The Fashion of Jane Austen’s Novels

 has been a long time coming. It started out as a chance comment in 2013 from , author of foundational books on dress history such as We were standing chatting in the snowy grounds of Chawton House, once owned by ’s brother , who was adopted by childless cousins and changed his surname. The gracious Elizabethan manor had become a center for studying women’s lives and writings, but we were there for the filming of the BBC documentary , which sought to recreate the famous Netherfield ball scene from Jane Austen’s most beloved novel. I had made a hand-stitched replica gown for the production and appeared as the costume expert. During conversation, Professor Ribeiro mused on the fact that there was no good book on