Defining the Austen Heroine - My Guest Post from Between the Covers

I was just thinking about this guest post I did for the blog Between the Covers (now inactive) about defining the Austen Heroine. I thought I would repost this article as a bit of a throw-back and because it really defines the qualities that all Austen characters share. I can't remember when I wrote this, but I think it was more than a year ago.

Defining the Austen Heroine

After reading one of her books, we really get a sense of who Jane Austen's heroines are. We learn their habits, their virtues, their vices, we understand what they are thinking and how they are feeling, we could read a quote and say "Yep, that sounds like a Lizzy Bennet." But what is it that defines an Austen heroine? What characteristics do they all share that define them as Austen heroines? After all, not all Austen Heroines are the same. Jane Austen's heroines reflect people that we may see in our lives (or maybe even ourselves), and though they are not identical, they share similarities that make them heroines. Some could even be considered opposites. For example, Emma Woodhouse from Emma and Fanny Price from Mansfield Park are pretty different when it comes to personality: Fanny is shy, and Emma is outgoing; Fanny has been described as dull, while Emma has been described as vivacious. But despite those differences, they have those qualities that make them heroines (for example, both attend and are involved in their church). As you read this post, keep in mind that some of the characteristics that I mention may apply to some heroines more than others.

Guest Post by Charity: Spotlight -- Persuasion (2007)

Hey, y'all! I'm Charity, and I'm back with another movie spotlight! I posted earlier this week about myfirst one, so if you want background information, go check that post out. But for now...another movie spotlight! The movie this time?

Persuasion (2007)

Guest Post by Charity: Spotlight -- Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Hey, everyone! I was delighted when Miss Elizabeth kindly asked me to post on her blog and am delighted to be here today with a Movie Spotlight! I'll add a little bit more about me at the end, but for now, let's just say I post on my blog, Austenitis, with all manner of Austen related things, but major in book and movie reviews. I also do Spotlights -- on my blog, they're on specific movie characters, but when I'm guest-posting? Then I prefer to do it on complete movies. It's just a collection of a bunch of my favorite pictures from a movie I like. Here we go!

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Guest Post by Analiese: Wives and Daughters Review

I'm doing a guest post for Miss Elizabeth Bennet during her absence, and decided to do a movie review - thank you for having me, Miss Bennet! :D It's full of spoilers, so this is your alert. Here is my review of Wives and Daughters.

Guest Post by Melody -- English Country Dancing

Hello, all! I'm Melody from Regency Delight ~Jane Austen, &c.~, and I am quite honored to be posting for Miss Elizabeth today during this busy time in her life.

I'm here to talk about a subject I find quite delightful: English Country Dancing.  Do you know what that is? Hopefully you do to some extent. If you've ever watched a Jane Austen movie (which I most certainly hope you have!) you should have at least a vague idea, because you've seen it. Anything in Pride and Prejudice (1995) represents it very well... Sense and Sensibility (1995) can work too, although I've never done dances quite like in that one. The first dance at the ball in Emma (2009) is a good example, although the following two (though I love them) are a little bit different from the ECD stereotype. (ECD is English Country Dancing abbreviated, and that's how I intend to refer to it the rest of the time.) And yes, even the Miramax Emma and the 2005 Pride and Prejudice have ECD in them (although everything in those ones seem rather modernized, the dancing probably not excluded). Even some other period dramas set in the first half of the 19th century will have it; Wives & Daughters, for instance.

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Guest Post by Melody and Amy Dashwood: Sisters and Jane Austen

Good afternoon, ladies! Though perhaps you aren’t reading this in the afternoon, and it’s possible not everyone reading this is a lady, too. Okay, then… hey, y’all. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Melody and Amy, best friends in real life, sisters in spirit, two nuts in a case who email each other way too often, obsessive Janeites and diehard fans of P&P.  It’s so exciting to be around to see Pride and Prejudice’s 200th birthday, and positively riveting to take part in this celebration. We’re here today to discuss with you Sisters and Jane Austen. And Pride and Prejudice, of course. Yes, well, you have probably apprehended that much. 

Guest Post by Charity: Comparing 1995 and 2005 Pride and Prejudice

                Hi! I’m Charity – you can read more about me at the bottom of this post. Miss Elizabeth kindly invited me to post about something Pride and Prejudice related in honor of P&P’s 200^th anniversary (and her special blog party to note that anniversary). Since I’ve enjoyed comparing multiple versions of one movie in the past, I decided to do it again – this time with Pride and Prejudice. In this post, I’m just comparing things like the soundtrack and the important scenes…towards the bottom, I have a link to my P&P Character Comparisons, if you want to know my thoughts on ALL the main characters. :) So, let’s get started!

Guest Post by Miss Laurie: Comparing Mr. Collins

Just as Mr. Darcy is a symbol of the ultimate hero, to most Jane Austen fans Mr. Collins is a mascot of buffoonery. There is an instant image that come to our minds when his name is mentioned and if you're like me you probably can't say his name without immediately following it with an "Ugh!" of disgust.
What is it that makes Mr. William Collins such a universally detested character? Who is he really? Where does he come from and what does he really look like?  These were the questions I asked myself as I considered writing this post, and let me tell you, I thought I knew Mr. Collins but re-reading and studying up on this man brought interesting tidbits to light!

Thursday: Guest Post by Miss Amy Dashwood - Gone With the Wind Costumes - Period Drama Fashion Week

Hello everyone!  My dear blogging friend Miss Elizabeth Bennet has kindly invited me to guest post for her during Period Drama Fashion Week, and I had great fun writing this.  Historical costumes have always fascinated me, and when I watched Gone With the Wind last month for the first time, it was the lovely, lavish costumes that garnered the majority of my attention and interest. Gone With the Wind is an epic film classic, spanning the American Civil War and the Reconstruction and following the lives of a large variety of characters.  The movie itself has become iconic, as have many of the beautiful costumes designed by Walter Plunkett. In my personal, amateur and doesn't-really-know-what-she's-talking-about opinion, you can clearly see the personalities of many GWTW characters through the outfits they wear.  Today, I'm mostly going to focus on Scarlett O'Hara and how her clothes exemplify her transformation throughout the movie.  I'd better warn you right away that my impression of Scarlett is this: she's an immature brat and the beginning of the movie and by the end she's a hardened, selfish woman who didn't appreciate what she had until it was gone.  I lose no love over Scarlett, but I realize that some of you may actually like her, so I'll do my best not to offend you.

I've always loved movie costumes, as I said before, but I didn't start really looking at them analytically until I read this post by a dear blogging friend.  In that post, Alexandra points out how Maria's character in West Side Story undergoes a dramatic change as the movie progresses, changing from a girl into a woman.  In the beginning of WSS, Maria wears a white dress with a red sash.  The white represents her youth and naivete, while the red is just a hint of the fact that she's growing up and getting ready to wear a more daring color.   And in GWTW, Scarlett wears the exact same colors in her first scene.  Ruffles, frills and more ruffles galore-- it's obvious that Scarlett is from a wealthy family, and even more obvious that she takes great care about what she wears and knows exactly how well she looks in it.  The conceited little snip.

Scarlett's barbecue dress is one of my favoritest evah, despite its being a tad too low in the neck for my taste.  She's still in frilly, pastel-ish colors, but the cut of this dress--much to Mammy's dismay--is a bit more, shall we say, adult than what she's been wearing before.  Symbolism and all that, y'alls.

The other girls at the barbecue are, in general, wearing much more modest gowns.  India Wilkes' mustard brown dress is one of my favorites--but do you notice the big lace collar on it?  India's probably in her early twenties, but the dress she's wearing has an older look to it.  Maybe I'm going too deep here, but it seems to me that India's prim-and-proper-and-the-ultimate-in-respectable dress is kind of foreshadowing her future old-maid status.  Dress codes for different stations in life were really strict back then, and if a woman had reached the age at which she was rudely termed "on the shelf", she was expected to wear drab colors and be the example of propriety for younger women who still had a chance at catching a man. Melanie's dress is also of a drab color (and is, IMHO, rather unflattering) but it exemplifies Melanie's quiet, self-effacing character.  Her dress is perfectly modest and not flashy or eye-catching--unlike Scarlett, Melanie has no interest in being the life of the party.

Then comes Scarlett's wedding to Charles Hamilton, at which she appears in another shockingly low-cut gown beside Melanie, who's in a much more modest dress.  As for Scarlett's sleeves-- well, there's enough material in them to make a waist.  They're ridiculous.  She'll have to turn sideways to go through the door.

But then Charles dies of the measles (am I the only one who couldn't resist a heartless snicker at that part?) and Scarlett is left a widow.  And now she has to wear the kind of dress that Henry Higgins so heartily disapproves--one of those with weeds here and weeds there.  (That was a joke, because she's in widow's weeds.  And Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady complains about dresses with flowers all over them but he refers to them as weeds and--never mind.  It wasn't funny.)  At any rate, Scarlett's being forced into decency by Charles' death and made to wear black from her chin to the ground.  Does this stop her from dancing in public with a blockade runner? It does not. Surprise, surprise.

Things get much worse after the Christmas bazaar, and suddenly Scarlett is catapulted into the role of nurse, helping out at the hospital and delivering Melanie's baby (because Prissy don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies).  The frills and furbelows of her early days at Tara are completely gone now-- she's even gallivanting about town without a hoopskirt.  Horrors!  The muslin paisley dress she wears during the Trouble in Atlanta scenes is actually very pretty, but by the time she's done with it, it's a complete and utter mess.  Notice the darker color, if you will--this dress is has more of a drab pattern and is much less flashy than her earlier clothes.

So they're all back at Tara and things are looking bad.  Scarlett, with Mammy's help, goes sashaying off to find Rhett and whine at him for money to pay the taxes, and since she has nothing to wear she rips down her mother's curtains and makes a drape dress.  This outfit is one of the most iconic film costumes ever, yet I'm not quite sure why it's so special.  It looks like what it is--a pair of velvet drapes, complete with fringe, pinned here and there.  Um, kudos to Scarlett for resourcefulness?  I think?

Then the war ends and along comes Frank Kennedy, and Scarlet goes all, "Ooh, now we can pay the taxes on Tara, did I ever tell you I'm hopelessly in love with you, comparatively wealthy man?" and she and Frank get hitched.  The frills of her teenage years and the ostentation (is that a word? Guess it is) of that stupid curtain dress are over and she's suddenly sitting pretty in a nice, neat dress of a suitable matronly color.  Marrying a respectable man like Frank and running a respectable business like a sawmill (even though it's not exactly a lady's job) call for appropriate clothing to go with these respectable occupations.

Now, I happen to like a bit of respectability (and it's such a nice change to see it on Scarlett... aaaaaaahem) so these dresses are some of my favorites.  Especially the shantytown one.  Now I'm not going to go all English-teacher on you and start blathering about symbolism again, but I do find it amusing that Scarlett's wearing blue, the color of loyalty, in the scene where she's completely disregarding her husband's wishes and being blatantly disloyal to him.  

When Frank dies (and it's all Scarlett's fault! And everyone seems to gloss over that fact!) she has to be in mourning again, of course, but she marries Rhett soon after and NOW it's time to show off.  Gone are the days of drudgery-clothes, gone are the days of prim, neat muslins and calicoes.  It's time to be Lady Look-at-me, and Scarlett plays up admirably with showy, flashy clothes in brilliant colors--clothes that do little more than make her look cheap and tawdry.  I do, however, like the dress she wears on her honeymoon (pictured above).  The green and gray is slightly reminiscent of the barbecue dress, and now that she's back at Tara, it probably represents something.  I don't know what, but something.  Ooh, maybe it's the fact that she's Irish.  Wearin' of the green and all that.

And here we have more green! Even Scarlett's dressing gowns are flamboyant, for crying out loud.  Now that she finally has all the money that her mercenary little heart desired, she's ready to let the world know that she has big bucks to spend.  Even if "the world" she's showing off to only consists of her husband and her nursemaid.  Because, you know, nobody else actually sees the dressing gown unless she decides to wear it in public, which I don't think even Scarlett would do.

Hmmm.  Blue again.  Blue for the scene where Scarlett is again disloyal to her husband (although it's a different husband this time).  It's a pretty outfit, but again it's rather flashy and ostentatious.  (I need some synonyms.  I'm using those words too frequently.)  Maybe there really is something in all this blue stuff.  Blue and white, in fact--and white is the color of purity.  Yeah, I'm probably reading too much into all this.

Scarlett's scarlet dress is my least favorite of all her gowns in the whole movie (with the exception of the one that looks like it came from Bed, Bath and Beyond).   She looks like she belongs in a game of Clue, not in my poor darling Melanie's nice parlor.  This dress--and I'm trying to be delicate here--is pretty much showing off to the entire town that Scarlett is basically shameless.  Nice ladies didn't wear clothes like that, even to evening parties.  It looks more like something Belle Watling would wear, and we don't need to go there.

After Bonnie dies, Scarlett goes back into mourning yet again-- and in the last scene, her severe black dress represents more mourning than just Bonnie's death.   Scarlett's lost an awful lot by the end of the movie--her daughter, her only real friend and now her husband.  Black, according to Enjolras in Les Miserables, is the color of despair, and Scarlett's definitely in the depths of despair. And yet she says that tomorrow is another day, and after bawling her eyes out on the famous staircase, she packs up and goes home to Tara.  The last scene shows her looking over the fields toward the old plantation house, in silhouette against the sky.  We can't see what she's wearing very well, nor do we know what's going to happen to her after the credits roll. Personally, I think that's pretty fitting.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet: Thank you, Miss Amy, for guest posting during Period Drama Fashion Week! Be sure to check out Amy's blog, Yet Another Period Drama Blog!

Wednesday: Guest Post by Melody and Miss Laurie - Historic Hairstyles - Period Drama Fashion Week

During the time periods of many of our favorite period dramas how a lady styled her hair was as important as the fashions she wore. Being stylish from head to toe was important for a young lady who entered society, particularly if she hoped to catch a rich husband. For us the hairstyles in period dramas are just so fun to admire and it's interesting to see how hairstyles changed through the eras. Let's take a look at the fads in historic hairdressing through the eyes of our favorite period dramas!

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Top: The Scarlet Pimpernel 1982, Cranford, Amazing Grace

Bottom: Pirates of the Caribbean 2003, Wuthering Heights 1992, Sense & Sensibility 2008

Georgian Era Hairstyles that were poufy and piled high was the desired look in this era. Ladies would make their hair as 'big' as they could (by teasing it and using false hair, hair rats, etc.) before putting it up--preferably leaving several long curls tumbling down the back. Or perhaps for a softer, simpler look: a regular, smooth pompadour with an elegant curl or two on the shoulder. Powdered wigs were also popular during the early part of the 1700's but were given up by the time Jane Austen was born because they were often called "vulgar" by critics.

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Top: Pride & Prejudice 1995, Sense & Sensibility 2008, Emma (Miramax)

Bottom: Sense & Sensibility 1995, Emma (A&E), Pride & Prejudice 1995

Regency Era

Hair in the Regency period was rather simple compared to the surrounding eras (except perhaps the people who loaded their hair with feathers and other hair decorations for balls and special occasions), yet with an elegant charm. Styles resembled fashions of ancient Greek and Rome and ladies always wore their hair up. A common style was to have a middle part with curls framing the face, and the rest of the hair put up in a bun or a slightly more tumbling, pinned-up-curls sort of look. Silk ribbons or scarfs were often used to tie around the head and the bun and ladies like Jane Austen were also fond of wearing brightly colored turbans adorned with feathers or jewels.

As pretty as it might look in the movies ladies of this era would not have worn their hair down in public, it would have been considered improper.

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Top: The Young Victoria, Little Dorrit, Wives & Daughters

Bottom: Great Expectations 2011, Wives & Daughters, Jane Eyre 2006

Romantic Era / Early Victorian Era

Fashions became more intricate in this era. Hair was often pulled tightly away from the face and into a knot or a very carefully-arranged, stiff-looking hairdo high on the top of the head, with curls or ringlets on the side. A more simple look was to part the hair in the middle and smooth it over the ears and perhaps braid the side pieces before adding them back into a bun. (You know, the stereotypical Jane Eyre style.) And we mustn't forget all the artificial hair additions and decorations; feathers, fans, flowers and fruit might be added to the evening styles.

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Top: Cranford, Bleak House 2005, Cranford

Bottom: North & South 2004 (twice), Bleak House 2005

Mid-Victorian Era

As the Victorian era progressed hairstyles loosened to create softer and sweeter looks. Hair put up at the back of the head was pinned lower than the romantic era, often braids and intricate folding of the hair was added to the buns. Younger ladies would sometimes wear some of the back in ringlets to give a sweet, almost angelic look that supported the Victorian ideal that ladies were delicate flowers.

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Top: The Way We Live Now, Daniel Deronda, Little Women 1994

Bottom: Daniel Deronda, Our Mutual Friend 1999, Daniel Deronda

Late-Victorian Era

Extravagant is the word for this later part of Queen Victoria's reign! Hair was arranged in piles of curls at the back of the head with long ringlets left to fall near the base of the neck. Fake hair pieces were very popular during this time and were added to give hair more height, more curls or even braided headbands. Even the more simple day time styles would contain more intricate braiding and arranging of the hair with an abundance of curls. 

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Top: Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Downton Abbey, Somewhere in Time

Bottom: The Winslow Boy, Road to Avonlea, Downton Abbey

Edwardian Era / Early 1900s In the 1900s, the definitive style was the pompadour. It's the opposite of the hair being pulled tightly away from the face--it is as loosely and expansively as possible swept up into a bun--a rather romantic-looking hairstyle that was an important part of the popular Gibson girl style. The 1910s brought more simplicity; pompadours were still common, but becoming popular were hairstyles lower down on the back of the head; one common look was a middle part with the hair twisted back on both sides into a low bun, or making the twist continue all around the head, with the hair tucked in at the back rather like a Gibson-tuck.

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Top (1920s): House of Eliott, Upstairs Downstairs 2010, House of Eliott

Bottom (1930s): Wind At My Back, Poirot: Sad Cyress, Poirot: The Mystery of the Blue Train

1920s / 1930s As more ladies went to work after World War I hairstyles became even more simple. Long hair was oftened pinned into a bun at the back of the neck to keep it our of the way. With the wave of flapper styles more ladies began to sport very short hairstyles which they sometimes curled, smoothed very straight for a sleek look, or had it "set" into a stiff-looking wave at the temples or all the way around the head, which often accompanied the stereotypical "bob." Hairstyles in the 1930s were quite similar to the previous decade, but short hair was more frequently curled on the sides and ends to to make a softer look, and the very short, chin-length hairstyle was becoming outdated. Like the 1920s, top portions of long (and short hair) was frequently given stiff wave curls before being pulled back into a bun at the nape of the neck.

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If you're like us you'll probably want to try some of these historic hairstyles on your own hair. Here's some of our favorite historic hairstyle tutorials, but keep in mind that many of the fine ladies would have had a maid to style their hair before a ball so it's sometimes tricky to get the styles right yourself.

Locks of Elegance (Georgian through Edwardian styles), Historical Hairstyles (a few tutorials including Elizabeth Swann's Georgian do and Margaret Hale's Mid-Victorian do), Ups and Downs (lovely Regency styles with a few Victorian) and Rapunzel's Resource (tons of long hair period drama styles that can easily be adjusted for medium length hair).

Thank you for joining us in looking at these old-fashioned hairstyles from period dramas! We hope you've enjoyed it. There are so many lovely eras, but Miss Laurie's favorite would be the Regency era and the Mid-Victorian as a close second. Melody is having a very hard time deciding, and although the Regency era is always wonderful and marvelous, her favorites might be Mid-Victorian and Edwardian. (Maybe.)

Many thanks to Miss Elizabeth for having us guest post! We had a lot of fun.

Miss Laurie writes the lovely blog Old-Fashioned Charm and Melody is the authoress of the charming Regency Delight ~Jane Austen, etc.~.

Which historic era has your favorite hairstyles?

Miss Elizabeth Bennet: Thank you, Miss Laurie and Melody, for guest posting!

Sunday: Guest Post by Miss Laurie - Period Drama Costume Designers - Period Drama Fashion Week

When Miss Elizabeth first invited me to guest post for her Period Drama Fashion Week I was excited but knowing little about fashion I was also unsure about what to post about. One of my favorite things to do is delve behind the scene of period dramas to learn interesting tidbits about the talented people who make a film come to life. So I decided to research the costume designers behind some of my favorite period dramas.

Delving into this world of costume designers I discovered that there's about seven or eight designers who have worked on multiple period dramas - so many of my favorites, it's amazing! So I'm super excited to share with ya'll about some of these talented ladies and gentlemen!

Jenny Beavan  Ms. Beavan was born in 1950 and is a native of London, England. She studied at London's Central School of Art and Design and has been designing costumes for TV films and movies since 1978. She has been nominated for Academy Awards eight times and won and Oscar once for A Room with a View (1985). She has also been awarded two BAFTAs and an Emmy Award for Emma (1997). Besides her work for films she also has designed for theater productions in London and New York City. Recognizable Work:

• A Room with a View (1985) - I don't recommend this but her Edwardian styles are gorgeous!
• Sense and Sensibility (1995) - two thumbs up for her Regency styles!
• Jane Eyre (1996)
• Emma (1997) -  Kate Beckinsale's dresses are so lovely!
• Ever After (1998) - Cinderella's ball gown with the wings is gorgeous! 
• Amazing Grace (2006) - Stunning Georgian styles for Ramola Garai!
• Cranford (2007) & Return to Cranford (2009) - the details for each character are amazing!
• Sherlock Holmes (2009) & Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
• The King's Speech (2010)

Andrea Galer Ms. Galer was born in 1945 in Cambridge, England. Her first work was in the costume department of a film staring actress Julie Christie got her recognized as a great artist in 1973 and she's been designing costumes for TV and movies ever since. She has received many awards for her costumes including a BAFTA for Bleak House (2005) and an Emmy Award for Jane Eyre (2006). Over the past few years Ms. Galer's passion has been her 'Power of Hands' foundation which she has set up to help sustain traditional crafts, especially the lace makers in southern Sri Lanka who survived the 2004 tsunami. When designing for films she tries to use as much handmade lace and other handmade textiles as possible to encourage handcrafters. Many of the actors who have worn her costumes in films have helped with fundraising by modeling her costumes at private functions and for photo shoots. Her costumes are on exhibit at places like The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, England where some of her Regency designs can be purchased. Recognizable Work:

• Mansfield Park (1999) - don't recommend but the costumes are stunning.
• The Way We Live Now (2001) - amazing late Victorian dresses, the yards of fabric!
• He Knew He Was Right (2004) - beautiful dresses on the leading ladies!
• Bleak House (2005) - so glad she won a BAFTA for this, her work is amazing!
• Jane Eyre (2006)
• Persuasion (2007) - notice lace sleeves when Anne plays the piano, the lace was handmade!
• Miss Austen Regrets (2008) - more handmade lace is featured in this TV film.
• Agatha Christie's Poirot (five TV movies from 1995-2008)
• Marple (2009, four TV movies)
• Garrow's Law (2009 TV series) - don't necessarily recommend this but the Georgian styles are exquisite.

Mike O'Neill  Not much information is available about Mr. O'Neill but he is British, I believe, and has designed costumes for TV and movies since 1990. In 2007 he was awarded by the Costume Designers Guild for best costumes in a Miniseries or TV Film for his amazing work on Elizabeth I (2005). Recognizable Work:

• Our Mutual Friend (1998) - Bella Wilfur's gowns are exquisite!
• David Copperfield (1999) 
• Daniel Deronda (2002) - Ramola Garai's late Victorian gowns are stunning!
• North & South (2004) - I love Margaret's gowns!
• Elizabeth I (2005) - starring Helen Mirren, haven't seen this but the gowns are amazing to look at.
• Mansfield Park (2007) - Mary Crawford's dresses are quite lovely. Also a lot of reused costumes in this film.

Rosalind Ebbutt  Again, not much information is available for Ms. Ebbutt but I'd assume from her resume that she is a native of the UK. Her costumes have been featured in TV and movies since the early 1980's. She has revieved one BAFTA award and been nominated for five others, she was also nominated for an Emmy Award for her costumes in Emma (2009). Her Emma (2009) costumes were on exhibit at Chawton Cottage, the Jane Austen's House Museum in 2010. Recognizable Work:

• The Buccaneers (1995) - read Miss Elizabeth's review here.
• The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996) - not the best but the costumes are lovely.
• Vanity Fair (1998) - considered classic British drama, the story isn't great but the costumes are and have been reused in many other period dramas.
• Oliver Twist (1999) 
• Emma (2009) - my favorite, love Emma's wardrobe!
• Downton Abbey (2011 TV series) - amazing Edwardian fashions!

Phyllis Dalton Ms. Dalton was born 1925 in London England. She was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2002 Queen's Birthday Honours for her services to the Film Industry as a Costume Designer. What interested me in her was that I was looking up who designed the fabulous fashions for The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) and was amazed to discover some of her other credits were classic films I love. Recognizable Work:

• The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) - Odd's fish m'dear! To think that Sir Percy's cravats were entirely her invention! :)
• Much Ado About Nothing (1993) - Emma Thompson and Kate Beckinsale have pretty white dresses and the men have charming uniforms.
• Henry V (1989) - haven't seen this in a long time, Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh.
• The Princess Bride (1987) - Buttercup's dresses are gorgeous!
• Oliver! (1968) - Yep, the musical! Can you believe it?
• Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - Classic TV, those desert robes are iconic.

Alexandra Byrne  Ms. Byrne was born in 1962 and is a UK native. She trained on the Motley Theatre Design Course before embarking on her career as a costume designer in film in the early 1990's. She was nominated for four Academy Awards and won one for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. What interested me was her vast range of costume design - from Jane Austen's Regency, to bold Victorian era musicals to action heroes! Her costumes are always extremely detailed and tailored to the characters who wear them. Recognizable Work:

• Persuasion (1995) - My favorite! I love the details on Anne's dresses especially.
• Hamlet (1996) - Stunning Edwardian styles.
• Finding Neverland (2004) 
• The Phantom of the Opera (2004) - Amazing dresses for Roxanne and the rest of the theatre company!
• Thor (2011) & The Avengers (2012) - Hard to believe but I guess it takes as much talent to make well-made action hero costumes as it does to make Victorian ballgowns! 

Martha Mann & Ruth Secord I was beginning to think all costume designers were British until I remembered the gorgeous costumes in Anne of Green Gables and other Sullivan Entertainment productions. Two ladies stood out among the four who worked on the Road To Avonlea TV Series: Martha Mann and Ruth Secord. Martha Mann's Work:

• Anne of Green Gables (1985) - Won Best Costume Design for the 1986 Gemini Awards!
• Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1986) 
• Looking For Miracles (1989) - Depression era, sweet story.
• Road to Avonlea (1990-1996 TV series)
• Lantern Hill (1990) - based on L.M. Montgomery's Jane of Lantern Hill, a favorite with my family.
• Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning (2008)

Ruth Secord's Work:

• Road to Avonlea (1990-1996 TV series)
• Happy Christmas, Miss King (1998)
• Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (2000)
• Wind At My Back (1996-2001 TV series) - Depression era, almost as good as Road to Avonlea and a new favorite of mine.

It was so much fun learning more about these talented costume designers who add so much detail to each and every piece they create. I hope you enjoyed learning about the costume designers as much as I did.  Many actors seem to mention in behind-the-scenes interviews that their favorite part of acting in period dramas are the costumes because they really help them get into character. Let's hear a big round of applause for the talented costume designers who help bring our favorite period drama characters to life!

[Roar of Applause here]

Which costume designer listed above has made your favorite costumes? Many thanks to Miss Elizabeth for inviting me to guest post, it was a real delight! Very Truly Your's, Miss Laurie

Miss Laurie is the author of Old-Fashioned Charm where she blogs about Jane Austen, period dramas, classic literature and everything old-fashioned under the sun.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet: Thank you, Miss Laurie, for guest posting during Period Drama Fashion Week!

Guest Posts at Other Blogs

I've been busy working on guest posts for other blogs (and also a big event that I am planning for sometime during the summer). Here is what I've been working on!

I've been working on guest posts over at Austenitis (some of which are scheduled throughout the summer). The major one that had been posted is a Persuasion comparison that I did with Miss Amy Dashwood from Yet Another Period Drama Blog, Miss Laurie from Old-Fashioned Charm, and Melody from Regency Delight ~Jane Austen, etc.~ Check out what we thought of the 1995 and 2007 versions of Persuasion!

Persuasion Comparison

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

And for Elinor, Elizabeth, and Emma's Emma Week, Melody, Miss Woodhouse, and I put together comparing the 1996 and the 2009 versions of Emma. Have a look!

Emma Comparison

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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 God Bless,

Some Guest Posts in the Past Months

The last couple of months were busy for me, but I did happen to do a couple of guest posts here and there at other blogs. If you're interested, here they are. Check them out!

Jane Austen Heroine Week at Elinor and Emma (Old Site) - Defining the Austen Heroine

Austenitis - Period Drama Familes

Austenitis - Period Drama Connections - Part 1, Part 2

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 God Bless,

Austenitis: Sense and Sensibility Comparisons Parts 2 & 3, Lark Rise to Candleford Review

Sense and Sensibility Comparisons: Part 2, Part 3 (Conclusion coming soon!)
Lark Rise to Candleford Review

More Guest Posts at Austenitis! Ten Commandments Review and Sense and Sensibility Comparison

Sorry I haven't posted about this sooner, but yesterday I posted a review for The Ten Commandments over at Austenitis! It's not like the review I did here, so if you're interested, go check it out!

In addition to that, Melody from Regency Delight ~ Jane Austen, etc., who is also guest posting at Austenitis, and I have prepared a Sense and Sensibility Comparison. We compared the different parts of the 1995 movie and the 2008 miniseries of Sense and Sensibility (Thing's like characters, scenes, scenery, etc.). This is a four part post series If you're a big fan of Sense and Sensibility, you should really check it out! Part one is here!

King's Speech Review at Austenitis

Posted another review at Austenitis! I reviewed The King's Speech this time! Here's the link!