When a Muslin Dress Just Isn’t Enough
by Jean Martin, First published for the January/February 2013 issue of Finery For most Regency events and balls, most of us costumers can get away with not wearing period-correct outerwear since we will most likely be indoors, or outdoors during the summer. However, if you want to wear a Regency costume this winter, or at an outdoor event such as […]
Deciphering Regency Sleeves
by Jennifer Rosbrugh, First published for the March/April 2012 issue of Finery Fashionable dress in the Regency years (1795-1820) is fairly uncomplicated. Although the bodices and skirts are relatively simple, the true area of design is the sleeves. Where else do you put your personality into a garment if the skirt is plain straight and the top simply covers what […]
Beyond the Muslin Gown
by Virginia Solomon, First published for the September/October 2011 issue of Finery Too many times have I heard this statement, “I can’t wear Regency dress, I don’t have the body for it.” While it is true that many Regency illustrations depict willowy young things in clinging white gowns, there are many existing gowns in museum collections and illustrations, that depict […]
Film Review: Steadfast as Thou Art
by Gailynne Bouret, First published for the May/June 2010 issue of Finery The 2009 movie “Bright Star” depicts the doomed romance of poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, the girl next door and the inspiration for some of his most memorable work. Director and writer Jane Campion and costume and set designer Janet Patterson treat us to a visually rich […]
Let Them Wear Muslin!
by Feather Tippets-Rosica. Originally published in the May / June, 2009 issue of Finery The transition from the elaborate gowns of the eighteenth century, worn over rigidly boned stays and hooped petticoats, to the soft muslin gowns associated with the heroines of Jane Austen’s novels was not a sudden event sparked by the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette started it well […]
Film Review: Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park (PBS, 2007)
by Elizabeth Urbach, First published for the March/ April 2008 issue of Finery In Persuasion, the women’s costumes were mostly well done, although it seemed to me that they were almost always wearing the same thing. I would have appreciated more variety in accessories and outerwear, especially, although I did enjoy seeing Anne’s “invalid” sister wearing a dotted shortgown over […]
Regency Costumes from the BBC Television Productions
A review of some productions from the 1970s and 1980s by Sally Norton, First published for the May/June 2003 issue of Finery The British Broadcasting Corporation is known for high production values. Programs such as Elizabeth R, Poldark and Lillie accurately recreate a past time and place. The costumes are a major contribution to the overall feel of a historic […]
