In Sense and Sensibility, Elinor Dashwood wears darker shades of blue, telling us she has reached her mid-twenties and will probably remain a spinster. Her mother's wardrobe gradually changed from the black of mourning to lighter shades of lavender. Emma, the ingénue, wears whites and pastels, signaling not only is she financially well off but quite marriageable. Catherine Morland’s wardrobe in Northanger Abbey is gifted to her by a doting neighbor who thinks of her as the daughter she never had. She wears pastels and fabrics that suggest she has a fortune, which she does not.
The Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice are all clad in very simple pastels signaling they are marriageable but not wealthy. Mr. Darcy's aunt is clad in a blend of late Georgian and Regency, expressing her independence and dominance in both character and social position. Persuasion's Anne Elliot, now a spinster with no expectations, fortune, or hope of marriage, wears exactly what she pleases in the way of color. The various members of her family dress according to their age and station in life. In the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, director Joe Wright’s muddled approach to costume is so deplorable, it is the perfect example of what a Regency is not.
In Part II of this article, we'll take a look at some of the film adaptations of Austen's work.
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