Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible

Oxford University literature professor Ballaster (Fabulous Orients) takes readers on a delightful tour of Regency-era fashion and its place in Jane Austen’s novels and letters. Selections from La Belle Assemblée, a fashion magazine published from 1806 to 1848 that was read by the Austen sisters, bring alive excerpts from Austen’s writings. These include Pride and Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet walks three miles to tend to her ill sister—possibly wearing something like the Autumnal Walking Dress, which included a sturdy woolen cloak and could be worn over a flexible corset that “freed [women] from the tortures inflicted by whalebone and steel.” Elsewhere, a section from Mansfield Park, in which Fanny Price is given a horse by her cousin Edmund, occasions a discussion of women’s “riding dress,” which had been introduced in the 17th century and involved a “masculine” coat and a habit with a long train that could cover one’s legs while riding side-saddle, but be tied up for walking. Other sections cover proper dress for seaside resorts and grand balls, for small-town and city life, and for activities ranging from walking to dancing. Full-color images from the magazine and a glossary of fashion terms round out the scrupulously detailed volume. Janeites will treasure this. (Oct.)