Constructing the fabric of Jane Austen's work today : an honors thesis creative project (HONRS 499)

In Emma, Jane Austen is especially careful in her description of the social position of each character within the novel. In spite of her great attention to detail, she never specifically describes the physical features or dress of any one certain character. Since Emma provides such an excellent stratification of the class system in Britain during Austen's time, based on research into the fashion of the time and using Austen's own detailed descriptions of class, I have constructed three complete costumes: one each for Emma Woodhouse, Jane Fairfax, and Harriet Smith. The costumes are each historically accurate based on fabric, color, and design appropriate to the social class of each of these characters, creating a visual representation of the classism that is so apparent in Emma, since each woman is representative of a different class in Highbury.My project combines an important aspect of Austen's writing, the attention paid to social standing, with an authentic view of Regency dress, appropriate to the varying classes I am representing, so an audience can get a real feel as to how some of their favorite characters might have dressed and see the differences visually that Austen presents with words.