Sarah Jane Downing

This gem will deepen your appreciation of Austen's genius, since Jane used clothes to point to character. It explains the fashion of her period, how it was shaped by the cultural ideals of the time, & how London briefly usurped Paris as fashion's centre, with 150 illustrations. The fashions of Jane Austen's time reflected reflected the revolutionary & egalitarian culture. From 1800–20 women discarded corsets & wore simple muslin gowns tight over the bust then loosely flowing, another fashion revolution didn't occur until 1920.