Review by Choice Review
More than 200 years after Austen's death, interest in her remains strong. She has been the subject of numerous academic and popular studies--including social commentary on the times in which she lived and wrote--and media adaptions of her works abound. Austen's observations about the events, places, and people of the Regency period (1795--1825) form the foundation and lens for this volume by Davidson (honorary associate, Univ. of Sydney, Australia), a dress, textile, and fashion historian and curator. Geographically organized, the book begins with the person and identity of Austen, her immediate family, and her surroundings, and then moves concentrically outward to global clothing production and consumption trends. The reader comes away from this study with a complete understanding not only of clothing styles, materials, and construction of the period but also of social class and gender roles. Meticulously researched, the book includes citations of published and unpublished manuscripts and letters of Austen, along with both the views of her contemporaries and the work of other Austen scholars. An extensive bibliography, numerous color plates, a clothing glossary, and a timeline accompany the text. This book demonstrates that what, why, and how clothing was worn during this period had and has meaning. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --Linda J. Frederiksen, Washington State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
It is a truth universally acknowledged that interest in all things Jane Austen continues to flourish. In this artfully designed and exhaustively researched study, fashion historian Davidson uses Austen's fiction and letters as lenses to examine the clothing and style of the Regency period (1795--1825). The narrative is organized into seven sections that gradually expand the focus from the very personal ("Self") to society ("City") and beyond ("World"). The text is enlivened with a generous selection of period paintings and drawings, photographs of historic garments, and fashion plates. There are a number of special features, including Austen's family tree, a list of characters in her fiction, and a glossary of terms. An illustrated chronology of changes in women's gowns from 1790 to 1820 provides a capsule costume history, and a generous bibliography offers a wealth of further reading. Davidson's aim is to share an understanding of dress as Austen and her characters would have understood it and to present a scholarly introduction to Regency dress. She succeeds admirably on both counts in this ultimate sourcebook for Janeites as well as scholars of clothing, British social history, and literature.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With this debut, Davidson, a dress and textile historian, has done a superb job of placing clothing in Jane Austen's fiction and in her journals and letters within the larger context of Regency fashion and its reflection of a rapidly changing, and globalizing, society. As Davidson emphasizes, mentions of clothing in Austen, be it Fanny arriving at Mansfield Park with only two sashes or Miss Bates's unfashionable wardrobe in Emma, always carry social significance. Davidson's contribution is not only to note this significance within the context of the novels but to tie it to larger trends in British, European, and global life. She comprehensively shows how factors such as the cold and damp English climate, the ban on French goods (and resulting black markets) during the Napoleonic wars, and widespread familial ties around the globe influenced what both Austen and her characters wore. A particularly strong aspect of the book is its placement of the Austen family's own clothing use in a wide context, including through Austen's brothers' naval travels, family members making and procuring clothing and textiles for each other, and the Austens' access to the global textile market. This extensively researched and beautifully illustrated book is fascinating to read, fills a gap in Austen scholarship, and makes an impressive contribution to Austen studies. (Nov.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Dress and textile historian Davidson gives a thorough and detailed account of the development of Regency fashion in Great Britain, which she specifies as 1795--1825. Using the world of Jane Austen's gentry as a departure point, Davidson organizes her narrative by the social spheres of "Self," "Home," "Village," "Country," "City," "Nation," and "World." For each of these social contexts, relevant dress styles and clothing are discussed. Under "Self," the only garment known to be owned by Jane Austen, a brown silk pelisse, is highlighted; under "Country," riding and travel clothes are examined. The development of retail clothing shopping in towns and cities such as Bath and London, and patterns of clothing consumption are also described. Passages from Austen's novels, excerpts from her letters, and other primary source writings of the time about dress support the narrative. A time line with images of the change of the construction of women's gowns, an extensive glossary of fashion terms, Austen's family tree, and a list of characters in her fiction greatly enhance this book. VERDICT With beautiful images of clothing, fashion plates, prints, and paintings, this is recommended for readers interested in the fashion and material culture of this period.--Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Univ. Lib., MA
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
