Ball Gowns: A Gallery of Finery
Get ready to drool–and maybe raise a few eyebrows–at ball gowns of Austen’s day.
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Advice on Good Taste from A Lady of Distinction
Most are not born with good taste, they must learn it from someone like A Lady of Distinction. If you missed the first part of this series, you can find links at the bottom of this post. Given the very negative impact dressing improperly could have on a young lady in society, one could hardly blame said young ladies and their mothers for seeking advice from those who might know better than themselves. Enter ‘A … Continue reading →
Undress, Half Dress, Full dress? What’s a Girl to do?
Undress, Half Dress or Full Dress. What’s the difference and why did it matter? This month the focus is all about the Netherfield Ball. And what are a young lady’s first thoughts about when invited to a ball? What to wear of course! Not surprisingly, the sort of ball being held would determine appropriate dress for the evening. An event like the Meryton Assembly, a public ball, might only call for ‘half dress’, nice by … Continue reading →
Circulating Libraries and the Regency era Novel
What made circulating libraries so important to not just Jane Austen, but Georgian era women in general and what was the role of the humble Regency era novel in the whole affair? James Fordyce, in his Sermons to Young Women, counsels strongly against novels, the very sort of books offered by local and easily accessible circulating libraries. (Despite the face he had not read them, of course. But I digress…) He declared: What shall we … Continue reading →
The Role of Circulating Libraries
Libraries as a social space Libraries were first and foremost a business, not a public service as we think of them today. Generally, they required a town with a population of at least two thousand to be profitable. Consequently, they were almost exclusively found in larger towns and resorts. Libraries could exist in smaller areas, but in those places, they were more of a sideline, added to an existing business. “In 1791, William Lane, famed … Continue reading →