments was especially interesting. Contrary to what the sellers are offering (and some DO offer period correct stays and corsets), women experimented a lot with different types of foundation garments in the last decade of the 18th-century and first decade of the 19th. You can wear whatever is best for your own figure. If you're tall and slender like Jane, perhaps you do not have much of a bosom and can get away with something small and light. If you have a more matronly Georgian figure, you might want to try long stays or a corset! I'd love to see an expanded section on this subject.
I would have liked a little more about the Industrial Revolution and domestic cotton cloth, mostly because I have a personal interest in that subject. Davidson does provide details about muslin and the difference between true India muslin and machine-made. The devil is in the details. India muslin, woven by hand, contains imperfections and subtleties. It also smells heavenly because it was packed in with spices from Asia. There's also an analysis of shawls and real Indian shawls vs. the knock-offs made in Paisley, Scotland. (Now there's the knock-offs of those too. Anyone heard of a bandanna?)
Research nerds like me will delight in the quotations from primary sources, not just Austen family letters but letters and diaries from those whose voices are not heard because they didn't have the good fortune of becoming a famous writer.
Davidson also includes an Austen family tree, a list of characters in Austen novels, a timeline of changing clothing construction details, a glossary, notes section, a bibliography, a lengthy section on sources, picture credits, and an index. Whew!
My little review is not enough to do justice to this book. This is a MUST BUY for Regency scholars, writers and costumers. Writers and movie costume designers be on guard because I WILL provide a scathing review if you don't read this book!
June 26, 2020
This was disappointing.
First and foremost, I didn't find this enjoyable to read. It was a bit of a slog to get through, and for a lot of that time I was confused. As a book intended to be a survey of Regency fashion, Dress in the Age of Jane Austen didn't really need to be a primer on all things fashion history-related, but I can't help but feel like it could've benefited hugely from some kind of explanation of the basics to readers with virtually no preexisting knowledge of fashion terms (i.e. me). There was a glossary in the back of the book for a lot of the terms that Davidson used, as well the occasional explanation in-text of what Davidson was talking about, but still I found it difficult to keep track of what, exactly, she was referring to. There was a lot of background that I didn't understand and had to look up, and though the many (beautiful) pictures in this book helped, I still felt like I had a very loose grasp of the basics. It's hard to delve into a book about Regency fashion when you have no foundation on which to build all that knowledge.
Don't get me wrong, Davidson has packed a lot of research into this book. But information does not an enjoyable book make--and in the case of Dress in the Age of Jane Austen, I couldn't help but feel frustrated.
First and foremost, I didn't find this enjoyable to read. It was a bit of a slog to get through, and for a lot of that time I was confused. As a book intended to be a survey of Regency fashion, Dress in the Age of Jane Austen didn't really need to be a primer on all things fashion history-related, but I can't help but feel like it could've benefited hugely from some kind of explanation of the basics to readers with virtually no preexisting knowledge of fashion terms (i.e. me). There was a glossary in the back of the book for a lot of the terms that Davidson used, as well the occasional explanation in-text of what Davidson was talking about, but still I found it difficult to keep track of what, exactly, she was referring to. There was a lot of background that I didn't understand and had to look up, and though the many (beautiful) pictures in this book helped, I still felt like I had a very loose grasp of the basics. It's hard to delve into a book about Regency fashion when you have no foundation on which to build all that knowledge.
Don't get me wrong, Davidson has packed a lot of research into this book. But information does not an enjoyable book make--and in the case of Dress in the Age of Jane Austen, I couldn't help but feel frustrated.
January 20, 2024
The long, dark evenings before Christmas were ideal for studying this beautifully illustrated not-quite-a-tome. Like all my reference works, my copy now looks like a fretted porcupine, prickly with bookmarks . . .
The introduction errs a little on the dry, academic side, but once Davidson gets into her stride, she gives us an entertaining and highly informative read. The illustrations are well chosen and tie in beautifully with the text, which integrates episodes from Jane Austen's life and works without apparent effort.
The design and format are problematic. I like the wide margins providing plenty of room for notes, but the print is too pale and too small, especially in the captions, which almost require a magnifying glass. The hardback quarto is too heavy to hold in your hands, and yet too unwieldy and printed too small to open on your desk for comfortable study. I'll sign up for a new, folio edition in landscape format any day!
The introduction errs a little on the dry, academic side, but once Davidson gets into her stride, she gives us an entertaining and highly informative read. The illustrations are well chosen and tie in beautifully with the text, which integrates episodes from Jane Austen's life and works without apparent effort.
The design and format are problematic. I like the wide margins providing plenty of room for notes, but the print is too pale and too small, especially in the captions, which almost require a magnifying glass. The hardback quarto is too heavy to hold in your hands, and yet too unwieldy and printed too small to open on your desk for comfortable study. I'll sign up for a new, folio edition in landscape format any day!
January 1, 2020
I can't quite put into words how much I love this book: Fun little anecdotes, thorough historical research, the style of writing was enjoyable to read. Bonus: I didn't know all the pictures yet.
I was actually quite sad when I realised that I had just read the last few pages, which only happens with books that I thoroughly enjoy. Only downside: Now I have the urgent need to find a way to make my dresses smell of spices in order to get that 'true indian muslin'-scent ;)
Definitely worth a read, whether you're an Austen-enthusiast, casually interested in historical clothing or looking at the subject from an academic perspective.
I was actually quite sad when I realised that I had just read the last few pages, which only happens with books that I thoroughly enjoy. Only downside: Now I have the urgent need to find a way to make my dresses smell of spices in order to get that 'true indian muslin'-scent ;)
Definitely worth a read, whether you're an Austen-enthusiast, casually interested in historical clothing or looking at the subject from an academic perspective.
January 18, 2020
Glorious illustrations of clothing and accessories from the time of Jane Austen. Didn't read it all. Only quibble: the print is too small and too faint. Even more so regarding the captions. But the illustrations are a pure pleasure.
Includes an Austen family tree, a list of characters in Austen novels, a timeline of changing clothing construction details, a glossary, notes section, a bibliography, a lengthy section on sources, picture credits, and an index.
A delight to look through but also a serious, academic study of regency fashion.
Includes an Austen family tree, a list of characters in Austen novels, a timeline of changing clothing construction details, a glossary, notes section, a bibliography, a lengthy section on sources, picture credits, and an index.
A delight to look through but also a serious, academic study of regency fashion.
December 4, 2019
An amazing book that I'll be re-read and referencing for years to come. It's worth it just for the pictures alone, many of which I've never seen before. However, Davidson's thorough, but accessible, writing style means you are learning something new in every single paragraph.
Required reading for the Jane Austen enthusiast.
Required reading for the Jane Austen enthusiast.
June 5, 2025
Can I give this six stars? Erudite, expert, well-researched, full of images, and truly fascinating. If you have any interest in the history of clothing or Jane Austen, this is worth a read. If you are interested in both, it is *necessary* to read.
This woman reconstructed Jane Austen's pelisse from the original. I mean.
I cannot imagine how much this woman knows about both Austen and the history and theory of historical dress and life in this time period, and it's all put on excellent display in this book.
I was initially a little dubious about the arrangement of chapters as "Self, Home, Village, Country, City, Nation, and World," but I was won over as the shift in perspective between the personal and global was illustrated so cogently. And this is also a book that need not be read linearly, but could easily be dipped in and out of, with lots of images to beguile the reader.
The author has combed Austen's writings (letters and fiction) for every possible quote that could be germane, and as well has a wealth of other primary sources - including letters from Austen's family members and the collection at the Austen library/ museum at Chawton, where she had a fellowship- that she draws from regularly. (Also of note were many quotes from the letters of author Maria Edgeworth, who I just learned more about in my recent read Jane Austen's Bookshelf.)
A couple of quotes from the conclusion as a sampler:
"Where Austen uses language, her compatriots used their eyes and hands to assess, scrutinize, criticize, desire or be repulsed by others' selves conveyed by their dressed appearance. Clothing was essential to determining self. As no man is an island, no garment springs fully formed from some fountainhead of 'fashion,' independent of production and consumption networks. Once it exists, that garment mediates myriad factors, including the peculiar and individual body of the wearer, the cultural agreements of taste and propriety in operation, the climate, the materials and methods of its construction, the tasks and social roles to be performed in it: in short all the values operating far beyond the fiscal" (p. 284).
"The two threads [ha] of this book are the clothes Regency middling sorts wore, and the influences on wearing, woven [ha again] into a pattern determined by Austen's gaze. A different author's work would create a different outcome and subjects of focus" (p. 285).
and lastly,
"Considering her work through dress and textiles reveals new perspectives (and vice versa) because that starting point rearranges relationships between words, objects, and meaning. The clothing practices of people who lived through Austen's age go a long way to explaining her work, her time, its histories. Dress helps us to visualize the external selves of Jane Austen's characters as clearly as she wrote their internal ones. After all, not even Lydia Bennet goes naked" (p. 285).
(p.s. - the cover image was apparently one that Austen saw and declared to be the very image of Mrs. Bingley (Jane Bennet). I love this level of detail.)
(p.p.s.- I see the author also has a book called Jane Austen’s Closet. Which explains what all the pieces of clothing are, I think. Now on my list, and probably more of an introductory book than this one.)
This woman reconstructed Jane Austen's pelisse from the original. I mean.
I cannot imagine how much this woman knows about both Austen and the history and theory of historical dress and life in this time period, and it's all put on excellent display in this book.
I was initially a little dubious about the arrangement of chapters as "Self, Home, Village, Country, City, Nation, and World," but I was won over as the shift in perspective between the personal and global was illustrated so cogently. And this is also a book that need not be read linearly, but could easily be dipped in and out of, with lots of images to beguile the reader.
The author has combed Austen's writings (letters and fiction) for every possible quote that could be germane, and as well has a wealth of other primary sources - including letters from Austen's family members and the collection at the Austen library/ museum at Chawton, where she had a fellowship- that she draws from regularly. (Also of note were many quotes from the letters of author Maria Edgeworth, who I just learned more about in my recent read Jane Austen's Bookshelf.)
A couple of quotes from the conclusion as a sampler:
"Where Austen uses language, her compatriots used their eyes and hands to assess, scrutinize, criticize, desire or be repulsed by others' selves conveyed by their dressed appearance. Clothing was essential to determining self. As no man is an island, no garment springs fully formed from some fountainhead of 'fashion,' independent of production and consumption networks. Once it exists, that garment mediates myriad factors, including the peculiar and individual body of the wearer, the cultural agreements of taste and propriety in operation, the climate, the materials and methods of its construction, the tasks and social roles to be performed in it: in short all the values operating far beyond the fiscal" (p. 284).
"The two threads [ha] of this book are the clothes Regency middling sorts wore, and the influences on wearing, woven [ha again] into a pattern determined by Austen's gaze. A different author's work would create a different outcome and subjects of focus" (p. 285).
and lastly,
"Considering her work through dress and textiles reveals new perspectives (and vice versa) because that starting point rearranges relationships between words, objects, and meaning. The clothing practices of people who lived through Austen's age go a long way to explaining her work, her time, its histories. Dress helps us to visualize the external selves of Jane Austen's characters as clearly as she wrote their internal ones. After all, not even Lydia Bennet goes naked" (p. 285).
(p.s. - the cover image was apparently one that Austen saw and declared to be the very image of Mrs. Bingley (Jane Bennet). I love this level of detail.)
(p.p.s.- I see the author also has a book called Jane Austen’s Closet. Which explains what all the pieces of clothing are, I think. Now on my list, and probably more of an introductory book than this one.)
January 8, 2020
I picked this up expecting it might be yet another fluffy, pandering work of Austen fandom, created with the intent of selling something. I was so, so pleasantly surprised to find it not only a work of serious Austen close-reading, but an impressive scholarly piece exploring every possible aspect of dress in the Regency period. Davidson outdoes all expectations in her thoughtful, well-researched, and readable treatise on this subject. This book is incredibly thorough while still being entertaining. It considers the wider context of history while including many entertaining Austen references and a clear affection for the iconic novelist of the period. Worth a read for anyone who enjoys history, fashion, Austen, or all three! Brava!
October 8, 2024
Worth the price for the illustration reproductions alone: a coffee table-sized book with high quality yet very accessible academic research and absolutely gorgeous photographs and prints. Outstanding.
I must emphasize that Davidson's focus is solidly on the middle class - Austen's milieu - which is both smart marketing and filling a gap. So many fashion histories understandably focus on the wealthy elite, the outrageous costumes of the haut ton, but her book helps fill in my understanding of what those who think of a ball as a rare treat or a fairy story might wear, not those toffs bored by visiting the Assembly Rooms nightly. She also looks at the difference between city and country and has a thorough research of underwear.
Most importantly, she concludes with a sobering, illuminating discussion of how war & trade throughout the Empire affected access to both fabric and styles, and how even the small towns of the English countryside participated in the commerce of exploitation.
Might be a bit of a learning curve at first for non-costumers/historical fashion nerds who aren't totally sure what a "chemise" is but she is so engaging you'll pick it up quickly, and the glossary is superb.
Possibly my favorite of all the Regency research I've read this year. Certainly Top 3.
I must emphasize that Davidson's focus is solidly on the middle class - Austen's milieu - which is both smart marketing and filling a gap. So many fashion histories understandably focus on the wealthy elite, the outrageous costumes of the haut ton, but her book helps fill in my understanding of what those who think of a ball as a rare treat or a fairy story might wear, not those toffs bored by visiting the Assembly Rooms nightly. She also looks at the difference between city and country and has a thorough research of underwear.
Most importantly, she concludes with a sobering, illuminating discussion of how war & trade throughout the Empire affected access to both fabric and styles, and how even the small towns of the English countryside participated in the commerce of exploitation.
Might be a bit of a learning curve at first for non-costumers/historical fashion nerds who aren't totally sure what a "chemise" is but she is so engaging you'll pick it up quickly, and the glossary is superb.
Possibly my favorite of all the Regency research I've read this year. Certainly Top 3.
July 3, 2024
I took my time reading through this book. It is well researched and full of great pictures, all tied back to Jane Austen, her life, her family and her novels.
August 24, 2023
Fans of Jane Austen, fashion, and history will certainly enjoy it. However, it is too esoteric for the casual reader who just happened to read one of Jane Austen’s works, or watch a movie or TV series based on them. I would have liked to have seen pictures of outfits from films and TV shows based on Jane Austen’s books, and have them reviewed on their historical accuracy. This would have boosted my review to a 5.
March 6, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this book (even though the author sometimes got her Austen characters mixed up). From proxy shopping and the influences of foreign outposts, this book is a cultural overview that enhances any reading of Jane Austen's novels. Great reference book with a comprehensive glossary in the back, as well as Jane Austen's family tree.
December 29, 2020
probably the most well-researched book of period fashion i have ever read. davidson knows exactly how much detail to include to make descriptions deep, exciting, and historical. this is absolutely necessary reading for anyone interested in jane austen-style clothing, especially costumers, serious fans, and anyone who loves looking at old fashion plates and portraits. it's really, really great.
February 7, 2021
This book is everything the lavish cover promised when it first caught my eye in a bookstore - informative, detailed, deeply engaged with both Austen's work and clothing history, and well supported by ample, beautiful illustrations.
July 19, 2023
This book was detail rich (also dense). It too me quite some time to complete it. The ideas and details are well researched and are useful in understanding the works and world of both fashion and Jane Austen's works.
Unlike some literary analysis, and tomes of historical context, this is absolutely accessible and incredibly useful for those in historical reenactment, the Jane Austen literary and related Regency societies, historical dance societies. It is also useful for those who write Regency related romance and fanfiction.
It was a fascinating look into the cultural context, fashion and commerce worlds of the long Regency. 100% Recommend!
Unlike some literary analysis, and tomes of historical context, this is absolutely accessible and incredibly useful for those in historical reenactment, the Jane Austen literary and related Regency societies, historical dance societies. It is also useful for those who write Regency related romance and fanfiction.
It was a fascinating look into the cultural context, fashion and commerce worlds of the long Regency. 100% Recommend!
September 1, 2025
DNF. Pretty pictures and a connection to two of my favorite things--Jane Austen and historical design--do very little to redeem this book from its greatest flaw: it's written in academic gobbledygook instead of English. Now, I can parse a scholarly paper as well as anyone I know, but this sort of self-parodic verbal constipation is beyond my powers of enjoyment.
On top of that, she accuses Elizabeth Bennet of having bad manners and implies that she's some kind of bluestocking because we see her reading a book. Slander.
On top of that, she accuses Elizabeth Bennet of having bad manners and implies that she's some kind of bluestocking because we see her reading a book. Slander.
November 20, 2020
This is WONDERFUL as a reference guide for history buffs, fashion aficionados, or just anyone who enjoys pretty pictures. The carefully researched information with a detailed bibliography is well-matched with full color photos of extant garments and contemporary images. A pricey book, yes- but well worth the splurge.
April 7, 2020
2020-02 - Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion. Hilary Davidson (Author) 2019. 336 Pages.
Saw this book on a Facebook post by a fellow history nerd, albeit she writes historical fiction of this era. I loved the book cover and the topic. It fits into the Charles Brockden Brown era I am studying. First I love fashion of this era … an era of transition, the end of extravagance and the beginning of the demure. Yet a demure unlike the Victorian, a demure with style and not heaviness. As a long time watcher of Project Runway and amateur with the needle and thread myself I truly appreciate design and construction. A true tailor, mantua maker, or seamstress is part mechanical engineer, part artist, and 100% anatomist. Designing for a moving human form, knowing how the fabric moves, looks, and works as well as colors etc. These items, and the book is lavishly illustrated with photos pieces, period artwork and swatches were all pre-industrial for the most part. There are few items readymade, almost all of it is bespoke. And done by hand, with scissors, needle, and thread … 50-100 stiches to the inch. The book starts with the intimate and underclothes, such as they were in that era. It then moves out to the house, the village, the province, the city, the nation, the colonies, and the international stage. This from page 23 states it very well; “Human bodies are clothed in culture. Haircuts, sun exposure, marks left by work and leisure, the shaping by clothing and by mental images construct a socio-cultural ‘body’ identifiable in time. Dress lies at the margins of the body and marks the boundary between self and other, individual and society. The boundary is intimate and personal, since our dress forms the visible envelope of the self. Everyone in the Regency got up in the morning and put on garments that reflected their physical and cultural environments, balancing material garments and conceptual aesthetic imaginings to dress both their real and their social bodies. “ This book also talks about the economics of clothing and other aspects, like how hard it is to find examples and imagery of maternity and menstrual clothing. An absolutely well done book complete with a glossary of terms and chronological imagery of dress evolution through te area. Fabulous.
Saw this book on a Facebook post by a fellow history nerd, albeit she writes historical fiction of this era. I loved the book cover and the topic. It fits into the Charles Brockden Brown era I am studying. First I love fashion of this era … an era of transition, the end of extravagance and the beginning of the demure. Yet a demure unlike the Victorian, a demure with style and not heaviness. As a long time watcher of Project Runway and amateur with the needle and thread myself I truly appreciate design and construction. A true tailor, mantua maker, or seamstress is part mechanical engineer, part artist, and 100% anatomist. Designing for a moving human form, knowing how the fabric moves, looks, and works as well as colors etc. These items, and the book is lavishly illustrated with photos pieces, period artwork and swatches were all pre-industrial for the most part. There are few items readymade, almost all of it is bespoke. And done by hand, with scissors, needle, and thread … 50-100 stiches to the inch. The book starts with the intimate and underclothes, such as they were in that era. It then moves out to the house, the village, the province, the city, the nation, the colonies, and the international stage. This from page 23 states it very well; “Human bodies are clothed in culture. Haircuts, sun exposure, marks left by work and leisure, the shaping by clothing and by mental images construct a socio-cultural ‘body’ identifiable in time. Dress lies at the margins of the body and marks the boundary between self and other, individual and society. The boundary is intimate and personal, since our dress forms the visible envelope of the self. Everyone in the Regency got up in the morning and put on garments that reflected their physical and cultural environments, balancing material garments and conceptual aesthetic imaginings to dress both their real and their social bodies. “ This book also talks about the economics of clothing and other aspects, like how hard it is to find examples and imagery of maternity and menstrual clothing. An absolutely well done book complete with a glossary of terms and chronological imagery of dress evolution through te area. Fabulous.
August 12, 2022
This was an extensive, well researched book on Regency clothing and clothing in the works and writing of Jane Austen. It has beautiful images and illustrations to accompany Davidson’s explanations of the clothing. I’ve finished this book having learned a lot about a topic I’m both personally and academically interested in. I will definitely be using this as a resource I can return to in the future.
The layout of the book includes 7 chapters focusing on the different “spheres” of Regency dress, such as the self, the city and the world. I found this approach to be an interesting way to tackle the wide range of topics involved, but it didn’t always feel the most intuitive. Still, the layout paired with the incorporation of Austen’s works, and more notably her correspondence, gave illustrative humanity to what could have been dry information about clothes. I also appreciated the balance of men and women’s clothing, though it maybe slightly leaned towards women’s.
I only hesitate to give this book 5 stars because I think it may have tried to accomplish too much, and therefore didn’t totally achieve what it set out to. It was a detailed depiction of Regency clothing, but was not as wide-reaching as it could have been because it focused primarily on the clothing practices of the landed gentry, the socioeconomic class to which Austen belonged. The book contextualized clothing within Austen’s world, but because it also sought to be a general reference on Regency fashion, it did not dive as deeply into Austen as it maybe could have.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will find the research very useful as a jumping off point for my own.
The layout of the book includes 7 chapters focusing on the different “spheres” of Regency dress, such as the self, the city and the world. I found this approach to be an interesting way to tackle the wide range of topics involved, but it didn’t always feel the most intuitive. Still, the layout paired with the incorporation of Austen’s works, and more notably her correspondence, gave illustrative humanity to what could have been dry information about clothes. I also appreciated the balance of men and women’s clothing, though it maybe slightly leaned towards women’s.
I only hesitate to give this book 5 stars because I think it may have tried to accomplish too much, and therefore didn’t totally achieve what it set out to. It was a detailed depiction of Regency clothing, but was not as wide-reaching as it could have been because it focused primarily on the clothing practices of the landed gentry, the socioeconomic class to which Austen belonged. The book contextualized clothing within Austen’s world, but because it also sought to be a general reference on Regency fashion, it did not dive as deeply into Austen as it maybe could have.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will find the research very useful as a jumping off point for my own.
September 13, 2020
Excellent for background reading for the novels of Jane Austen and other books set during the time around the Regency, covering not only dress but its context in society during a time of great social change. Not only does the book illuminate her characters’ social positions, but also the effects of trade with Britain’s colonies and independent countries, including the role of slavery in producing cotton. I appreciate its many citations to characters and scenes in the novels, which I am gradually rereading.
Content aside, I found the book difficult to read because of its design. I do most of my reading at night, in bed. It’s attractive, but the type is small and gray, not black, and the captions are almost illegibly small. The single column of type is wide enough (about two-thirds of the page) that with the lack of contrast I found the lines hard to track. My vision is not especially bad and the light adequate for most reading, but not this. So before you undertake it, make sure you’ll have some time during the day so you can read it in natural light.
Content aside, I found the book difficult to read because of its design. I do most of my reading at night, in bed. It’s attractive, but the type is small and gray, not black, and the captions are almost illegibly small. The single column of type is wide enough (about two-thirds of the page) that with the lack of contrast I found the lines hard to track. My vision is not especially bad and the light adequate for most reading, but not this. So before you undertake it, make sure you’ll have some time during the day so you can read it in natural light.
April 25, 2020
Not a light read by any means, but incredibly thorough and comprehensive!
Dress in the Age of Jane Austen looks at nearly every imaginable topic relating to Regency-era English fashions - both men and women's clothes, how clothes were made, what they were made from, where those materials came from, and the society and culture surrounding it all.
Everything circles back to Jane Austen, her letters and novels, and her (unexpectedly) worldly family connections.
In addition to sources and image credits, the end of the book also contains a list of all Jane Austen's characters by book, her family tree, a brief overview of dress construction during the Regency in 5-year increments, and a thorough glossary.
Dress in the Age of Jane Austen looks at nearly every imaginable topic relating to Regency-era English fashions - both men and women's clothes, how clothes were made, what they were made from, where those materials came from, and the society and culture surrounding it all.
Everything circles back to Jane Austen, her letters and novels, and her (unexpectedly) worldly family connections.
In addition to sources and image credits, the end of the book also contains a list of all Jane Austen's characters by book, her family tree, a brief overview of dress construction during the Regency in 5-year increments, and a thorough glossary.
January 27, 2022
This is a very rare book on fashion. Most books of this type have pictures or even patterns but seldom do you find one that discusses how life influences fashion design and construction. There are no patterns, no sewing techniques, no construction tips. This book is about life and how people during the late 18th and early 19th centuries clothed themselves. This book covers all social classes although the main focus is the Austen family as taken from their diaries. If you have an interest in how the people of this era lived I can't recommend this book enough. So often fashion is presented as a mysterious force that vaguely has something to do with clothes. This book does an excellent job of putting fashion into perspective. Highly recommend.
May 24, 2020
The key words here are very much Jane Austen. This is a very detailed and fascinating look at Regency dress but it is not chronological (although there is a section at the end that does look at this over two pages), and whilst there are many beautiful illustrations (indeed you can just browse the pictures quite happily) they are arranged thematically around Jane's life and writings and thus is it difficult to gain an overview of social gradations and chronological change. Nevertheless this kept the interest of a reader coming to costume via Jane's books, regency romances, and film (particularly Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which I love as much as the 1980s series).
February 26, 2020
This study of Regency fashion was much more fascinating than I expected it to be. I loved the emphasis on social history and on references to Jane Austen's life and writing. It truly added to my understanding of Austen's novels as well as to the fashions of the time. I appreciated the many illustrations from period publications depicting dress as well as photographs of surviving articles of clothing. Especially delightful were the many paintings which revealed beautifully depicted dress of the regency era.
I did have trouble reading the book because of the small and faint font.
I did have trouble reading the book because of the small and faint font.
September 9, 2025
I learned so much about the historic and contemporary context of Regency clothing, starting with self and home life, outward to town, country, empire, and world. I loved all the historical illustrations and the photographs of extant garments. All of this was put in the context of Jane Austen, with quotations and explanations of clothing, as mentioned in her novels and letters and through what she would have experienced first- or second-hand in her lifetime. I read the book cover to cover, but will certainly want to keep it for reference, and especially for the pictures!
March 20, 2022
Dress in the Age of Jane Austen is a gorgeous, meticulously-researched book, absolutely perfect for lovers of historical fashion and Jane Austen. I, unfortunately, only fit half of that description. My interest in historical fashion is casual, and not quite suited to long books with teeny-tiny print, no matter how fabulous.
It was fun to flip through, but I'm not quite the right reader for it.
It was fun to flip through, but I'm not quite the right reader for it.
May 2, 2025
Whoever made the choice of font and grey print on white pages really did this book a disservice. Even changing print color to black would have helped. This is a big book, I shouldn't be squinting like I'm reading an aged mass market paperback. After numerous trys and it being due back to library, I finally gave up skimmed, looked at pictures, and read bits and pieces. Started to give 3 stars but that felt unfair to author who clearly did a lot of research on subject.
October 23, 2020
This was a huge work put together. While reading it, I could tell the amount of time and effort that was put into this. It was a slow read but only because there was so much information to soak in. If you are interested in the dress and times of Jane Austen's time, this is a great book for you, even to keep and look through the images in the book later.
May 27, 2021
This book was super informative and presented so beautifully. There are plenty of wonderful illustrations to underline the author's points, and by moving out from the body to the wider world Davidson is able to cover all sorts of nuances of dress without overwhelming the reader with new terminology. I'll definitely pay more attention to dress in Austen's novels after reading this!
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